Is this really necessary?
By Matt Worley

The closer we get to November 5th, the more I wonder if I even need to vote. It's not that I don't enjoy being rushed through the voting booth by caring senior citizens at the State Fairgrounds, but I have the feeling that it doesn't matter. And I'm not exactly the apathetic type of person. I always told my friends that if they didn't vote, they couldn't complain (this doesn't always stop them, but at least it makes them think before opening their mouth). I've voted in most major elections since I registered myself about seven days after turning 18. I even voted in some of the little elections just because I felt guilty about skipping out on the ritual. Hell, I even voted in elections at my university even though the most any new president did was stack the appointees with friends and get investigated by the pre-lawyers who lost.

I felt a real threat in 1992. Most of it came from the ill-feeling President Reagan always brought to my mind. Even though my parents were registered Republicans at the time, they hated Reagan. Bush was Reagan's lackey in many ways (even though Rush Limbaugh seemed to convince many Republicans that Bush gave up the Reagan dream--one thing I can say about Rush, he sure knows how to manipulate the stupid people). So I felt compelled, even though Clinton's Secret Service Aides pushed my hand away from old Bill at a campaign rally, to vote the governor from Arkansas into office. It was the first time my parents ever voted for the winner in a Presidential Election-and mine as well.

A few months ago I was in the position of "Who else am I going to vote for?" Clinton has played the stupidity of politics well on many issues, which has made me quite cynical about the system in general. By the time anyone gets into the position of running for President, they have been bought and sold so many times, they have trouble picking the right toilet paper without checking a poll. I honestly do believe that Clinton and Dole, among many other politicians, have sold their soul to be where they are. Not to the devil perhaps, but to the interest groups who have lined candidates pockets with incentives and campaign contributions. Perot would love to sell his soul, but his ego keeps yellin' "That's mine dammit! Git yer own horse 'en ride!" They are all soulless shells pushing out blind ideas to a nation that doesn't care too much as long as it doesn't affect them directly. And I guess if I was that shallow I wouldn't have as much of a problem with it.

My problem is that I actually do care about people I've never met. I do honestly wonder we are going in this country. We're at an edge now, but no one seems to realize that honest decisions need to be made. Everyone is spouting out the same bile water they've been pushing since the general public started electing people in this country. Dole is trying to bribe people by promising to cut taxes-nothing else is coming out of his mouth so I don't know what the hell else he wants to do other than not die. Clinton just wants to be the president in the year 2000. He's always had an eight year plan--one of the criticisms hurled at him in the 1992 election. "I'll finish the job," is his main statement-that and something about building more bridges.

Peer pressure will probably get me to the polls. My older brother is working for the Democratic Campaign in Florida. Scott Parkinson, a writer/friend in San Francisco is working for the California Green Party (unofficially pushing Ralph Nader for Prez--although they are considered a political action committee there so they can't actually speak to their candidate). My grandparents are probably standing in a mall in Kansas pushing Bob Dole on unsuspecting Wal-Mart Americans. I can't bring myself to commit to anyone. I keep hoping somebody will run in to save the day--even though it is legally impossible at this time (and no, his name is not Colin Powell).

So in a week or so I'll be off to the polls. It won't be like that time in 1980 when I helped lead an Anderson rally at my grade school (he came in second at our school to the overwhelming popularity of President Carter). It won't be like 1992 when I felt morally compelled to vote for Clinton to save my liberally gay, abortion-having brethren. It'll probably be more like 1994 when I didn't want to vote and eventually pulled a 'none of the above' by voting for the Green Party candidate for Governor. Who I'll pull out of my hat this time, I'm not sure. I may look for an interesting name in the large list of third party candidates. I might go back to the old standby Clinton in fears that no one else is voting. And then again, I might just stand inthat booth until the nice old lady tells me my time is almost up and then play random tick tack toe with the lights. I don't think it matters one way or another.

Matt Worley officially endorses David Lee Roth for lead singer of Van Halen even though Eddie says the public does not get to vote on this issue.

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