Ruminations of an Expatriate

October 11th, 2008 2:28 pm

My Ballot Arrived

No longer having a legal residence in the USA I wasn’t sure how I would go about voting in the presidential election, so some months ago I did a bit of looking around the internet for information. I happened upon the Democrats Abroad site, which has lots of useful information; and information at a federal government site.

I joined the Democrats Abroad and voted for Obama in its online primary. Obama won, overwhelmingly. The Democrats Abroad actually had delegates to the Democratic National Convention.

At any rate, in accordance with the information I happened upon, I contacted the voter registrar’s office in the county of coastal Washington where I lived for a bit more than thirty years before my expatriation. The registrar, in the county auditor’s office, checked with the Secretary of State’s office and determined that I was entitled to vote not just in the presidential election but in all of the statewide and local races, as well.

Today I received my ballot, via airmail. There is no postmark on the envelope so I don’t know when it was mailed, but it seems to me that the Mexican postal system service has improved in recent months. I had read sometime back that Mexican postal authorities had contracted with the USA a postal service to help improve the system here. And, as much as I criticize the USA government, the US postal service is first rate and its service is inexpensive.

I notice there is on the Washington state ballot an initiative which, if approved, would authorize access to “lethal prescriptions” for those “predicted” to have less than 6 months to live. It will receive a yes vote from me, though I think the folks should also be provided with a kit which includes the drugs, a bottle of Tequila, a lawn chair, a cinder block, a bit of cord to connect the block to the chair, and transportation to the beach.

Another initiative would require the licensing, based upon examinations and background checks, of “long-term care workers.” I will be voting no. This is another case, I suspect, like the massage therapists asking the legislature to require the licensing of massage therapists. Another state agency to further nannify life in Washington.

The other odd thing about the Washington ballot is that the candidates are listed as “prefers democratic party” or “prefers republican party”. The state legislature, some time ago, adopted legislation establishing that the top two finishers in the primary election go onto the general election ballot. So in some cases the two candidates are from the same party. I think it’s a good idea, particularly in an area such as where I lived where the republicans have historically run as democrats, since a large portion of the electorate are knee-jerkers.

So I will be completing my ballot this afternoon and will walk it down to the post office the first thing Monday morning. Though the return envelope is US postage paid I imagine I’ll have to buy some Mexican postal service stamps.

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October 9th, 2008 7:44 pm

“Undecided Voters”

If you’ve watched the, so called, presidential and vice-presidential “debates” (of course they aren’t anything resembling a debate) you’ve probably listened to the news reports of the reactions of “undecided” voters to the debate, some of whom are provided dial indicators with which they may register, in real time, their approval or disapproval of what the candidates are saying.

So how do the news organizations determine who is “undecided”?

Ben Smith, of Politico.com reports the comments of one of those undecided voters as to the screening process.

They asked a few questions regarding my choice in the Presidential election. They asked who I would vote for. I said most likely I would be voting for Barack Obama. They followed with, “is there any chance that you would change your mind”? I said “Of course anything is possible.” They then asked me as an uncommitted voter would I like to participate in the Town hall debate. I said “Of course!”

So it seems that the news media reports of the reactions of the undecided voters they have assembled are no more reliable than online polls.

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October 9th, 2008 7:22 pm

Dow Jones Industrial Average

A year ago today the DJIA hit it’s highest point ever, over 14,000, today it fell to 8,579.19. The S&P 500 has performed similarly. The result is that a diversified stocks account has lost about 35% of its value, and the markets have lost trillions of dollars of value.

This seems like really, really bad news, right? Well, it depends upon one’s situation. For those with cash and five or so years of patience it seems the stock market is approaching a very good time to buy an indexed mutual fund for the ride back up. And five or so years from now when one cashes in their profits, one can also sell their losers to offset one’s capital gains.

But, then again, I know very little of the subject.

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October 8th, 2008 8:41 pm

First and Second Spouses

I’m at the moment watching Larry King interview Michelle Obama and am very impressed. I know we are electing a president and vice-president, but who would you rather have as first and second spouses for the next four years - Michelle Obama and Jill Biden or Cindy McCain and Todd Palin?

87% percent of those Larry King viewers voting in his “quick vote” think Michelle Obama “would make a better first lady” than would Cindy McCain, whom 13% think would be better.

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