I Voted

In North Alexandria, I voted for Jim Webb, and "no" on the gay marriage/anti-freedom of contract amendment.

Unfortunately, it looks like the gay marriage amendment passed.  Which means I really have no desire to continue living in this state much longer.

For Congress, I couldn't vote for the (allegedly) corrupt incumbent, Jim Moran (his brother greeted me at the polls -- I was rather rude when he asked me to vote for him), nor could I bring myself to vote for the GOP this time around.  So per the advice of a Hit & Run commenter, I wrote in "Mark Foley" for Congress.

Comments

[brian423]

Fascinating. So who are you?

[mith]

Uh, he works there.

Also, see:

http://www.theagitator.com

It's um, reasonably famous.

[highnumber]

It's unfair that brian423's comment seems to be nonsense unless someone else makes a comment about Mr Balko's name not showing up on the post at first.

[brian423]

Originally, smart-ass, this post had no byline.

[Kile]

It's so sad that people in the Commonwealth of VA didn't even read the proposed Amendment. I forcast a Supreme Court decision in the coming years, as effected hetrosexual couples are going to be effected the most. What do you think?

[Craig Steven]

The republicans are going all the way

[Derek]

Radley - don't you live in Alexandria? No kidding, have some fun and move to D.C. While you won't be represented as a libertarian, you will at least have more fun in a great town.

I was born and raised in NoVA, went to school in VA, and moved to the District right out of school.

I know its tough for a a native Virginian (who holds Jefferson and Patrick Henry as some of his heroes) to leave the Old Dominion, but hell D.C. is a lot better than having Moran as a Congressman (but NoVA is still a lot better than Maryland).

[M]

name not showing up on the post

Write-in candidacy is clearly the wave of the future.

[Gimme Back My Dog]

Which means I really have no desire to continue living in this state much longer.

So, you are going to move to that state that respects individual liberties? Which state is that again?

[andy]

"It's so sad that people in the Commonwealth of VA didn't even read the proposed Amendment. I forcast a Supreme Court decision in the coming years, as effected hetrosexual couples are going to be effected the most. What do you think?"

This argument doesn't hold much water. The people who are against ho-mos getting married are by and large people against premarital cohabition, or non-marital long term relationships in general. Ergo, they don't give a fuck either way.

[mith]

Sorry Smarter-ass, I looked at the post 1 minute after you posted, and it was fine.

My apologies for assuming you were just being a regular smartass.

[Shawn Smith]

So, you are going to move to that state that respects individual liberties? Which state is that again?

Not Nevada. The decriminalization of Marijuana initiative is going down, the minimum wage will be increased, and not one, but two--two smoking bans will pass. The less onerous one allows smoking in bars that serve food, the other one doesn't. They both allow smoking in casinos, but not convenience stores.

[z]

I dont get it, why do casinos get smoking exemptions? I guess if it costs some individual business owner some money, so be it, but if it costs the state money, that's a bridge too far.

[martin]

Repeating my comment from another thread:

Personally, i have no confidence in Virginia voters' sanity. A more mean-spirited system the country has hardly ever seen.

Bunch of assholes, really.
Sore loser I am.

[Shawn Smith]

Z,

... why do casinos get smoking exemptions? I guess if it costs some individual business owner some money, so be it, but if it costs the state money, that's a bridge too far.

Bingo. I will now say that I was exaggerating a bit about the more onerous non-smoking measure. If the bar or other business can create a nearly air-tight area for smokers, then smoking will be allowed there. Otherwise, bars will have to stop serving food. That also goes for restaurants in casinos, by the way. There are currently some grocery stores (supermarkets, mainly) that have separate, enclosed areas with video poker machines, and they would be allowed with the more onerous measure. Also, only the measure with the most votes will actually be the one enacted, which is looking more and more like the less onerous one.

Look, I don't smoke, I don't like the smell of cigarette or cigar smoke, and I have no intention of starting. But this whole idea that smoking needs to be illegal is still pretty fucked up, if you ask me. Most of the radio commercials I've been hearing have been trumpeting the Surgeon General's report that NO amount of second-hand smoke is safe. I believe Jacob Sullum has had a couple posts demonstrating the inanity of that statement. But of course, arguments based on reason very rarely have any effect on people. Bleah.

😕 😕

[Todd Frye]

There's no such state as North Alexandria!