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August 13, 2006
Vote in an online US Senate poll
Blogging for Corker has a poll up. Go vote. Although I would have preferred one showing all of the general election candidates, at least they included a "None of the Above" option alongside Corker and Ford.
Some Tennesseans will be hard-pressed to choose one of the frontrunners. Ford is too corporate-friendly for many progressives, and Corker isn't nearly theocratic enough for many of the state's so-called social conservatives.
There are reasons to select one of the major party candidates in spite of these factors. First, there's that tired old "spoiler" word. This will be a close race. Post-primary polls gave Corker the lead, but Ford is rebounding, and fast. Each man has access to inconceivable amounts of money. The predictions (which could be wrong) are that the outcome in Tennessee will determine control of the Senate. That's enough to scare just about any partisan away from sitting out the election, and to diminish the showings for any of the "third party" candidates, since independents and swing voters likely have major-party sympathies. (I'm trying to shed mine, but they're sticky, I tell ya.)
Still, and I've been saying this for six years (and others have for much, much longer), don't let yourself be forced into voting for someone in whom you cannot place your complete confidence. If you honestly perceive that Ed Choate, David Gatchell, James Gray, Bo Heyward, Gary Keplinger, or Chris Lugo is the man (where are the women?) that deserves your vote, then by all means register it accordingly. (A "nota" on David Gatchell: he's not running on any platform, per se, but for the specific purpose of providing the "None of the Above" option.)
Lastly, sometime soon I will find one of these free blog poll services and put one here that will allow you to choose among all the candidates. (UPDATE: In the meantime, A.C. Kleinheider's got one.)
US Senate Elections | By joe lance | 09:59 PM