Wanted: Ignorant Voters

I find an interesting dichotomy that has surfaced in the reporting of the presidential political landscape of this past week.

First, close to home, it seems that some politicos are seeing that the voters of West Virginia might be softening their stance against Obama. Bloggers and reporters are asking if West Virginians have decided, suddenly, that they are no longer racist, or rather if it's the worsening economy that is convincing them to vote against their racial bias and in favor of their pocketbooks.

Over in Ohio the group ACORN is busy trying to find all the people they can to load up the polls come election day. They are offering all kinds of inducements - from discount coupons to businesses to free concert tickets - to get people to register to vote. They will also be providing transportation to the polls for those whom they sign up.

Ostensibly ACORN is fulfilling a noble purpose: Getting people involved in the democratic process. Of course, in doing so they are inducing people who have zero interest in - and knowledge of - politics to vote. The Democratic Party leaders are thrilled with ACORN's efforts because they know that the politically ignorant voters in the mostly urban areas where ACORN works are going to vote Democrat 90% of the time. Of course, Republicans see this as nothing short of election fraud.

Meanwhile, back in West Virginia, our ignorant voters are going to massively support John McCain; not because they like him, but because they don't trust a guy with a name Barack Hussein Obama, who by the way is black.

So both parties are rooting for ignorant voters to show up at the polls. Republicans love our idiots and Democrats love the Buckeye imbeciles.

This dichotomy would be much more interesting if West Virginia had the same same Electoral College weight as Ohio. As it is, it really doesn't matter what our idiots do. If McCain wins W.Va., then so what? If Obama wins it will be a moot point. Ohio's idiots are much more important in this election.

This is a good argument for voter qualification. People should have to prove their worthiness to vote before they are given a voter's registration card. Some kind of test should be given that would evaluate the voter's IQ and ensure that the voter possesses at least a modicum of understanding about the United States political system before they are given their turn in the voting booth.

Oh yeah, you want to call me a bad person for saying that, but you know that deep down you agree with me.

Lots of Smoke at Blackhawk Saloon

The leader of the local fight against the Kanawha County Health Department's smoking ban is Paco Ellison, owner of The Blackhawk Saloon, a little dive off Piedmont Road just east of Charleston. Interestingly enough the place is, at this writing, burning down.

Paco's last quote in the Gazette was ironic: "I think they're bluffing," Ellison said Wednesday. "We're going to continue to smoke here until they prove to me I can't. I'm going to stay right where I'm at until they take action."

As I see it there are two possible explanations for the fire:

1. The militant anti-smoking activists torched it (unlikely).
2. Friction Fire - a bad investment rubbing up against a good insurance policy (likely).

It will be interesting to see Paco's public reaction to the fire.