Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Drafted...Perhaps

Some Polly and the Mooch regulars know that 3 years ago I worked with the Democratic Governors' Association and our former Governor in monitoring our elections. Since then I've done some work in various elections helping others monitor the vote for improprieties. I've been planning to do some work with our local races here in MS, but i was informed today that i may be elsewhere.

the tightest race the Democrats have is for the New Jersey Senate seat. Democrat Sen. Robert Menendez v Republican Tom Keane in that race. Today i was asked to go to New jersey and help the Menendez campaign with election day poll monitoring. I haven't decided if i'm going yet. I'm just not sure.

6 comments:

CSH said...

Oh c'mon jp! you've got to go. That would be fun. A trip to New Jersey to help defend truth, justice, and the American way. How can you not do that? Unless, of course, you think you can do more good in Mississippi.

Do you want a Utilitarian, Kantian, or Aristotelian argument for going?

If you went, how would you vote? I guess that just goes to show you that you should always apply for an absentee ballot, just in case you have to save the world.

brd said...

You go, guy!

But if Keane loses, who is going to lead the pick-up bball games on the hill? What about that dilemna? There is more to an election than meets the eye.

Have you early-voted?

Polly said...

as i recall, i can vote absentee until sat at noon. I'll prolly go by today and do it just in case.

and hud...i've dont the Utilitarian and Kantian. give me the aristotelian argument! ha!

CSH said...

Oh c'mon, that one is easy. What would the person of good character do?

I think the hardest part of this question is whether you can do more good in Mississippi. If you will be just hanging out not doing much in Ms, then its a no brainer. And I'm not suddenly turning this into a utilitarian position, rather Aristotle has a strong position on friendship and civic duty (but that mixes the politics with the ethics). It could be that even though your specific participation in the Ms stuff won't have an affect on the outcome you might still be morally justified in staying in Ms because of the virtues of community (including, but not limited to, how your participation in local events could help you become more actively involved in local politics. But, that might be served as well by taking off to insure to validity of the electoral process in Virginia).

virtues that I think are covered by going: courage, truthfulness, justice, magnificence, and righteous indignation.
virtues that I think can be expressed to a whole new group of folks by going: pride, gentleness, agreeableness, wittiness, and liberality (but only if you've started tipping).
See what I am saying, there is a whole slew of virtues fulfilled by going and all the virtues you would normally exhibit can now be exposed to new folks.

GO.

Anonymous said...

YES YOU ARE GOING. TRUST ME- NEW JERSEY NEEDS YOU...AMERICA NEEDS YOU!

brd said...

Did you go? How was it?