In Oregon, we all vote by mail. I stopped by the post office early on my way to town. Nicolle, the Postmistress, said she had the ballots but she had dropped the box and they were all mixed up. We chatted for a few minutes and she found our ballots and I was on my way, ripping open the envelope to actually see the ballot while I was driving over the mountain...... so so satisfying just to see the name right there at the top of the ticket.
Last Presidential election, we were able to donate quite a bit in the form of frequent but small donations. We even flew from Oregon to DC for the inauguration. Guess we were doing ok to afford that trip. Not this time though.
We've given a few small donations this time..... a few dollars for the long form BC mugs, a few dollars for a bumper sticker that we actually never received. But no recurring monthly donation..... dozens of deleted fundraising emails every week, simply unable to squeeze out the $35, $25, $10, $7, even the $3 they have been asking for lately. The money just wasn't there to make donations even if we wanted to. On the night of Obama's DNC speech we sent $20.12 and after this week's debate we gave another $5 but boy, how pathetic and insufficient these amounts seem compared to the PACs and the Adelsons.....
Today's trip to town.... had enough gas to get there and back, check. Scraped together all the loose bills and even included a jar full of dimes for my deposit to cover the checks to pay the goat milkers, check. Had another small jar with a few more coins for a frugal lunch at the cheap chinese place next to the University where all the chinese students eat, check. Filled out my ballot as I ran my errands and then back over the mountain and home again.... a wonderful sunny, warm day.
Now I am back at the post office with my completed ballot, in it's secrecy envelope, inside the signed envelope...... and I literally had to dig the sticky pennies out of the spare cup holder to get together enough to buy a stamp to mail the danged thing in but you know...... It seemed symbolic in a way that I am one of the 47%, I work my ass off and I'm hanging on, keeping everyone working in spite of limited funds, and I literally had to spend my hoarded pennies to vote......... and there is supposedly an enthusiasm gap!