Whole world turned upside down

[Scout26]

Been working as a registrar at the early voting polls.   It's a boring job.  There are five of us and enough work for .25 of a person.   So I've been assigned to guiding people into the building (even with the signs it can be tricky, I'm sure some architect won a design award for this stupid government building we're in, but I digress.)   

The first half of my job is basically to point people toward the correct entrance and then directions to the correct room to vote.  The 2nd half is to thank them for voting as they leave.

I say nothing political or anything about candidates.  Just directions and "Thanks for voting"  (or a slight variation, like "Thanks for coming to vote today.")

African-Americans like to say that they are/have voted for Trump/against Hillary.   Several people who I would have pegged as Trump supporters have stated they have/will vote for Hillary to stop Trump.  Very, very, few young people are early voting.  In 2008 and 2012, young people (under 25-ish) were the vast majority of early voters.  No so this time.  It's mostly elderly and middle-aged, middle class that flocking to the polls in droves.  I can't get a feel for this election, like I have in years past.

Even though my area/city/county is mostly (heavily) red, it did go for Obama in 2008.  This year, I really have no feel for how this is going.

And yeah, early turnout is very, very heavy.  We have 14 machines, and very frequently there is a line.  In years past we only had 8 machines, and there never was a line to wait for one to vote.   

 




 

[Fly320s]

I can't make it there today.  Be a pal and vote for me.  Thanks.

[zahc]

Last month a pollster in my neighborhood, who was of equatorial complexion, gave me a high-five and something like "my man" when I told him I would probably vote for Trump. It was not the reaction I expected.

[HankB]

I live in Travis County, TX, the most liberal county in the state . . . but I live in a suburb west of Austin, which is more conservative than the county as a whole.

Early voting turnout at the local Randall's grocery store was heavy - for the first couple of days, the line stretched all the way across the front of the store. Overall, more than 50% of registered voters cast their ballots - a record for early voting.

My own impression is that locally, Trump was the winner, and I expect him to carry Texas handily. But too many people in Austin proper would rather vote for a living than work for a living, so it wouldn't surprise me if Hillary wins the county, possibly with the illegal alien vote. 

[lee n. field]

Even though my area/city/county is mostly (heavily) red, it did go for 0bama in 2008. 

Chicago area, the home town boy, not surprising.  Especially given the Chicago D. machine.

a pollster

We get polling calls multiple times a day.  A bunch of them are actually for our late son ("are you registered to vote in New Hampshire?").  All get hung up on.

[Ron]

Been working as a registrar at the early voting polls.   It's a boring job.  There are five of us and enough work for .25 of a person.   So I've been assigned to guiding people into the building (even with the signs it can be tricky, I'm sure some architect won a design award for this stupid government building we're in, but I digress.)   

The first half of my job is basically to point people toward the correct entrance and then directions to the correct room to vote.  The 2nd half is to thank them for voting as they leave.

I say nothing political or anything about candidates.  Just directions and "Thanks for voting"  (or a slight variation, like "Thanks for coming to vote today.")

African-Americans like to say that they are/have voted for Trump/against Hillary.   Several people who I would have pegged as Trump supporters have stated they have/will vote for Hillary to stop Trump.  Very, very, few young people are early voting.  In 2008 and 2012, young people (under 25-ish) were the vast majority of early voters.  No so this time.  It's mostly elderly and middle-aged, middle class that flocking to the polls in droves.  I can't get a feel for this election, like I have in years past.

Even though my area/city/county is mostly (heavily) red, it did go for Obama in 2008.  This year, I really have no feel for how this is going.

And yeah, early turnout is very, very heavy.  We have 14 machines, and very frequently there is a line.  In years past we only had 8 machines, and there never was a line to wait for one to vote.   

The "Church" has been infiltrated and co-opted. The reason your town and our county has lurched left is due to the lack of true conservative Christians. The salt has lost is savor.

A sizable percentage of 'evangelicals' are in simpatico with the progressive movement.

Every sin is now excused under their concept of "love" and non-judgementalism. 

There is a convergence of social justice warriors and the evangelical movement.

Only one survives such a union.

It is the post modern synthesis of the Christian church being fully realized. We lost most of the mainline denominations and most of Roman Catholicism some time ago. The evangelicals were the last major hold out.

Soon there will only be small underground/under the radar sects. Believing in historic, traditional, clearly spelled out doctrines from the Bible will soon be considered radical, fundamentalist and even cultish. At some point that will be considered dangerous to the public/state and it will be illegal to belong to one of these "cults".   

[zxcvbob]

I tried to vote yesterday.  I wasn't willing to wait in line for over 2 hours.  I didn't see anyone in line that looked under 30.  Over 30 was all ages and races, mostly whites.

[lee n. field]

vote early

My Tuesday got screwed up.  I won't be able to vote on my way to work, as I usually do.  I'm thinking, go down to early voting RFN and see if they're open.

----edit to add---

Aaaand, I did.  There was a steady trickle of people through there, for our relatively small county.

My usual voting rules applied: L. if possible, R. if not, Never D.  Unopposed elections left unvoted.  POTUS, I voted for a brick through the windshield.

[Angel Eyes]

Walter urges us to vote:

https://youtu.be/fZR1IFo2FGQ

[Perd Hapley]

I saw a very long line for "in-person absentee voting," at about 9.30 this morning. I guess that would be the same as early voting?

[Hawkmoon]

I saw a very long line for "in-person absentee voting," at about 9.30 this morning. I guess that would be the same as early voting?

No, I think that would be "oxymoron."

It really seems that the entire notion of "election day" has been rendered meaningless.

[Perd Hapley]

It's not really an oxymoron, as there is one "in-person" voting location for the whole county. I'm not defending it, but it's supposed to be for people that will be absent from their actual polling place on election day. For example, I could have done it, since I'll be working as an election judge, at a different polling place. I won't be able to vote in my polling place on that day.

Fortunately, I was able to fill out an absentee ballot at home, and turn it in to the election board offices. It sure beat spending half my Saturday in line. 

[Scout26]

The "Church" has been infiltrated and co-opted. The reason your town and our county has lurched left is due to the lack of true conservative Christians. The salt has lost is savor.

A sizable percentage of 'evangelicals' are in simpatico with the progressive movement.

Every sin is now excused under their concept of "love" and non-judgementalism. 

There is a convergence of social justice warriors and the evangelical movement.

Only one survives such a union.

It is the post modern synthesis of the Christian church being fully realized. We lost most of the mainline denominations and most of Roman Catholicism some time ago. The evangelicals were the last major hold out.

Soon there will only be small underground/under the radar sects. Believing in historic, traditional, clearly spelled out doctrines from the Bible will soon be considered radical, fundamentalist and even cultish. At some point that will be considered dangerous to the public/state and it will be illegal to belong to one of these "cults".   

I think that the rank and file Roman Catholics, Lutherans, other Protestants, and evangelicals are more conservative then their "leaders".  Case in Point:  Southern Illinois.  Seriously part of the Bible Belt, and redder than an Irishman who has been out in the sun all day.  Only one D state rep in the entire area, and he's basically a hold over from when the United Mine Workers held sway over coal country.   He's also the one that sponsored Illinois CWL law, over and over and over again, until it finally passed.   (Although it would have been better if he had just left it alone, so we would have had FOID carry, but that's another story.)     

[Hawkmoon]

I think that the rank and file Roman Catholics, Lutherans, other Protestants, and evangelicals are more conservative then their "leaders".       

I agree. I don't live in a large state, and I think as of three or four years ago there were at least a dozen Episcopal parishes that had jumped ship from the Episcopal Church USA and aligned themselves with some Anglican diocese or other because the Episcopal have become too liberal (theologically).

[grampster]

Quote from: Ron on Today at 12:33:02 PM

The "Church" has been infiltrated and co-opted. The reason your town and our county has lurched left is due to the lack of true conservative Christians. The salt has lost is savor.

A sizable percentage of 'evangelicals' are in simpatico with the progressive movement.

Every sin is now excused under their concept of "love" and non-judgementalism. 

There is a convergence of social justice warriors and the evangelical movement.

Only one survives such a union.

It is the post modern synthesis of the Christian church being fully realized. We lost most of the mainline denominations and most of Roman Catholicism some time ago. The evangelicals were the last major hold out.

Soon there will only be small underground/under the radar sects. Believing in historic, traditional, clearly spelled out doctrines from the Bible will soon be considered radical, fundamentalist and even cultish. At some point that will be considered dangerous to the public/state and it will be illegal to belong to one of these "cults".

Matthew 7:12-14
12In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you. For this is the essence of the Law and the prophets. 13Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  14But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.…

[Perd Hapley]

Believing in historic, traditional, clearly spelled out doctrines from the Bible will soon be considered radical, fundamentalist and even cultish.    

This is already well underway.

A lot of people don't seem to realize that evangelicalism includes a lot of traditionalist, conservative Baptists, and every other group that isn't Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican (or a few others). Wesleyan/Methodists denominations are obviously evangelical, and some of those congregations (like the one I attend), are pretty much fundy hold-outs, too.

[Scout26]

In fact, I think most of the American Bishops are much more conservative then the Vatican.  My Catholic friends have been spreading this on FB for the past month...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=881aDDE5qFY


Which caused me to look up my reserve unit's Battalion Chaplin, Jerome Listecki.  He's now Archbishop of Milwaukee.   Dude was freaking brilliant when he was just a 1LT fresh out of Chaplin School.   The fact that he had a Doctorate of Divinity and a J.D. were just par for the course for him.   And he was funny* as all hell.


*- Funny as in "Ha-Ha", not funny as in light in the loafers...

[KD5NRH]

I can't get a feel for this election, like I have in years past.

Easy to fix; just tell them on the way in that Republicans go this way, Democrats go straight to hell, and both McMullin voters hang out in the old phone booth over there.