I Voted

If a good impresario is always updating his act, Eric Peterkofsky must have a pretty decent idea what he's doing. Take what happened about a year ago, when the veteran Hollywood TV writer, a closet political conservative, was listening to a favorite talk-radio show one afternoon. The host, syndicated pundit Larry Elder, invited his listeners to come to a Los Angeles nightclub that evening, where a passel of comedians would spend several hours lambasting ultra-liberal filmmaker and conservative bane Michael Moore.

BOSTON -- I have long believed that any columnist who writes about a presidential election more than two years before Election Day should have her fingers peeled from her keyboard and be taken off to a rehab clinic for political junkies. The only reason I risk that fate now is to soothe an escalating series of anxiety attacks that range from "Uh-oh" to "Oh, no" to a shrieking "YIPES!" The signs that Sen. John Kerry is going to run for president in 2008 are rising faster than the pollen count.

AM I BLUE? I apologize for everything I believe in. May I go now? The election campaign made it official. These are the Disunited States. There is "Red" America: conservative, Republican, religious. And there is "Blue" America: liberal, Democratic, secular. Everybody's message from the election results is that Red America won and Blue America must change or die. It's a terrible exaggeration, of course. People have different mixes of values, and states have different mixes of people. Just for example, more than 50 million, or 44 percent, of the 115 million citizens who voted for either President Bush or John Kerry on Tuesday live in states that went for the other guy. These misfits live publicly, mingle with others, and often are treated like normal human beings.

Outside the Cockeysville school where I voted yesterday, there were more campaign signs for Ron Paul than anyone else, so many you'd think the Free State had suddenly awakened from a long sleep with this collective thought: The only one who can get us out of this mess is Ron Paul. There were no signs for the heavy-hitters in the presidential primary: Clinton, Obama, McCain, or even the pastor-populist Mike Huckabee. But Ron Paul, the tweedy little guy that the rest of the Republican candidates treated like an eccentric uncle during the debates - There, there, Ron, you're getting excited again - was huge here.

As Valerie H. Twanmoh greeted voters outside Youth's Benefit Elementary School, the smile on her face hid her frustration. The Democrat was making her third try at winning a seat on the County Council representing Fallston and Abingdon, and it had seemed as though things could be breaking her way. But she was disheartened by an eleventh-hour mailer sent out by her opponent, Republican Councilwoman Veronica L. "Roni" Chenowith. It portrayed Twanmoh as a big-developer ally who had been booted from her job as zoning hearing examiner.

WASHINGTON - On SEPT. 11, terrorists attacked the United States in an unprecedented and brutal manner, killing thousands of innocent people, including the passengers and crews of four aircraft. Like everyone throughout our country, I am repulsed and angered by these attacks and believe all appropriate steps must be taken to bring the perpetrators to justice. We must prevent any future such attacks. That is the highest obligation of our federal, state and local governments. On this, we are united as a nation.

I couldn't support more strongly the beautiful message of op-ed contributor Erma Durkin ("A Catholic for equality," Sept. 29). In my journey of 68 years, and married for 46 of them, I have tried to be a faithful Catholic, and I too, will be supporting marriage equality by voting for Question 6. It is for love, fairness and equality that I will be voting on Nov. 6. Let us practice that Golden Rule to which Ms. Durkin referred and not judge the...

In the continuing, swirling debate over who won Monday night's GOP debate (it's surreal this is still going, right?) this much has been established: 1) Pundits and political insiders generally think Mitt Romney or Michele Bachmann won. (Romney, it's said, won by looking presidential and not getting attacked. He won by being in the lead, and now expanding his lead in polls. Bachmann, it's argued, won by exceeding expectations and adding excitement to the race.)  2) The audience (judging by applause)

Tuesday is a double anniversary of note. Sixty years ago on April 12, Franklin D. Roosevelt, thought by many historians to be the greatest American president, died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 63. And 50 years ago on April 12, one of Roosevelt's greatest accomplishments was announced. The crusade that he inspired and helped finance to conquer polio had achieved success with development of a vaccine to defend against that devastating disease. Some critics criticize the game of ranking presidents, saying it oversimplifies complex historical questions.

You're not voting? Are you sure? Because if you do: Cantler's Riverside Inn in Annapolis is throwing an Election Day party with all-you-can-eat crabs for $22.99 and returns watching on big TVs. Fleet Street Market in Fells Point is giving ten percent off to customers who take an oath that they've voted. Midtown BBQ & Brew is offering 20 percent off the entire check for patrons wearing an "I Voted" sticker. Gino's Burger and Chicken in Towson will give you a free entree with the purchase of a side and drink if you're wearing an "I Voted" sticker.