My Recommendations As Early Voting Starts

It seems like this campaign season has lasted forever and we'll still be barraged by the political ads (and lies) for a couple more weeks, but the waiting is finally over.   Early voting starts here in Texas today.   Each election seems to show a larger percentage of those voting will cast their votes early, and there's no reason to believe that trend won't continue.   Early voting allows a voter to vote at a time that's convenient and usually allows them to avoid the long lines that form at many precincts on election day.

Here in Amarillo we have no assurance that our votes will be counted, or counted for the right person, since both early and election-day voting are done on electronic voting machines with no paper trail.   But it's all we have, so we'll have to put up with it and just hope the election officials are honest and the machines don't malfunction.

But however the voting is done in your precinct, I urge you to do your duty as an American citizen and vote.   Complaining about government doesn't accomplish much -- voting does.   Your vote is your voice and I urge you to speak loudly and clearly by voting.

It's kind of a tradition for blogs to recommend candidates, so I am listing below the candidates I think are the best and I will be voting for.   I don't expect it will mean much to most people, and in fact, I urge you to vote your own conscience (and not how someone else thinks you should vote).   You should be able to leave the voting booth thinking you have voted for the best people available -- the people who will do the best job in making a better future for all Americans.

Here are the candidates I will be voting for:

U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 13
John T. Burwell, Jr. (Libertarian)

GOVERNOR
Deb Shafto (Green)

LT. GOVERNOR
Linda Chavez-Thompson (Democrat)

ATTORNEY GENERAL
Barbara Ann Radnofsky (Democrat)

COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS
Edward Lindsay (Green)

COMMISSIONER OF GENERAL LAND OFFICE
Hector Uribe (Democrat)

COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE
Hank Gilbert (Democrat)

RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
Jeff Weems (Democrat)

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, PLACE 3
Jim Sharp (Democrat)

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, PLACE 5
Bill Moody (Democrat)

SUPREME COURT JUSTICE, PLACE 9
Blake Bailey (Democrat)

COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS JUDGE, PLACE 2
J. Randell Stevens (Libertarian)

COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS JUDGE, PLACE 5
Dave Howard (Libertarian)

COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEALS JUDGE, PLACE 6
Keith Hampton (Democrat)

BOARD OF EDUCATION, DISTRICT 15
John Pekowski (Libertarian)

STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 87
Abel G. Bosquez (Democrat)

That's the way I see it.   Now you need to make your choices.   Whoever you decide to vote for -- please vote.   Democracy doesn't work unless the people participate.