It's the fourth of November, people. The fourth. Do you realize what this means?
No, I'm not counting down to Christmas yet or even Thanksgiving.
I am looking toward a much nearer celebration day Wednesday, Nov. 7. That's right. I am not awaiting Election Day but, rather, the one just after it. Or, as I like to refer to it, Election Emancipation Day!
Don't get me wrong I'd like all the ladies and gentlemen for whom I'll cast a vote to win their respective races. But that's not what really excites me about Election Day ending. I can't wait for it to be over - so that it will be, you know, over.
Remember how I said about a month ago that I couldn't take campaign season anymore? Well, I believe pollsters, rally-ers, and campaign workers took that as a personal affront - and something of a tossing down of the gauntlet, apparently.
Because, holy heavens, I've been assaulted on every level in the past month-and-a-half since that fateful column ran. Sheesh! Enough already. I am looking forward to Wednesday, after which there will be no more.
No more calls from Barack and Michelle. No more mailers from Mitt and Anne. No more flirtatious glances from Paul Ryan. Oh, OK, fine, I made that last one up but he is rather dashing, in my defense. Just sayin'.
No more emails about how my son's generation is fated for fiscal Armageddon. Thank you, sweet baby Jesus!
I can't be certain but I think this may have been the meanest political ad campaign season I've encountered in my 44 years.
I mean, take the one candidate who built an entire campaign around the following claim about his rival: "We really can't trust this guy." It's a tagline that can be read in almost every print ad the man is running in the free world.
Sir, to a certain degree, I believe you may have just described nearly every politician who has ever run for public office in the history of election-ness itself. So that claim, at least, was laughable to me.
Bottom line is, we all need to look past the gunk and try to get to the real purpose and mission of each candidate and issue. It's like my e-pal and Trumbull County resident Jim Barry said in a correspondence to me not long ago (I'm paraphrasing but he basically told me) "don't encourage people to vote so much as to be informed when they do so."
Good point, Jim. That's exactly what my niece Kelly is doing as she excitedly prepares to cast a vote for the first time this year. Not only has she read up on the candidates and issues, she actually attended one of the recent presidential rallies in our area.
Well done, Kel. Good for you for taking your own personal mark on history so seriously.
Speaking of history, now if we can just get Election Day 2012 in the books.
Kimerer is a Tribune Chronicle columnist. Don't bother contacting her until the election is over she is screening her calls, emails, and smoke signals very carefully until Wednesday. Comment on this article at www.tribtoday.com or email editorial@tribtoday.com.