Exercising the franchise

No, not what George Lucas does. Voting, which Abby & I did on the way home.

Anyone who knows me will be able to guess where my cross went, but I was disappointed that we were the only ones in the polling station the whole time we were there. I guess there's a good chance of as low a turnout as many pundits feared.

Not only were voters absent, but so were the party activists. Now, I've never really understood the concept of handing out the flyer you put through everyone's door a few weeks ago at the entrance to the polling station. I seriously doubt that anyone has ever suddenly decided where to cast their ballot just because someone handed them a flyer on the way in. On this occasion the only party represented were the SSP, for whom I have a good deal of respect and who seemed to have conducted a much more traditional, and positive, campaign than the others. Just a pity they had to go and spoil the effect by crowding four people around the gate and getting quite sniffy when given a polite 'No thanks' in return to their proffered flyer.

Coincidentally, I was playing a paranoid schizophrenic all day with much of his background to the psychosis being about being a socialist. I brought in all the stuff about the government colluding, allegedly, with the US in kidnapping our citizens and taking them abroad to be tortured as part of the "War on Terror." Several students thought I'd made that up and were genuinely shocked when told not. Hopefully I cost Tony's Cronies a few votes. It was strange putting my mind into that place, though, on polling day. I could see how someone could go over the edge a bit when you look at the lies and spin that government in this country has descended into during 'Smiler' Blair's tenure. Say what you like about Thatcher - and I have lots to say about what she did to us all - but at least you knew what you were getting with her. She made her decisions, followed them through and stood by them. TB & co react to every passing fad whipped up by the tabloids, dodge, evade and lie about everything and accept responsibility for nothing.

PS I was Nearly sad enough to get up early this morning so's I could post this blog at 5.05 am. But being asleep was more important to me than being a sad twat.