I’ve always despised the presidential galas — especially those at the taxpayer’s expense. Even if the events are funded by private donations, galas are inherently for elites. Throwing a party in the name of the “working class” is not going to help anyone. Get to work. Get something done. Then throw a party.

- Several conservative ballot measures failed, including stem cell research in Missouri.

- I would swear that was a tear coming from Brit Hume’s eye as he annoyingly announced the coming reality.

- The best thing about Fox News’ coverage is they are correct: The democrats have a lot of responsibility to make Washington civil. Psshaw.

- And now, the race for the White House in 2008 will begin, with every pundit and newsperson hounding Hillary whenever she makes an appearance anywhere: “Will you run?” (The short answer is “Yes;” the long answer is, “I’m thinking about how to say ‘yes.’”)

- This blog will be there all along through the coming 2008 election with the coverage that you’ve come to expect. (What, hindsight commentary and pathetically-dull jokes? Yes, like always.)

The key to any election is voter turnout, yada, yada, yada. No shit. But the republicans have taken this a step further and have been wildly successful as a result. The GOP has realized that voter suppression is the same as voter turnout. Let’s do the math (this may get tricky)…

One person votes for your candidate: +1.
One person does not vote for your opponent: +1.

Voter suppression is illegal and unethical, but that will not stop anyone in the chattering class to do anything about it, i.e., investigate and report it. Once the election is in the rear-view mirror, that will be the end of it. This is why we never make any progress, and the same “horror” stories reappear every election cycle.

Some may say that the democrats are just as crooked, and they are right. Politics is crooked, there is no doubt about that. But there is something so heinously wrong about voter suppression, something so wholly undemocratic, that it defies modern ethical thought. And if it wasn’t real, or if it didn’t work, trust me, the republicans wouldn’t do it.

The reason the republicans resort to this blatant illegal behavior is simple. The logic is (and the empirical evidence suggests) that Republicans do well when voter turnout is low, and Democrats do relatively well when voter turnout is high. Now, this obviously should be analyzed on a precinct-to-precinct basis, but overall, this is the general case. The GOP wants their voters at the polls (+1), and none of their opponents (+1). To follow from the math above, that would be (+1) + (+1) = +2. (Well, who wouldn’t want none of their opponents’ voters at the polls? Good point. But, how far would you go to ensure it?)

* Not including a lame-duck session.

The end is near for my sock, and this is his last election. Yep, after today’s stop at my local polling place, my sock, the one currently on my right foot, will be retired. And what a strange trip it has been.

My sock will be voting in his fourth House election today. And for four consecutive House elections, dating back to 2000, my sock will be voting in a different House district. In 2000, my sock voted in New York’s 25th district. In 2002, my sock voted in California’s 9th. In 2004, California’s 10th, and in 2006, California’s 7th. I don’t know if this amounts to a record of some sort, but when you consider that this will be only the fourth House election that I have ever voted in, the feat seams even more spectacular: a whopping four for four. Incredible. (Note: I was unable to vote the first year I was eligible to, in 1998, due to illness.)

It pains me to say this but it is time to retire the sock. Although we were a part of the Gore debacle and Hillary ascension in 2000, the Davis re-election and Schwarzenegger recall in 2002 and 2003, respectively (Note: I voted for Camejo in 2002, and against the recall and for Camejo in 2003.), the devastating midterm election of 2002, the Kerry flop in 2004, and the Schwarzenegger special election in 2005, the sock’s time has certainly come. He knows this. He has aged and it shows, evidenced by a hole appearing near the heel. It wasn’t there the last time I wore him, I tell myself. Maybe it was the latest battle with the Cottons / Very Dry setting on the dryer that has done this to him. It was just too much; he has no more fight in him.

I will miss you brown, wool sock; retirement is never as good as you’d expect (except for Bill Clinton). In no doubt, however, my sock wants and deserves one last hurrah — a vote in 2006 and a vote in an unprecedented fourth consecutive different House district. So, please, tonight when you’re sitting at home (after you’ve voted), please think of my sock and the historic run he has had. This is my sock, and this is his story.