Perceptions
Last time I voted, during the 2004 primaries I walked into my kid's school and was beckoned over to the table by an Ann Landers looking lady in a plaid suit. She asked my name and searched all up and down the list of registered voters and then declared that my name wasn't there and I must not be registered to vote.
I assured her that I was registered. She looked again and asked "Well you are a Democrat aren't you?" I was kind of taken aback at that question. It was almost as if she was asking if I had a giant alien penis growing out of my forehead.
I answered the lady with a question of my own " Why? Do I look like a Democrat?"
She stammered back with 'Well I uh just assumed" 'You need to talk to him" and she pointed to the fellow sitting right next to her. He looked just like Archie Bunker and he was leaning back in his chair watching my little exchange with the Ann Landers lady.
He removed the half chewed cigar out of his mouth, looked me in the eye and asked wryly: "You're a Republican?" I told him I damn sure wasn't a democrat.
He checked me off the roster, took me over to the Diebold machine and told me what to do. Since us Texans don't get to vote in the Primaries till March there really weren't any choices left.
When I turned around to leave, I saw an older black lady walking in and leaning heavily on a cane. She had on a heavy coat and one of those little round old lady hats perched on her coiffure. Ann Landers lady jumped up to escort her over to her table and started the same spiel as she had done with me.
Just as I was heading out the door I heard the old black lady ask: "WHY? Do I look like a Democrat?"
posted by Bill Rowland @ February 05, 2008
39 Comments
39 Comments:
That would be great to have on video...I wonder if the Landers-looking gal got the hint after the second exchange?
i wouldve threatened to shit in her purse.
Very funny.
Haha!
Yeah, these preliminary things can get confusing...I went through a similar ordeal once. Funny.
bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahaha!
i would schmack someone who called me that! what an insult!
of course, only after i said something like, "um, no, i've never had a lobotomy."
SCHMACK!
Too funny! Some people are just so used to stereotyping though I am not sure what she was usuing to stereotype you folks.
Sweet! The Dems can't always count on a monolithic voting bloc.
You should have sued for political profiling!!
I love your stories. They make me smile.
Don't feel bad. I have to re-register EVERY damned time I vote! I'm NEVER in their stupid book even though I vote every election.
The diebold machine had already cast your vote for obama long before you entered the building! That's why they assumed you were a democrat.
Strange. Our voting is held at our church. Registering is done door to door. We are never home but some of the registrars go to our church so they register us anyway. The people who work the polls would never dare to say a word about how you decide to vote.
Hmmm ... just what does a Democrat look like? I need to be sure I never look like one! *giggle*
john: do they ever learn?
Tequila: then I would have had to sign up for her party ;)
karen: thanks for stopping by :)
em: It was funny in retrospect.
mushy: It's weird here if you don't declare a party you can't vote.
Nanc: I will use the lobotomy line if they try it again this year.
Dave: I guess they figure guys in Jeans T shirts with beards and long hair are automatically democrats.
Joan: God I hope not. I think this year is going to throw everyone for a loop.
phosgene: I could have probably called a poll watcher and reported her.
H20: Glad I could :)
Tshsmom: I was in the Republican book but there is never any guarantee.
JP: Yep I also thought it was strange that they never came to pick up the machines for almost 2 months after the election. They just sat in the lobby of the school.
Jeannie: The Primaries are very informal here. If we don't align ourselves with one of the two major parties we are not allowed to vote for who gets to be on the main ballot.
Dana: I'm not sure either. Maybe it was my grateful dead T shirt ;)
Okay, that really did my heart good.
It might appear funny to some people but it appears that those who are responsible for administering the voting system have violated the sanctity of the election process. I would certainly report them for attempting to interfere with the voting system either by suggestion or coercion or impediment towards voters casting a vote.
To me, it is weird that the lady at the poll table dares asking you such a question. Isn't your political ideas a very private thing?
Epijunky: Glad I could help :)
Lexcen: I agree with you. The lady broke some rules but the required authorities weren't there and there wasn't any possible way for me to vote on her party's candidates.
It's an antiquated and very badly run system but I don't see it changing anytime soon.
Kitem: We have to declare ourselves when we register so there is very little privacy until we actually enter the voting booth.
What's up with these people? I would've introduced Ann Landers lady to the black lady's cane.
omggggggggg tooooooo funny...
As a Canadian, the American voting process has always confused me...not that it takes much to confuse me..lol.
Since we Texans can only vote in ONE primary, and the primaries are held in the same place at the same time, they have to ask in order to send you to the right Diebold. They also mark down which one you vote in on your voter registration so you can't do both of them in a single primary. If it looks like my party's primary is already decided, I have been known to vote in the opposition primary just so I can have a hand in selecting the worst candidate for them.
Funny! I so lucky I live in a Republican haven in Obamaland. In our polls, you just have to be registered. They check your name and if you're found then you can select whatever ballot you want, by checking a box and then they direct you to the person who gives you the ballot for your party.
They closed my DD school for voting. I guessed for security reasons. Can't be too careful with all those Ron Paul supporters around-LOL.
I read this yesterday....classic.
Mate, I want you to do political commentary for the Washington Post.
Deal?
Hey man, our vote may actually count for something this year!
Scarlet: If I had waited around I think she would have handled it.
Canadian: It's all very confusing :)
Jami: that sounds like a damn good idea. I don't have any dogs in this race anyway.
Debbie: Sounds about as messed up as our system. I wish they would make them all the same and on the same day.
Barbara: Thanks :)
David: Those guys won't know what hit em :)
What a great story.
When I voted in the Florida primary last week, they had to go over to another table and "find" me a Republican voter sheet to fill in. They had a whole stack of Dem ones on the entrance table.
Seemed kinda weird to me, this county is filled with science types from the Space Center and the thousands of us a this huge engineering company I work for, so the county is heavily Republican.
Me and the Pops, some elderly dude who came in behind me waited patiently for the few seconds it took to get our voter form, but we looked at each other like, "That was strange."
Either so many Republicans came in to vote that they couldn't keep enough sheets close by, or they were just giving us a hard time.
I have to wonder what the stereotypical looks are for people of each party. You should do some scientific photographic research and by that I mean go with the given stereotypes and find the most absurd pics possible.
ROFL she must have been an alien (as in other planet origin)
Yes, you look like a Democrat- er, wait, I mean Liberal- charitable, considerate, and known to turn the other cheek. Like that whatshisface guy, Jesus? Yeah, Jesus wouldn't be allowed to vote in Texas either.
I wonder what they are up to with that party line questioning.
Jam: sounds a little fishy but I bet they were just low on republican ballots...I hope
Sornie: If they allow my camera I'll check it out next month :)
bridget: ann landers alien? I should have known ;)
Stucco: Thanks for the compliment. It's easier for me to be charitable with republicans letting me keep my money to distribute as I choose. The democrats takes it loses half steals some and wastes the rest.
Tooooo funny.
I woulda said something like Are you kidding?? I'm not stupid!!!!
That's hysterical!
Are there any Democrats in W-Land or are we all here in NYC?
Actually, we don't have to declare a party. We used to, but they changed it back in the 80s. Used to be they stamped your registration card with a party ID and you were then a member. Now, just go with a photo ID and they check your name off.
As I live in the same small town I grew up in, I tend to know at least a couple of the ladies working the polls. I know on more than one occasion one of them would remark on me being a registered republican. Just something along the lines of, "really?". I always wrote it off as them knowing my parents are registered as democrats.
I always answered the same way:
"Somebody's got to get it right."
Never got a reply to that, though.
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