On the Electoral College... and an endorsement

My fellow Illinoisans!

Regardless of your preference in the upcoming presidential elections it is imperative that you cast a ballot regardless of whether you think it will effect the outcome in the Electoral College.

If we are lucky, the result in the Electoral College will reflect the will of the people as expressed through the popular vote. Which is, of course, the way the system is supposed to work. However, the very real possibility exists (& this is a scenario that could strike either party) that the popular vote and the electoral college will not match. My friends, we can not count on luck, the time for electoral college reform is upon us! The electoral college is a historical remnant that no longer matches the needs of our American democracy.

Just as every American citizen is equal in the eyes of the law, so should our votes ought to carry equal weight in the ballot box. The Electoral College systems gives preferential treatment to the populations of smaller states by giving them a disproportionate weight on election day. Even more alarming is the "winner take all" system of allocating electoral votes which can effectively render moot the voices of 49% of the electorate in any state regardless of its population!

My fellow Illinoisans! We must bring the issue of electoral college reform to the table regardless of the outcome of this particular election. If the American people cannot be convinced of the virtues of scrapping it entirely, then we must make a concerted effort to advocate for a proportional allocation electoral votes to the candidates earning votes in those states. In the "winner take all" Electoral College, 49% of a state's voting voices can be left unheard. That's not the America we want our children to live in!

Finally, the time has come to make an official endorsement:

I endorse Senator John Kerry for the office of President of the United States.

Bearing in mind that I do not believe that either candidate can quickly right the economy or dramatically improve the security situation in Iraq, the driving force in my decision is that I believe John Kerry is more likely to nominate candidates for the Supreme Court that will strive to protect civil liberties and personal freedoms (while President Bush is more likely to appoint Justices who will curtail individual choice and allow more centralization of power in government). Also, that John Kerry is more likely to look for lasting long-term solutions to the plight of America's middle class and the poor in contrast with the short-term approach of the current administration (small tax rebates to the masses to hide little progress on reducing their long-term tax burden or increasing their job opportunities).

All that said, the most important thing is that you vote. Let us band together to make this year's voter turnout the highest in the history of Illinois!

I am Rasml and I approve of this message.

The Bin Laden Tape: Enemy Rears His Head, but Can't Shake Opinions Set in Stone

From the New York Times: "The Bin Laden Tape: Enemy Rears His Head, but Can't Shake Opinions Set in Stone"

My Fellow Illinoisans!

The New York Times reports that the re-emergence of Osama Bin Laden is more "noise" in an American political climate that is already too loud, one where can't think without being shouted down by one set of slogans or the other. With Halloween & Election day approaching, we should take caution to prevent being turned into mindless partisan zombies by the sloganeering that bombards our airwaves.

Let us not lose sight of this though: regardless of how limited the administration says Bin Laden's ability to do harm to the American people is, he has tremendous symbolic value -- and his capture and trial at the hands of the American people would send a clear message to the rest of the world that we will not stand for terrorism and that we will not scuttle our belief in the rule of law for the sake of expedience.

That we have relegated Bin Laden to a secondary target in the "War on Terror" is itself troubling. It is almost as if the present administration knows that removing Bin Laden would dampen the American public's enthusiasm for military actions that are at best peripheral to the goal of ending the threat of terrorism. Or, at least make these kinds of military actions a tougher sell to the American people.

My Fellow Illinoisans -- the men and women in the armed services who defend our country deserve our upmost respect. They deserve the assurance that if they are being put into harms way, the mission will be well-thought out and will in fact make America safer. Let us keep this in mind when we review the Bin Laden tape and ask ourselves if the "War on Terror" is being prosecuted with the goals that we would hope for (for the sakes of our children's futures and for the lives of our friends and families in the Armed Services)... when we take to the polls on Election Day.

I am Rasml and I approve of this message.

Legaleese.

I am Rasml, and I approve of these messages!

The Conversations Must Begin Anew

My Fellow Illinoisans!

We are fortunate to be represented in the United States Senate by Dick Durban and (soon) Barack Obama -- two men of great character who have and will bring pride to our great State. As a citizen, I am relieved that these men will speak for Illinois because I believe that they will be able to inject some bit of reasonableness to our nation's political discourse.

This election season has confirmed for me that the level of unreasonableness has reached epic proportions, and that it is the ideological extremists that are either making the policy or the ones that policy decisions are being catered to.

We, the people, deserve better! The time has come to throw out the tired rhetoric and the gross oversimplifications that embody the political labels that frame the political landscape. We must come together, as Illinoisans, as Americans, and start from the beginning and in honest, frank terms ask each other "What kind of world do we want our children to live in?" and how can we make the promise of America, the Dream of America, real for our children & our children's children.

It is no small task that I am suggesting. I'm asking us to look beyond the words that are used and ask ourselves & each other what it all really means and how can we make it better. It is in our best interests to do this now, before the extremists hi-jack both political parties and leave us no options short of armaggedon or an America that is compromised beyond recognition. We must move away from accepting the pre-packaged "solutions" to our problems, and instead embrace the process developing our own answers. This is a conversation that we must start today. One that we must take door-to-door from every foothill to every living-room, from every quickie mart to shopping mall, from every church parking lot to every tailgater. Yes, from every sea to shining sea.

With all this in mind, I hereby announce my "candidacy" for the US Senate representing the great state of Illinois in the year 20??.

Thank you.