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VOTE
So according to the election judge at our polling place, our vote for a presidential candidate and our votes for delegates are two separate votes that have no effect on each other - the winner of the popularity contest gets a certain number of delegates at the convention *along with* whatever delegates are elected by popular vote. This is actually a pretty interesting and rigorous system, according to the theory of votes; you can vote for as many candidates as you want, and vote for them *different amounts* depending on how much you like them; you can use your popularity contest vote for the person you like, and then vote strategically with the delegates.
... if the election judge was right. That is not exactly the impression I got from the official state party rules (given that the official rules confused the heck out of me) and all the laymans' explanations I've read or heard about two-part primaries claimed that one or the other of the two parts of the vote were non-binding.
Anyway, I made the judge laugh by explaining what I was hoping I could do (and by being so gleefully ultra-liberal at her!) and I ended up voting for Gravel in the popular vote, and voting my delegates 1/3 Clinton and 2/3 uncommitted, which is actually a pretty fair reflection on my feelings right now: I've been leaning toward Clinton because a) the people who are rabidly against her, 90% of the time, make me angry with their stupid; and b) I understand her, and feel like I can predict what she'll do, in a way I just don't think I can with Obama. But, hey, still mostly Gravel and 2/3 uncommitted. :P
So here's a democracy-themed fic rec set, in honor of the occasion:
Corridors of Power, by Blythe, Harry Potter, long. This fic is based on the fact that in order to be a Minister in the British government, you have to be a Member of Parliament first. And Harry Potter has been tapped as successor to the Minster of Magic... Oh, and meanwhile, Draco Malfoy has scammed his way into the House of Lords. It's March 2005, Blair is PM, and the Prevention of Terror bill is before the Lords. Go! (Warnings: You may not like this fic if a) British people doing inscrutable British things bothers you; b) you don't accept the premise that Harry and Draco would probably get on quite well, if they ever got over themselves; and c) you don't think footnotes are awesome. Also this was written pre-DH, but you can barely tell.)
Rights of Man, by Unamaga, Stargate: Atlantis, AU, short. Sheppard's not entirely sure how he ended up running for president of the US, but at least his Chief of Staff likes him. (Warning: McKay/Sheppard AU. Also, inline images.)
On the Road, by Pru, Bruno&Boots, long. Bruno's got his dream job, working for Senator Fairchild's campaign. He's almost sure that it was worth giving up Boots. (Warnings: Bruno/Boots. You don't actually need to know Bruno and Boots to read this, if you're willing to take it as original slash. It's just that good.)
Loyal Constituency, by girlguidejones, Supernatural, short. In which Dean votes (fraudulently) in a local off-year election, and Sam is confused. (Warnings: Wincest. The wincest basically comes out of nowhere about halfway through the story, but if you aren't the sort of person who needs sex scenes for the sake of sex scenes, you can totally stop there and not miss anything. Local off-year elections are sexier than Dean and Sam anyway.)
Those Mean-Old, Low-Down Lando Calrissian Blues, by Yahtzee, West Wing/Smallville/Angel/X-files, short. It's Crackpot Day at the Bartlett White House! By which we mean, the day in which the president gets updates from all of the top-secret paranormal government projects. And we do mean all. (Warnings: Crack. Crossover.)
... if the election judge was right. That is not exactly the impression I got from the official state party rules (given that the official rules confused the heck out of me) and all the laymans' explanations I've read or heard about two-part primaries claimed that one or the other of the two parts of the vote were non-binding.
Anyway, I made the judge laugh by explaining what I was hoping I could do (and by being so gleefully ultra-liberal at her!) and I ended up voting for Gravel in the popular vote, and voting my delegates 1/3 Clinton and 2/3 uncommitted, which is actually a pretty fair reflection on my feelings right now: I've been leaning toward Clinton because a) the people who are rabidly against her, 90% of the time, make me angry with their stupid; and b) I understand her, and feel like I can predict what she'll do, in a way I just don't think I can with Obama. But, hey, still mostly Gravel and 2/3 uncommitted. :P
So here's a democracy-themed fic rec set, in honor of the occasion:
Corridors of Power, by Blythe, Harry Potter, long. This fic is based on the fact that in order to be a Minister in the British government, you have to be a Member of Parliament first. And Harry Potter has been tapped as successor to the Minster of Magic... Oh, and meanwhile, Draco Malfoy has scammed his way into the House of Lords. It's March 2005, Blair is PM, and the Prevention of Terror bill is before the Lords. Go! (Warnings: You may not like this fic if a) British people doing inscrutable British things bothers you; b) you don't accept the premise that Harry and Draco would probably get on quite well, if they ever got over themselves; and c) you don't think footnotes are awesome. Also this was written pre-DH, but you can barely tell.)
Rights of Man, by Unamaga, Stargate: Atlantis, AU, short. Sheppard's not entirely sure how he ended up running for president of the US, but at least his Chief of Staff likes him. (Warning: McKay/Sheppard AU. Also, inline images.)
On the Road, by Pru, Bruno&Boots, long. Bruno's got his dream job, working for Senator Fairchild's campaign. He's almost sure that it was worth giving up Boots. (Warnings: Bruno/Boots. You don't actually need to know Bruno and Boots to read this, if you're willing to take it as original slash. It's just that good.)
Loyal Constituency, by girlguidejones, Supernatural, short. In which Dean votes (fraudulently) in a local off-year election, and Sam is confused. (Warnings: Wincest. The wincest basically comes out of nowhere about halfway through the story, but if you aren't the sort of person who needs sex scenes for the sake of sex scenes, you can totally stop there and not miss anything. Local off-year elections are sexier than Dean and Sam anyway.)
Those Mean-Old, Low-Down Lando Calrissian Blues, by Yahtzee, West Wing/Smallville/Angel/X-files, short. It's Crackpot Day at the Bartlett White House! By which we mean, the day in which the president gets updates from all of the top-secret paranormal government projects. And we do mean all. (Warnings: Crack. Crossover.)
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(And a lot of "Obama is an idealist who wants to change the tone in Washington. Poor kid, I'm going to vote against him in the hopes that he loses, so he can keep his dreams. It's mean to send fresh-faced people to Washington with eager hopes to change it-- they'll just get bloody and bitter, along with their followers." Not as I'd know anything whatsoever about that.)