I’ve stopped posting about politics since the last election – quite simply, there are a lot of bloggers out there doing it a hell of a lot better than I ever could, even if I had the time. That being said, Tuesday is a big election here in the states, and I’d feel remiss if I didn’t urge my readers to actually get out and vote. It matters.

Who am I voting for? It’s more of what I’m voting against. I’m voting against ’staying the course’ when that course has no discernable evidence of success. I’m voting against a party that twisted limited evidence of WMDs to launch a preemptive attack in Iraq. I’m voting against the party that committed us to Iraq with insufficient troops, equipment or allies, and that actually slashed veteran benefits. I’m voting against a party that managed to make Iraq a more dangerous place than when a bloodthirsty lunatic was running it.

I’m voting against the party that let Afghanistan descend into chaos so they could rush into Iraq. I’m voting against the party who let Iran and North Korea advance their nuclear programs, in order to attack a country that wasn’t working on anything. I’m voting against the administration who put plans to making nuclear bombs, in Arabic, up on the internet.

I’m voting against Abu Ghraib. I’m voting against the idea that torture is an American value. I’m voting against the party that demonstrated during Katrina they wouldn’t know what to do if terrorists DID attack. I’m voting against the Patriot Act, against the end of Habeas Corpus, and against warrantless wiretapping.

I’m voting against the idea that Michael Brown did a ‘heckuva job’. That Donald Rumsfeld is ‘fantastic’. That Harriet Miers was ’supremely qualified’. That Mark Foley’s emails were ‘overly friendly’. That George Tenet deserved a Medal of Freedom.

I’m voting against the death of true conservatism: enormous deficit spending, staggering corruption, and against a total disdain for state’s rights – if the states happen to choose something the Republicans don’t approve of. I’m voting against the idea that the state has any right to meddle with Terri Schiavo. I’m voting against the party who would abandon stem cells, and the promise that they have to offer to the millions of people with sick loved ones.

I’m voting against a party more interested in holding onto power than actually accomplishing anything. I’m voting against the idea that Kerry’s botched joke in any way should negate any or all of the above. And finally, I’m voting against all of those who assume that everyone who questions the insanity that passes for policy nowadays is a terrorist that hates America.

It’s been said that people don’t vote against anything, but rather they need something to vote for. Me, I’m voting for divided government. It’s difficult to put into words how disgusted I’ve been in the last 6 years of one-party stewardship of our country. I don’t expect a democratic-held house to accomplish anything- the democrats are nothing if not incompetent, but if they can put any semblance of checks, balances and oversight in place in the country that I love, it will be enough.

If you disagree with me, that’s fine. But don’t be fooled into thinking your vote simply does not matter. On Tuesday, vote.

And now I’ll shut up and get back to discussing classes and permadeath and stuff.

Update: The Democrats won the House, and both Katherine Harris and Rick Santorum are jobless. Everything beyond this point is gravy.