The much coveted helpy-chalk endorsements!

Actually, mostly what I am doing here is liveblogging the process of filling out my mail in ballot for the Ohio primary election. In that spirit I will first note that the instructions explain how you can write in a candidate in the appropriate line, but the ballot itself does not have the line described in the instructions. This has been my experience with every ballot I have ever filled out.

And now the endorsements:

FOR DELEGATE AND ALTERNATE TO THE NATIONAL CONVENTION (10TH DISTRICT)

Barak Obama!

When I was imagining writing this post, I pictures giving a detailed explanation of the vote, including links to position papers on the candidate's websites. Instead, I'll just give this little chart

Best on War Issues: Obama
Most Electable: Obama
Best on Health Care: Clinton.

Advantage: Obama.

FOR REPRESENTATIVE TO CONGRESS (10th DISTRCIT)

Dennis J. Kucinich.

Every morning, you hear stories from the national news media about the need to cut back on pork barrel spending and earmarks. Then the local news come on and everyone complains that our local representative hasn't been bringing home enough pork barrel spending and earmarked money. I don't buy this double standard. If pork barrel spending is bad, its bad when it benefits us. I, for one, am glad to have a representative who thinks globally.

Next comes three elections where people are running unopposed (two state supreme court vacancies and one appeals court spot.)

FOR JUDGE OF THE COURT OF APPEALS (8th DISTRICT)

Stuart A. Friedman.

I assume that the congressional districts don't match the judicial districts, so I'm supposed to be able to vote in the 10th congressional district and the 8th judicial district. Why else would this be on my ballot?

This is a nice case where voting by mail leads to better judgment. Were I stuck in a voting booth, I'd say "fuck, I dunno," and vote for the woman in the race (Margaret M. Gardener) But since I am in the comfort of my office I can go online to this unbiased judicial rating site and see that Friedman gets the highest rating from the Cleveland Bar Association, the Cuyahoga County Bar Association, the Cuyahoga Criminal Defense Lawyers Association, the Norman S. Minor Bar Association, the Ohio Women's Bar Association, and the Plain Dealer.

What is the Norman S. Minor Bar Association? Apparently it is a group of African American Lawyers. Ok, I think I've done my due diligence here.

Ok, two more unopposed judicial elections. Then they're these:

MEMBER OF STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE, MAN

and

MEMBER OF STATE CENTRAL COMMITTEE, WOMAN

What the hell am I voting for, here. Why is there one list of male candidates and one list of female candidates?

The first candidate on the MAN list is Jimmy Cotner, whose presence on the internet is limited to his repeated mention in the Newsletter for the North Olmstead Democratic Club as their Sargent at Arms. (The North Olmstead Democratic Club looks like good people.)

The next candidate, Michael Gareau shows as a North Olmstead lawyer. Am I allowed to vote in this one? Well one of the candidates on the women's side is on the city council of Olmstead Falls.

Fuck, I was supposed to be home by now. I'm going to skip this one and try to figure it out tomorrow. I'll just wrap things up by doing the easy elections.

Six more unopposed elections then:

JUDGE OF THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS GENERAL DIVISION

Ann Mannen

Here again I return to the judge rating site and I find two candidates get good reviews from the various bar associations and two get very poor reviews. Of the two who are positively reviewed, one Brendan Sheehan, is supported by the Cleveland Bar, the Plain Dealer and the Call and Post, which appears to be an African American Newspaper. The other candidate is backed by the Women's bar, the African American Bar and the Defense Attorneys. We'll go with her.

More opposed elections, many with the same title as the one I just voted in: Judge of the Court of Common Plees, General division. Then we get another

JUDGE OF THE COURT OF COMMON PLEAS GENERAL DIVISION

James W. Satola

One of oudemia's kinfolk appears to be running here, but I'm going with the candidate with more endorsements.

JUDGE OF THE COURT OF COMMON PEAS, DOMESTIC RELATIONS

Pat Kelly

The judicial rating site makes everyone out in this election to be real losers. Kelly at least was given an "adequate" rating by some associations. The local democratic party endorsed another candidate with the last name Calabrese (this time spelled Calabrezze) but she received a "not recommended" from every bar association, so I'll pass. Also there is another election for a position with the same title that is not covered by the judicial rating site. I'll investigate that later.

COMMON PLEAS, PROBATE

Lillian Greene

I filled this in based on the Judge4yourself ratings, but the democratic party has endorsed her opponent, who also is well qualified. I might have voted wrong here. I'm not going to sweat it.

COMMON PLEAS, PROBATE

Kathleen Ann Keough

SHERIFF

Gerald McFaul

COUNTY RECORDER

Patrick O'Mally

COUNTY TREASURER

Jim Rokakis

the last three are because the flier received said he was endorsed by the democrats

Ok, I still need to figure out the state central committee votes. There are also two tax levy's that I'm pretty sure I favor, but I don't understand the wording of. That's all for now.