›› MARiN UNCOVERED
Written in the wind The write-in vote—America’s barely audible voice of true democracy by Jacob Shafe r
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Forty-three states currently allow writein voting. Hawaii, which doesn’t, saw a challenge of its write-in prohibition make it all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1991. While the court ruled 6-3 to uphold the ban, Justice Anthony Kennedy offered an impassioned defense for the write-in vote in his dissenting opinion. “In the election that triggered this lawsuit, [the] petitioner did not wish to vote for the one
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George Washington swept into office in 1789 on a wave of 38,818 write-in votes. Of course, every vote was write-in back then, and he ran unopposed.
candidate who ran for state representative in his district,” wrote Kennedy. “Because he could not write in the name of a candidate he preferred, he had no way to cast a meaningful vote.” Kennedy went on to point out that, prior to 1888, all votes cast in the United States were write-in votes; voters were given blank ballots that they filled in with the help of pre-printed tickets distributed by the various parties. However, Kennedy pointed out, “Since there were no state-imposed restrictions on whose name could appear on a ballot, individuals could always vote for the candidates of their choice.” The odds of a write-in candidate significantly impacting a national election are obviously remote. But maybe that’s the idea. The notion that, as citizens, we can make our voices heard, however faint they may be, is fundamental to the democratic process. It doesn’t matter if what we’re saying is popular or far-to-the-fringe—the point is we can say it. In others words: If one guy (or gal) in Marin wants to throw his support behind the Socialist Party, who are we to stand in his way? < Vote ‘Jacob Shafer’ for president on Nov. 6; or email him at jacobsjottings@gmail.com.
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5. Pictured, above: The following all have nine-letter names: a. This image has two nine-letter words associated with it. b. What animal? c. What city of Asia? 6. In order to crow, a rooster must fully extend his what? 7. This answer is a four-letter name with alternating vowel and consonant: Name the English singer/songwriter, who won the MTV Europe Music Award as best new act in 2001. 8. The U.S. presidential election takes place every four years on a date determined by what formula? 9. About how many times could Texas fit into all the lower 48 states: 6, 9 or 12? 10. One apple and one banana cost $1.30. One apple and one coconut cost $1.40. One banana and one coconut cost $1.50. Find the cost of each fruit. BONUS QUESTION: Spoon-feed is the longest word in the English language whose letters are what? Howard Rachelson welcomes you to live team trivia contests on Wednesdays at 7:30pm at the Broken Drum in San Rafael. If you have an intriguing question, send it along (including the answer, and your name and hometown) to howard1@triviacafe.com.
VWe’re not cockroach fans. However, we’re huge fans of a Mill Valley restaurant with the integrity to publicly announce it’s battling a German cockroach infestation. The staff at Cafe del Soul noticed the pests and outside contractors were consulted. Eradicating the roaches from the restaurant is difficult because the entire building is infested. On Monday, the restaurant posted a statement on its door and on Facebook to explain the situation. It also reported the infestation to the Environmental Health Services of Marin. The following day, Cafe del Soul and other establishments in the building were shut down. Thanks for coming clean with us, Cafe del Soul. You’ve earned our respect and gratitude. We hope the problem is resolved quickly and you’ll open again soon.
Answers on page 27
ZERO
Despite the efforts of one Marinite, socialist candidate James Harris fell 69,456,897 votes shy of becoming the first African-American president of the United States.
by Howard Rachelson
1. Congratulations to the San Francisco Giants, 2012 World Series Champions! 1a. Who led this year’s Giants in home runs? 1b. Which two pitchers had the most victories? 1c. Who is the highest paid Giants player? 2. What kind of tableware is named for a country? 3. What color are your car’s backup lights? 4. What dignified London street is named after a croquet-like game (it means “mallet ball”) once played there by King Charles I?
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here are few things more curious— and uniquely American—than the write-in vote. Supporting a fringe third-party candidate is one thing; rejecting even that option and scrawling in your own nominee requires a special brand of rugged individualism. So how often do voters fill in the blank? In the 2008 presidential election, while most were busy choosing between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain, 190 Marinites cast write-in votes. Of those, 164 were for a Ron Paul/Gail Lightfoot ticket. Paul, of course, is a Texas congressman and Tea Party darling, while Lightfoot, according to her campaign website, is the former state chair of the California Libertarian Party. Another 25 votes went to Constitution Party candidates Chuck Baldwin and Darrell Castle, while National Socialist Party hopefuls James Harris and Alyson Kennedy persuaded one county resident to spell out their names (perhaps putting the lie to the Fox News-fueled fear that our nation is on the brink of socialist rule). Those totals, keep in mind, don’t factor in ironic votes for Mickey Mouse, Ronald McDonald or the guy from those “Gangnam Style” videos. To count, a write-in vote must be cast for a certified candidate who meets the qualifications for office and who has registered with the appropriate state agency.
›› TRiViA CAFÉ
WMarinites are well-educated, informed about political issues and turn out to the polls in large numbers. It’s no surprise that election bumper stickers are prevalent around these parts. One of our loyal readers, a marine biologist, was driving on 101 near the Sausalito exit, when he spotted a bumper sticker on a truck that read: VOTE 2012. Don’t Renege— except the second syllable in “renege” was spelled with the letters n-i-g (we’re trying not to repeat the offensive word, folks.) Like it or not, we understand that negative campaigning is common, yet this message crossed the line of common decency. Still, we believe in freedom of speech. Which is why we’re free to call this guy a few words: narrow-minded, stupid, racist, Zero. —Nikki Silverstein
Got a Hero or a Zero? Please send submissions to e-mail nikki_silverstein@yahoo.com. Toss roses, hurl stones with more Heroes and Zeros at ›› pacificsun.com NOVEMBER 2 -NOVEMBER 8, 2012 PACIFIC SUN 9