Let's talk about the election, as it is election day here in The States. It's all over the news, so I figured I'd put in my two cents worth, with an outcome prediction to boot. First of all, we all know the results of the presidential election are going to be close, but it's going to be a different close than 2000. Back in 2000, the election was close because no one really cared. Just like any random samplings of two different options results in a 50-50 split, so too did last election. Most young adults my age didn't vote because they didn't care. "What does politics have to do with my life," they would say. Unfortunately I had some friends who thought like that. I won't mention any names here, but I was a little disappointed in them. Anywho, most young adults didn't vote and older adults didn't care. They were just happy to be rid of Clinton, but they knew it was their duty to vote. So the outcome basically turned out to be a draw with the victor going to Bush (Thanks to a little help from my buddy Ralph Nader).

This year, the election will be close for a whole new reason. Finally, [most]young adults are noticing that politics does in fact affect their lives. They have learned the issues that they care about and have finally decided that they can control the leadership of this country with their voice. So, half my friends and millions of others set out to register before the election because 4 years ago they hated politics and failed to see the point in registering. Now, mostly thanks to the War on Terror (in no means am I praising the War on Terror) young adults care about their future so they set out to vote.

Now here comes my prediction. It turns out that most young adults my age have fairly recently graduated from college. As it turns out, I think most of them are pretty darn liberal (in no means am I using this term as negative; like everything else, it's just a label). Heck I'd consider myself pretty liberal on a lot of issues. But most young adults register Democrat, 1) because their Baby Booming parents are Republican and like all kids, they tend to disagree with their parents opinion and 2) because they want to be "part of the group" and not be cast out as in independent (again, I am not criticizing Independents; I myself have no party affliction).

So, after all that, it is my belief that Kerry holds the victory to this year's election. It will be close, not because no one cares, but because everyone cares! There will be record turnouts at the polls and a nation will be divided not by hatred, but simply by opinion. It will be days until we will know the results, but since Generation X has finally made a stand to voice their opinion and stand up for what they believe instead of just watching the world roll on by. Frankly, I'm just thrilled that there will be no more TV ads, radio ads, phone ads, billboard ads, and every other sort of ad you can imagine after today.

To wrap things up, realize that my thoughts on this matter do not necessarily reflect my actual vote. Like the title of this blog reads, this is merely life as Jimmy sees it.