David Treen made being a Republican in Louisiana seem kind of noble. Back before Reagan.

Yeah, growing up in that political climate definitely colors my attitude towards corruption in government. Somewhat confirmed by my British history classes in grad school. Sometimes a corrupt government makes for stability and even progress!

Sometimes a corrupt government makes for stability and even progress!

I think there's more money to be made from corruption in a stable situation than there is in chaos.

edit: I did a lot of work with New Orleans in Edwards' era. I think the populace enjoyed the show. His trip to France to pay off his donors was avidly followed.

That fundraising trip is a classic. That was after he sat out a term because there was a limit of two terms on the governor but only on consecutive terms, so he served two, and then we had Treen, and then Edwards was back in. Then I moved away and didn't pay as close attention and when I moved back it was a whole different kind of mess.

There was a lot of showmanship, but he also did look out for the state in his way. This madness of governors refusing federal money for some sort of principal would never have flown with Edwards or the Longs - they might repurpose the money but by god they would take it.

Whenever my dad or Tim's dad starts to badmouth President Obama, my go-to response (because after all this time, I am NOT going to get into it with them) is "I tell you what, I know *I* wouldn't want that job!"

Hmm, maybe I'll try that one on my dad next time...

FYI, the Megamillions is $321 million tonight! Buy a ticket, fund buffista island!

Sometimes a corrupt government makes for stability and even progress!

Absolutely!

So I just realized that that one guy from Death Comes to Pemberley is that one guy from The Good Wife! (I did recognize that one guy from The Americans, and the awesome woman from Bletchley Circle...)

I've been recording Death Comes to Pemberley but haven't started watching it yet. I have a weird grudge against PD James since Children of Men.

Civic duty done! I like being able to see the parking lot of my polling place from my front window. Eight minutes, in and out.

There was a young Hispanic guy working behind the tables beside the usual three old white ladies. There was an Indian lady in the line teaching her two young daughters how it works. There was an old white guy talking happily to a middle-aged lady about how he'd fought for civil rights in the 60's and how Obama had re-invigorated the fight, and a black guy behind him listening somberly and nodding. In a county (Albemarle, VA) that's about 80% white, it's good to see non-white citizens in the voting line. I've voted in every election, and after I moved here in 2009, everyone I saw voting for the first couple years was white. Small sample size, I know, but it seems like it matters to me.

It is so disconcerting to hear the young people I work with. I don't think any of them voted. I am giving out lectures for free today.

For decades my father worked the elections in my home town.

It's a college town in a liberal state, and they always had trouble filling the state mandated number of Republican election officials in the precincts. By a standing agreement, one of every four Democratic volunteers had to agree to be a Republican for the day. If you lost the lottery you were a Republican that year. Once chosen as Republicans, they took it seriously, following the directions of the Republican supervisors.

I asked my father last night if he was working the elections today and he said "No, I'm not. I'm 90 years old and I'm just not willing to spend any of my few remaining days as a Republican!"