Vote! Vote! Vote!

I turned 18 in 1991, so when the first presidential election I was eligible to vote in rolled around in 1992, you better believe I was registered and ready to cast my ballot.

Back then, I was still living at home, and I remember standing in line at the Marion Fire Station with my Mom to vote for the very first time. I remember making fun of the no-chance third-party candidates, especially Ross Perot. He was a big enough deal to have Dana Carvey playing him on Saturday Night Live, in case you thought Alec Baldwin’s Trump impersonation was some new concept.

1992 was a great time to be a first-time voter, because not only was I a Democrat through-and-through, my main man Bill Clinton was running for president. Now, I know Bill and Hillary have their critics, and much of it is probably deserved, but I thought that is was awesome that a guy from Arkansas (with a guy from Tennessee that I also liked) were on the ticket.

Clinton, of course, won the election and was re-elected in 1996. Then we got “W” for eight years, followed by two terms from Obama. I always voted. I always followed the campaigns and played with those interactive maps you can find online to set up different outcomes and predictions. I’ve always found the whole thing to be fun.

Except, it’s not fun anymore. Whether it’s because I’m just older now, or because it seems like the stakes are so high, this time around it feels different. So, I won’t try to stump for any particular candidate, but I will tell you, get out and vote. Early voting has started and there’s no time like the present!