There is a Braley sign as big as a sail on Polk Ave.

Braley, Appel, Hatch…  All Democrats.  They’re my guys.

Vote.  It’s what we do.  V-O-T-E.  I’ve voted in every major election since I was old enough to vote.

The negative ads were so ghastly this year that I almost didn’t vote.

You must, I told myself crossly.

There was a big turn-out.  I stood in line.  Men and women of all ages were hurrying in and standing in line.  No one hassled me this year.  During the 2012 presidential election, a woman told me my name wasn’t on the list.  I made her look  again…and again…and again…and there it was. We should wear tags to protest the punitive new ID laws in some states: DO NOT HASSLE VOTERS.  We shuffled in line and smiled; I assumed many of us were Democrats.  This precinct is said to be the second most liberal in the state.

No one I voted got elected.  The state went Republican.

It’s a bit of a shock, so I’m playing this R.E.M. song, “Houston,” for all of us who are in despair.  R.E.M. wrote it after the Hurricane Katrina disaster, so it doesn’t quite apply, but we must “play the game” and hope the Democrats come up with some star power next time.

Here is the opening stanza:

If the storm doesn’t kill me the government will
I’ve got to get that out of my head
It’s a new day today and the coffee is strong
I’ve finally got some rest