If It Isn't Sexy, It Is Hard to Sell.

For years people interested in our political process have been lobbying each other about the need for campaign finance reform. It has been hard if not impossible to get any excitement or traction among those of us who aren't connected directly with the business of running this country. After each major election someone brings it up and every one's eyes glaze over. Just the words can put people to sleep.

But now, after a very long time, there are a few hooks that are getting people's juices flowing. "Civil Rights" is one issue directly related. "Voter Registration" is another. We can get cranked up when we realize that the various machinations, especially falling in the laps of the Republican Party, have stacked the deck against Latinos, the poor, the elderly and African Americans. I hope this aspect of campaign finance reform can get people pissed off enough that we act to change things. Not only have we devolved to the best democracy money can buy but we allow the deliberate exclusion of huge voter groups.

In the 1960s, hundreds of northerners went south to assist in the registration of the Black vote. I am hoping for a similar action to register Latinos. If those of us for whom registering to vote is easy and automatic to accompany and witness and report Latinos registering might bring out into daylight some of the dark stuff that is happening. I can see this happening.

The other stuff like getting the money out of the process and getting rid of our archaic electoral college and conventions...more of a challenge. Systems change should be the easy part with all the critical thinkers and excellent programmers around. But, getting Congress to do anything seems pretty impossible at this juncture so I am looking forward to an action that is straight forward and has visible results: voter registration.

Thirty years ago, I went to vote in my small town in southern New Hampshire. New Hampshire at that time was totally Republican. The editor of the big newspaper wasn't just Republican, I think I remember that he was a John Bircher (look it up. pretty scary). So I marched into the beautiful Town Hall in our picture post card New England town and I ask for a Democratic ballot. I was ignored. Then I asked again and the woman at the table looked around and then stood up and called out "Has anyone seen a democratic ballot?" No one answered, so I just stood there and waited until someone came up and gave me my ballot. Temple, NH pop. 606.

Then I lived in several different towns in MA. Remember that MA is a Commonwealth first and a State second. Every town has different regulations for registering. In one town you can do same day registration, in others it has to be a month before. One place calls for one ID and another something different. This must be confusing for new citizens. It certainly was for us old Yankees.

I hope each and every one of us can help at least a few people register in the next few years. I am inclined to go to some of the southern states or even Texas to help some people jump the road blocks that are being thrown in front of them.