Quiet Sunday by design

Decided to take Sunday off. It's the Lord's Day, after all, and there was enough on the plate already. After months of intense politics, we needed at least one day not to think about it much. Weather cooperated, a cloudy, cool, rainy-to-drizzly day that was just perfect for Halloween.

With fewer than 48 hours left in the election cycle -- and we pray not many more in determining a winner -- what is there left to do but vote? Certainly barring a major catastrophe there are precious few votes to be determined. If people haven't heard the arguments by now, they aren't going to do so. At least theoretically, the fate of Campaign '04 is already decided.

But there are things we can do. Make sure that the turnout for the candidates and issues we favor is substantial. That means emailing or calling a friend or two, perhaps becoming a last minute volunteer. Making sure your own family gets to the polls if they are eligible. (The Oklahomilist's family has five registered voters chomping at the bit to do our part on Tuesday.)

Even those of us who live in "safe" states can do our part by making sure that this time the popular vote winner and the electoral vote winner are the same man. That way we don't have to listen to the incessant B&M from the other side, as we have the past four years.

Then there are those state races to decide, including U.S. senator, the congressional races, the state legislative races and the state questions. For us that means voting Tom Coburn, John Sullivan, and a straight GOP ticket in the lower races (mostly because we're fed up with the antics of the Demo machine. It needs a good fixin' and sometimes you just have to finish breaking something so that it will get fixed. So that's the plan. Vote 'em all out.)

As to the State Questions, we will vote "Yes" on 711, the amendment that defines marriage as one woman, one man. We toyed with the idea of voting yes on a couple of others but have decided that the internal of each question are such that there are built-in "gotchas" we likely will come to rue down the road. (As anyone who has seen "Twister" would know, Oklahomans know a thing or two about "serious rue-age.")

So that means no to expanded casinos, a state lottery, higher cigarette taxes and toying around with the state's rainy day fund. Too bad. Shoulda made 'em less complicated and honest. Try again later.

We've almost gotten over the Cardinals losing to the Red Sox in the World Series last week. After all, spring training begins in four months! Gotta figure it's the hand of God telling John Kerry that the Sox can have the world championship, but he got too greedy and that's that. Plus, it's easier to get over the Cardinals as long as the Sooners (another "red means go" opportunity) keep winning. With luck they won't break our heart until January.