It's a week and a half before the California primary, but thanks to the magic of vote-by-mail, D and I have already completed our ballots. Since she's the one who actually reads the entire voter information guide--including the actual text of the proposed legislation--most of the views below are hers. Your mileage may vary.
President of the United States: Obama or Clinton.
I can't speak to the Republican pool, but as far as Democrats go, I would encourage you to vote for Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama (pick one). Not just because they're the only non-white-males, but because, for various reasons, they know what it's like to be hated. They've lived with adversity all their lives, and they wouldn't have gotten this far if they didn't have the strength and the will to keep fighting. Whether you agree with their particular views is a different issue, but I believe they will get the job done. D might specifically recommend Hillary, since Bill and Hillary are really a package deal, and D thinks the country did pretty well under Bill Clinton.
Now, a funny story: I'm registered as a non-partisan (no party affiliation) voter, but since the Democrats are allowing everyone and anyone to vote in their primary, I received two vote-by-mail ballots--one non-partisan, with just the propositions, and one Democratic, with the candidates as well. I'm only going to send back the Democratic ballot, but I wonder how many other people are in the same boat, and how much confusion and extra work it's going to cause our election workers. Do you really need any more proof that the system is broken? It's a bit depressing, really.
Prop 91, Transportation Funds: NO.
This one's a no-brainer. Even the argument for the proposition tells you to vote no, because it's been made obsolete by other legislation already. Did I mention that the system is somewhat broken?
Prop 92, Community Colleges: YES.
Education is a good thing. Yes, it will increases taxes, but D's okay with that. She also likes the establishment of an independent Board of Governors.
Prop 93, Term Limits: NO.
There's a huge loophole in this proposition, and D doesn't like legal trickery. Check out the Text of Proposed Law (PDF) and see for yourself.
Props 94, 95, 96, and 97, Indian Gaming: YES, YES, YES, and YES.
The primary issue here, in D's view, is one of process. Voting down these propositions would overturn an agreement that the Governor has already made with the four tribes in question, and that sets a dangerous precedent. Two wrongs do not make a right. Also note that all four compacts still need to be approved by the U.S. Department of the Interior, so if you don't like it, you can still make a federal case out of it. Literally!
No matter how you vote, the important thing is that you get out to the polls on February 5th and VOTE--yes, even if it's raining, you wimp.
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