2010: The most important election of your life?

Voting is a fundamental right here in America. More than 44 million Americans have shed their blood at home and on foreign soil to secure that right (link). Yet time and time again, abysmal voter turnout decides who represents us in Washington and Albany.

More after the jump.

2006 - Fewer than 190,000 voters pulled the lever for either the Honorable John M. McHugh in a district with 418,000 voters (link) (link). More than half of 23rd Congressional District Voters bothered to lurch forward out of their La-Z-Boy Brand Rocker/Recliner (link) long enough to vote.

2008 - A special election means extra attention, right?  Wrong. The election to fill the Honorable James W. Wright's (link) Senate seat drew 56,000 votes out of a possible 179,000 (link)(link). Not even 1 in 3 eligible voters did.

2009 - NY 23 became a household phrase, right up there with "Scozzafava'd." Blogs sprang up from the fertile political ground like mushrooms on manure. Even with CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, CBS, NBC, ABC, and scores of reporters, 162,000 out of 395,000 voted (link)(link). Even a cardboard cut-out of an accountant from Lake Placid (link) could do the math on that one - 41% voter turnout. ACORN didn't steal this race from you, Doug (link). Your inability to excite any emotion from the voters stole the race from you. Even John "Raisin' McCain" Rich referring to *ahem* adult relations in the back of a truck as having "a Doug Hoffman time" couldn't motivate the extra 3,500 voters you needed to win. If turnout had increased by 1% of voters, Bill Owens would not be our Congressman. Of course, if Dede "Gosh, I didn't handle that race well" Scozzafava hadn't been ordained by the Republican Party, Bill Owens might not be our Congressman.

North Country. Three past races of local, state, and national importance. Three past races decided by the minority of voters.

In 2010, we're looking at three big election types. Congress, State Senate, and State Assembly.

The Congressional Race is a simple choice. NCN calls it: Hoffman has all the charisma and fluidity of unbuttered toast. Maroun is a super nice guy and a dedicated public servant, but he lives too far from cable television and running water to be an effective voice for the people of the Lake Ontario, Black River, and St. Lawrence River watersheds (link). Let's put Doheny up against Owens. Personable, knowledgeable, and the right man for the job. But with apologies to Matt, after the miscarriage of representative democracy that is "Health Care Reform" (link) Congressman Owens won't need the help in losing this race.

The State Assembly... God, where to even begin. The Assembly is stacked in favor of New York City, Albany, and Buffalo (link). If you think that any of the 75 or so Assemblypersons from New York City are the least bit interested in regional airport traffic, migrant farm workers, or in seeing Lewis, St. Lawrence, Franklin, Herkimer, and Jefferson Counties NOT be among the poorest counties in the state (link), you're only kidding yourself. NCN calls it: Will Barclay is an honest statesman who ably represents the fine people of AD-124 with integrity. Dede Scozzafava? Wow. How many ways can I spell 'disaster'? I don't know who the GOP will be putting up against her, but she's done the party the courtesy of tying an anchor around her own neck - somebody just needs to push her overboard on the next Boldt Castle Boat Cruise (link). Metaphorically speaking, of course. Ogdensburg's up-and-comer, the young and restless Nick Vaugh is poised to strike at AJR for AD-118. He has her beat on personality, but will her incumbancy keep her in place despite having the same effect on the state Assembly (61 articles, 2008-2009) as Peanut Butter (59 articles, 2008-2009) (link)(link).

Despite the best efforts of the Republican Party in the North Country, if Vaugh, Barclay, and gosh, a warm body get elected to the Assembly in the fall, they'll be three Republicans against 100+ Democrats.

The real excitement is in the Senate. Why should you vote this November? Because Darrel "The Last Time I Drove a Tractor Was For a Campaign Commercial" Aubertine has got to go. He's shown a complete lack of Voter Courage (link). He sides with the liberal, Democratic, NYC Majority on record-deficit-creating budgets (link). But this is a Census year.

2010 is an important year for the North Country to have competent representation in the Senate so that we're not gerrymandered into oblivion.

More on this story... as it develops!