Registered

This is quite a loaded prompt, revealing a dirty secret. With today being election day in Kentucky, I think the fact that I am a registered Republican would surprise quite a few people given my opinions and actual voting record, but I'm not worried about being exiled - the peace and quiet would be nice. Actually, I leaned more to the right during my much younger days as I checked the Republican box when I first registered to vote over 30 years ago and, simply put, I have never bothered to change it. I can proudly say I voted for Obama and many other Democrats, but I have voted for plenty of Republicans as well. It was not so divisive in the past. Kentucky is a notorious "red state", so much so that Republican Presidential candidates don't bother to campaign much here as the state is locked up - usually the same for our neighbors to the north (Indiana) and south (Tennessee) and don't get me started on the nuts in Ohio. The larger cities in the state (Louisville and Lexington) lean more to the left or center, but that seems to be true across the country. Kentucky has closed primaries, so I choose Republican candidates (like today) while my wife, a registered Democrat, chooses the other side and we often discuss what was on each ballot. There are proposals to end the closed primary system, but we'll see if that ever gains traction. And, don't forget that you can thank Kentucky for Mitch McConnell and the Rand "what's with that hair" Paul. Every six years there is a big "Ditch Mitch" campaign that somehow never gains widespread support and he always wins, his son-in-law is his handpicked candidate for governor this election season, so we'll see how the general election goes in November. In the end, we all get our ballot and (hopefully) vote in private without much pressure. However, I do know my staunch Democrat grandmother would be rolling in her grave with news of my registered party affiliation.