Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader is a shitty blogger. If by shitty one means “infrequent.”

Anyhoo…

Your Maximum Leader sees on Twitter some interesting graffiti from Pompeii. “hic ego cum veni futui, deinde redei domi.” Apparently this translates as “I came here, had sex, and went home.” It tickled your Maximum Leader so he added it to the random tag lines to this site…

The month of June is nearly half spend, and this is the first post… Crazy how that works. Let’s review some of what your Maximum Leader has done recently…

He saw Prometheus Wednesday night. Your Maximum Leader’s review? Meh. Your Maximum Leader thought the pacing of the movie was fine. He says this because a frequent critique of the film he reads is that it was boring. Your Maximum Leader wasn’t bored. He thought the speed (pacing) of the film was fine (as he just wrote); but it seemed edited for time. Perhaps this is becoming a Ridley Scott thing… He makes a film. He releases the film in the cinema. Then he started amending and remaking the film until it is closer to the film he wanted to release in the first place. Your Maximum Leader could see that this would be a problem back in the 1980s (he is thinking Blade Runner specifically) but can’t imagine that Scott would be “forced” by “studio suits” to release a movie before it was (at least pretty close to being) ready. Prometheus feels like it was: 1) either rushed to meet a release deadline or 2) released with every intention of Scott working on it for another 20 years and periodically releasing new “director’s cuts” until he (one day) gets what he wants.

All in all, your Maximum Leader doesn’t think he could recommend Prometheus to you. The story was interesting, yet it felt incomplete. Your Maximum Leader doesn’t require that a film raise questions and then answer them; but he does feel as though questions that arise from the narrative be addressed in some way. Prometheus doesn’t do that.

Re-reading that last paragraph makes your Maximum Leader feel as though he should go into more detail. He doesn’t want to give out too many spoilers - in case you’ve not seen the film and plan on doing so… That said, the big open ended question of the film is “what was on the ‘engineer’s’ mind?” The ‘engineers’ are the alien race that apparently created life on Earth, and according to character exposition during the film are trying to destroy it with xenomorph creatures they are manufacturing on LV-226 (the planet begin visited by the Prometheus). Now, some other sites have speculated that the answer to the big question was given in the film by the android character, David (played magnificently by Michael Fassbender). In the film David asks why he was created by man and receives the answer “because we could” then David replies that it would be disappointing for man to travel across the galaxy to speak to their creators and receive the same answer. It is entirely plausible that the ‘engineers’ created humanity because they could; and that they would like to destroy humanity for the same reason. While that answer to the question actually amuses your Maximum Leader more than anything else, it is a weak bit of storytelling.

In other news… Your Maximum Leader is going on a cruise next week. Baltimore to Bermuda. It will be his first time on a cruise ship. He is looking forward to the trip. He expects some quiet and time to read.

Speaking of reading, your Maximum Leader broke down and bought a Kindle Fire. For a few years now a number of people have told him that he should get an e-reader. He’s resisted, until now. He opted for the Kindle Fire for the overall entertainment possibilities offered by that device. Books, movies, TV and internet. So far he is very impressed. He’s found he’s been watching some Amazon Prime streaming movies and TV shows that have entertained him very much. He’s also downloaded about 100 books that are in the public domain (some Edgar Rice Burroughs, Raphael Sabatini, Arthur Conan Doyle, Alexander Pope, Thomas Hardy, Plato and Shakespeare among others) to read. While he doesn’t believe that he’ll ever get away from real books on paper, the Kindle is a good device that serves the purpose for which it was bought.

(NB to readers: Your Maximum Leader still believes that the basic iPod Classic is the greatest piece of personal electronics in recent times.)

How about politics…

Your Maximum Leader voted in the Virginia Primaries this week. He had to vote for a Republican to take on Tim Kaine (Democrat former Governor) to see who will replace Jim Webb (D-VA) in the US Senate. Your Maximum Leader voted for George Allen. Mostly on the basis of the other choices being a Tea Partiers and likely (or possibly actually) insane. Your Maximum Leader will vote for Allen in the fall against Kaine. He hopes that the Republicans will take the US Senate. He also hopes that the Republicans will retain the US House. He further believes that President Obama will be re-elected. So we’ll get at least 2 more years of divided government. Divided government, at this point, serves no purpose other than to moderate the unchecked idiocy of the left and right. Sadly, no one is actually doing anything to address the actual issues that are most in need of solving. No party or person seems to be looking to step up and say what needs to be said either. Your Maximum Leader did read something about Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) repudiating his “no tax increase” pledge. That is a good start. Since both parties seem pathologically incapable of serious action on the debt, spending, and revenue. When Americans start to realize that our economic situation must be addressed with a combination of spending cuts and revenue increases then we might start to get politicians who will act.

Of course, getting voters to vote against their self-interests is a silly hope to hold out… Your Maximum Leader wasn’t sure what he was thinking there…

Basically we’re screwed…

Anyhoo…

Your Maximum Leader will be going on a cruise…

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader has been remarkably tedious in his constant commenting that he has things to blog about, but very little time to do so. Well… One of the items that your Maximum Leader has meant to blog about for a while now has wound up in the Washington Post.

Your Maximum Leader is a careful donor of what money he sets aside for charity. One of the entities to which your Maximum Leader tries to give some money every year is the Institute for Justice. Your Maximum Leader doesn’t know if you have ever seen, or clicked through, the link on the right side navigation for the Institute for Justice, but it is there. IJ is a small law firm that fights for economic freedom in America. They got the most press when the, very sadly, lost the infamous Kelo vs. New Haven, CT case concerning eminent domain. Your Maximum Leader believes that IJ was right in its position in Kelo, and the US Supreme Court was very very wrong…

Anyhoo…

The Institute for Justice continues to fight for economic freedom and private property. Now their the face of their most recent fight are Benedictine monks in Louisiana who are trying to sell coffins. The story has made the front page of the Washington Post Online: Louisiana monks go to court to sell caskets.

The basic facts are these. The Benedictines want to sell caskets in their home state; but they were given cease and desist orders before selling their first casket. In Louisiana, only licensed funeral parlors (with funeral directors) can sell caskets. Louisiana law does, however, allow people to buy caskets on-line and use them. The IJ is fighting for the monks on the grounds that Louisiana’s regulations are irrational and unconstitutional (on due process and equal protection grounds).

Your Maximum Leader wishes that there was a particular passage he could cite here to give you the heart of the story, but there really isn’t. You should just go and read the Washington Post piece (clicky here). Or, if you want you can go over to the Institute for Justices’ web site and read their page on this case which has lots of good links and information.

Your Maximum Leader would also commend the Institute for Justice to you if you consider giving to advocacy organizations. This is a good one. You can donate to IJ by clicking here.

Read it all.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader sees that on this day back in 1856, Representative Preston Brooks attacked Senator Charles Sumner on the floor of the United States Senate.

Your Maximum Leader is glad that we don’t have our elected representatives bludgeoning each other on a regular basis today. Well, they don’t LITERALLY bludgeon each other today. It is all rhetorical today.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader did something over the past weekend that he hasn’t done in decades. What you ask! What did he do? Did he pardon dwarves? Did he start construction of a huge solar shade? No… Neither of those.

He went to the cinema. Not once… But twice in one weekend.

You may suppress your audible gasps now.

Your Maximum Leader can’t recall a time since he was in college that he saw two movies, in theaters, in the same weekend.

For your information, the two films were “The Avengers” and “Dark Shadows.”

So there you go Hollywood… You should thank your Maximum Leader for shelling out his cash to see two films.

Reviews? Reviews? What did your Maximum Leader think of the films you ask.

Well… To begin with the film he saw first, Dark Shadows.

Your Maximum Leader must admit that, on the whole, he likes Tim Burton’s works. He likes the quirkiness and sometimes off-beat work. So, your Maximum Leader expected the film to be a little quirky. All in all, your Maximum Leader was a disappointed in Dark Shadows. If you’ve seen a trailer for it, you got the feeling that the film was going to be gothic humor. Sadly, if you saw the trailers, you saw most of the really funny bits. So if it wasn’t a comedy, you might think they would go for campy gothic horror (like the TV show the film is based upon). Again, sadly, this wasn’t the case either. The film couldn’t decide if it was campy gothic horror or campy gothic humor. It was just sort of campy. Your Maximum Leader, in retrospect, should have waited for the film on HBO.

The second film was The Avengers.

Your Maximum Leader should say that with the exception of Batman and Superman, he is not a big comic book action hero fan. He does believe that “The Dark Knight” is the greatest superhero move EVAH! (And it is among the best in the action movie genre.) The Avengers is the second best superhero movie evan, and a really good action movie as well. Your Maximum Leader will not have to go into great detail (because if you wanted a plot summary or serious critical review you would have looked elsewhere, like Pajiba) but he will say that people of all ages will enjoy the film. The cost of admission is money well spent.

So, there you go… Two movies, two opinions for you.

You’re welcome Hollywood. Your Maximum Leader coughed up some dough to see some films.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader is feeling a little old. His eldest is taking the AP World History test today. Your Maximum Leader took the test when he was in high school. (He got a 5.) For the past few weeks, your Maximum Leader has been trying to help Villainette #1 prepare for the test. He should note for the record that Villainette#1 has done everything in her power to avoid this help and to annoy her father in the midst of giving the help. The constant refrain has been, “But dad, we go over this stuff in class all the time now…”

Anyhoo…

Your Maximum Leader is hoping she does well.

(If she doesn’t get a 5 to tie her old man, your Maximum Leader will throw it in her face all summer… Just kidding… Nope, not kidding… Yes, he kidding… Nope… Yes…)

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader had a wonderful day (last Sunday) with his good buddy the Minister of Propaganda. While shooting the breeze over drinks and victuals, the Minister introduced your Maximum Leader to a word that he’d invented (with another friend of his). Your Maximum Leader likes this word and will share it with you:

Circumwongle = to arrive pleasantly at the results you want by an unexpected route.

Your Maximum Leader has given his approval to this word and hopes you all can find a way to work it into conversation.

In other news…

Your Maximum Leader was speaking with some other friends last night and one of them threw out a nice line that he’ll have to remember: “The truth is a powerful tool and should be used sparingly.” Your Maximum Leader doesn’t know if this a quotation from someone else, but he’ll have to remember this one too…

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader is a little sad by the performance in the last few games by his beloved Washington Nationals. They have been squandering great pitching performances with a lack of offense. The team just can’t get men across the plate. That problem is made worse by the absence of Michael Morse and Ryan Zimmerman. Calling up Bryce Harper is exciting, and may bear fruit, but it isn’t enough now.

Your Maximum Leader hopes the Nationals can string together some wins over the next few games and not completely waste their hot start.

In other sports news…

Your Maximum Leader will be in the Verizon Center tonight rooting for his (also beloved) Washington Capitals in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semi-finals. Your Maximum Leader thinks he’s drunk the Caps kool-aid. He is feeling good about the team’s chances in this series. The defensive style of play is well suited to the playoffs. By playing a simplified game and doing everything possible to minimize mistakes the Caps have been able to tough out enough wins to make it this far. Your Maximum Leader thinks that they could win this series and move on to the Conference Finals. If that happens, your Maximum Leader will be beside himself with joy.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader, as you know, is a great fan of his Washington Nationals baseball club. Apparently said Washington Nationals have decided to call up (1st pick overall and potential offensive-stud-in-the-making) Bryce Harper from the minors.

Crazy. Read about it here on the Washington Post.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader was thinking of his blog and remembered a nice turn of phrase. He spent some time looking for it. Then he found it on the Outer Life blog. To paraphrase, writing about not writing is tedious to read.

Your Maximum Leader has been very tedious for a long time.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader got tired of looking at the last post at the top of his blog. Sadly, he doesn’t have a good idea for a single cogent post. He’s sure he’s had some ideas over the past few days; but his brain is blank now.

In politics there isn’t much out there for real commentary. Obama blah blah blah blah. Romney bleh bleh bleh bleh. The real race will not heat up for a while yet. Provided that there is much of a race. Your Maximum Leader still thinks that Obama will win re-election. Not because he deserves it mind you. Rather because Republicans are hell-bent-for-leather to be idiots. Romney is, of the crop who chose to run, the most electable. But just being the non-Obama is not going to win in November. Neither man is talking about the real issues facing our nation. Neither man seems serious about governing in a way that reverse the problems of spending, taxation and debt that imperil our nation’s future.

(NB to readers: Amazingly, no one seems to think that seriously discussing austerity and changes to federal spending and taxation is path to the presidency of these United States…)

If it is of any consolation, for those of you out there thinking that China is all the shit (Paul Krugman, your Maximum Leader is glaring at you)… The Economist just ran a podcast discussing Chinese demography and how the 1 child policy can likely cause massive economic distress in the 2030 and on timeframe. Apparently in rural China the birth rate is 1.7; in most urban areas it is closer to 1; but in the most cosmopolitan cities (Shanghai for example) the birth rate is .7. That will cause massive strain on China’s ability to maintain growth (and care for an aging population).

Of course, once China goes to hell there is no telling who will want to purchase US Treasury bills and finance our spending… India? We’re looking at you…

In other political news… Your Maximum Leader sees that sleezebag Tareq Salahi has filed papers to run for governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. After nearly spitting out a mouthful of Makers Mark while reading that news, your Maximum Leader regained his composure and became more amused. This is a guy most famous for crashing a state dinner at the White House. He also has a habit of getting sued for not living up to his commitments and being a general asshole. One imagines that somehow this will somehow transform the “Real Housewives of DC” into a new reality show entitled “Governor’s Mansion Here I come!” Sweet jeebus… Just when you think politics couldn’t get any lower…

In sporting news…

Your Maximum Leader has long been disgusted with the complete disregard people in the Washington DC area have for all teams that are not the Washington Redskins. The Washington Capitals have been competing in (and yesterday won) a hard playoff series with the Boston Bruins. The Washington Nationals are the best team in the NL (and the second best in MLB). But what is everyone in Washington focused on? The NFL draft.

Your Maximum Leader believes that Robert Griffin III is likely a good guy and excellent football player. He may actually have what it takes to help the Redskins improve. But really now, at this point your Maximum Leader couldn’t give a damn about football and is now getting actively annoyed at continued football talk.

Your Maximum Leader caught his first Nationals game of the year last Friday. He watched his beloved Nationals win (a nail biter) over the (Florida) Miami Marlins. (NB to readers. The Marlins new stadium looks interesting, but their new uniforms look like crap.) It was a great experience. He is sure he’ll take in a number of games this season. He hopes that other Washingtonians will do so as well. It is embarrassing and tragic that the Nationals are doing so well and can’t sell more than 20,000 tickets to a weeknight game.

Did you know that if the Nationals play .500 ball the rest of the year they will make the playoffs? Really… Who knew?

As for the Capitals… Your Maximum Leader’s emotional state was a roller coaster ride during the first round of the playoffs. All peaks and valleys. He isn’t sure if he’ll hold up if the Caps go far. He is anxiously awaiting word of which team the Caps will draw in the next round of the playoffs. He feels the Caps will match up well against Florida or New Jersey. He isn’t so sure about the Rangers. And he dreads Philly. Philly seems to be on a mission this year.

Well… That is about it for now… Your Maximum Leader will think of other stuff and try and get some down here…

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader has been a long-time reader of John Derbyshire’s pieces in National Review and elsewhere. He often found himself in agreement with many of Derbyshire’s (or Derb as he is known) opinion pieces. Even some of his more off-the-wall pieces found a sympathetic ear with me. (The only one that leaps to mind right now had to do with the looting of the Baghdad National Museum after the US invasion of Iraq. Derb’s position was that the looting might be a good thing in that the looter were likely to sell artifacts on the black market and they would wind up well cared for in the hands of private collectors and at some point in the future the would likely wind up back in some museum collection.)

Even though some of Derb’s opinion pieces on race-related subjects made your Maximum Leader a little squeamish; none of them seemed to go “too far.” They were considered pieces intelligently written, even if your Maximum Leader thought them wrong-headed.

Until this past weekend…

Derb’s piece in Taki’s Magazine over the weekend on “the Talk for nonblacks” was way over the line. Your Maximum Leader will not link the piece directly. (Although it is widely linked elsewhere, including at my buddy Kevin’s place where you will find his commentary as well).

Well… The piece got Derb fired from National Review. (As it should.) It also prompted your Maximum Leader to delete the links on this site to Derb’s personal web page and to Taki’s Magazine. Your Maximum Leader doesn’t make a fuss about de-linking different people or sites. (Most of the time it is just a purge of a link that is dead, or a purge of a link to a site your Maximum Leader never reads.) But this deserves an exception. Your Maximum Leader was repulsed by what Derb wrote, and equally repulsed that Taki’s Magazine showed no editorial oversight by publishing the piece.

And so that is the end of that. No more Derb (or Taki’s Magazine) for your Maximum Leader.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader has let his blog go to hell. As in, he can’t be bothered (apparently) to write for it. He hopes to turn over a new leaf and write more, but real life seems to continually conspire to prevent him from blogging.

Take the past seven days for example. Your Maximum Leader and Mrs Villain have been running kids around town for piano, baseball and softball. And not meaning to toot his offspring’s horn but… Villainette #2 decided she wanted to try out for her school’s softball team - and she made the team (beating out some more experienced girls). Then the Wee Villain brought home some virus that has had everyone in the family in the bathroom with all manner of unpleasantness spewing forth from our orifices. So all that has kept him from blogging.

But hearing excuses for not blogging is a tired refrain here. Your Maximum Leader will try to blog more…

Anyhoo…

Last night was the official opening night of baseball season. Your Maximum Leader knows that many of you are out there pointing out that the Athletics and Mariners played two official games last week in Japan to kick off the season. Insofar as your Maximum Leader is concerned, those two games are abominations and shouldn’t count. He doesn’t mind exhibition games played in other nations. Frankly, if you can get both teams to agree to it in advance, he wouldn’t mind regular season games in other countries as a sign of good-will. But to have season opening games overseas a week before the season begins is just plain wrong.

Back in February your Maximum Leader predicted 85-90 wins for his beloved Washington Nationals this season. He is going to stand by that prediction. Especially after watching the Marlins get pounded by the Cards last night. Perhaps the Marlins (who have been Nats killers in the past) will not be quite as strong as he thought. Of course, one game does not a season make. The Marlins have got to figure out their left side. Lots of miscommunication there.

Speaking of the Marlins… That new stadium looks nice. Your Maximum Leader’s tastes in stadia is one of extremes. He either wants “throwback” stadia (like Camden Yards - which turns 20 this year) or very modern and new (like Miami’s new stadium). Your Maximum Leader wouldn’t mind seeing a game in Miami. He even thought he’d like to see a game from that “Clevelander” bar in left field at the new Miami park. It has bars, a pool, dancing girls - oh yeah, and seats at field level. Actually, if you wanted to watch a game the “Clevelander” would likely be a bad place to watch. Too much else going on…

Anyhoo…

The Nationals open against the Cubbies in Chicago in a few hours. He is looking forward to a strong showing by the Nats and coming away with a win.

In other Nationals news, your Maximum Leader feels badly for John Lannan. After carrying the team’s pitching for a few years now he was optioned to AAA two days ago. Lannan is a good pitcher. Frankly, your Maximum Leader has more faith in Lannan than he does in Chen-Ming Wang or Tom Gorzelanny. But, apparently Davey Johnson and Mike Rizzo believe they are better off with others over Lannan. Your Maximum Leader would be a little sad to see Lannan go to another team, but he also wants Lannan to play. The guy was opening day starter for a couple years for pete’s sake. He should be able to play.

Well… Your Maximum Leader will try and listen to the game on the radio today and follow his Nats on their way to a great season.

Carry on.

Albert sat with his dementia-addled grandfather, Ted, often. Ted stared out the window and told stories beginning “I once…” Most stories started, “I once had a great sandwich at a diner in Portland.” They amused Albert in their ordinariness.

Today, Ted started, “I once did a hooker in Nevada.” This caught Albert’s attention. “She tried to change the price once we were done. We argued. Her pimp crashed through the door and we fought. I killed them both. Buried them in the desert. That’s why I don’t go to Nevada anymore.”

Ted winked, then stared out the window.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader got two great comments to the post below. Let us revisit them (for those of you who don’t like clicking).

First, from Smitty: “So, do you think the protest vote, and general indifference toward this mummer’s farce in VA, will lead to embarrassment for Romney.”

No, your Maximum Leader does not. The Virginia primary will be an afterthought in the commentary on the events of today. Romney and Paul followed the existing rules for participating and none of the other candidates did. Romney will get a win (with some delegates going to Paul due to proportional representation) and that will be that. Commentary will focus on what happens in other states, like Ohio. There is only one embarrassing situation your Maximum Leader can imagine for Romney. That scenario is that he wins less than 60% of the vote. If it is down to a choice between Romney and Paul and Mitt doesn’t pull out at least 60% then the “win” will be embarrassing. But only moderately. The news remains somewhere else.

Of course, the Virginia GOP and Democrat parties could and probably should be embarrassed by the primary. The restrictive rules to get on the ballot are likely going to be dropped as more people get angered by their lack of choice. If Virginia is truly a “swing” state; both parties would benefit from a rules revision. Your Maximum Leader is disappointed by the rules as they stand; but he has a rough time getting worked up about changing them. On the one hand he wants it to be easier to have choices; but on the other hand if one is serious about running for office you should know what it will take well ahead of time and make a plan. (NB: many are critical of Mitt for having been running for President for the past 4 years. Your Maximum Leader doesn’t fault anyone for that. If you want the job you actually have to make and act on these types of plans. Your Maximum Leader isn’t saying that it is a good thing that you have to run for President for 4 years; he is just saying it is what it is.)

Second comment from Eric:

You may not like Mitt, but a vote for Ron Paul, is a vote endorsing Islamo-Fascism, and a soft on terrorism foreign policy. Yes, he’s good on economics. But that doesn’t make up for the fact that his foreign policy views are decidedly surrender-tarian.

Islamism is the greatest threat this country faces. And anyone who appeases Islamists are siding with our enemies. It’s unconscionable that any Republican could vote for Paul, knowing this fact.

First off, thank you Eric for your comment. Your Maximum Leader doesn’t believe he’s ever seen you comment here before. He appreciates you taking the time to comment.

Your Maximum Leader, to be honest, doesn’t like any of the candidates running for President. He doesn’t want President Obama to win a second term. He can’t stand Rick Santorum. He really cannot abide by Newt Gingrich. And he feels mostly “oh hum” about both Paul and Romney. Your Maximum Leader disagrees with Ron Paul on more items than one can easily enumerate in the time he has to write this post. Your Maximum Leader believes that Ron Paul’s general conceptions of economics and foreign policy are impractical, unworkable and would be disastrous if attempted. That said, Paul’s positions are consistent and more or less understandable in the context of the type of libertarianism that he has always espoused. Would Ron Paul be a good President of the United States? No, he would not. The best a conservative can hope for is that Paul’s presence in the race will cause people to give more thought to smaller government and more liberty. Those overarching themes are positive and the GOP would do well to endorse and act on them.

As for Romney. Your Maximum Leader will have to fall back on William F. Buckley Jr.’s old maxim of voting for the most electable conservative available to you. Of the four candidates we’ve got to chose from, Mitt is it. That isn’t a ringing endorsement; but it is all he’s going to get from your Maximum Leader. Your Maximum Leader will not even claim that Mitt Romney is “conservative.” He is more to the right than President Obama is and he is more electable than the other three. Your Maximum Leader isn’t sure where people get the idea that Rick Santorum (who cannot win re-election in his own - swing - state) and Newt Gingrich (who has never won anything except his - now former - congressional district) are more electable than Mitt Romney. Admittedly, Romney has lost elections too (famously the MA senate race to Teddy Kennedy) but in a race that will be a nail-biter it seems like you need to have a broad appeal to regular voters. Your Maximum Leader doesn’t see how Santorum or Gingrich or Paul are widely appealing. Don’t get him wrong, your Maximum Leader isn’t trying to claim that Mitt Romney is widely appealing to all voters. He is only claiming that Mitt Romney is more appealing to voters than the others.

All that said, your Maximum Leader still believes that all things being equal, President Obama will win re-election.

Carry on.

Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader mused yesterday evening on Twitter (@maximumleader) about a number of things. For the sake of this post, he will focus on his tweet asking for whom he should cast his vote in Virginia’s “Super” Tuesday primary. Your Maximum Leader isn’t thrilled with his choices of Mitt Romney or Ron Paul.

So, your Maximum Leader and Mrs Villain did the logical thing… We split our two votes. We flipped a coin to decide who got to vote for whom and then bucked-up and did the deed.

So there you have it. Word from two Virginia voters. One for Mitt and one for Ron.

Your Maximum Leader notices over on The Other McCain that Smitty cast his non-Romney protest vote earlier today. Like Smitty, your Maximum Leader & Mrs Villain were outnumbered by election officials. Our ratio was 5:2. Your Maximum Leader was the 13th person to vote this morning. Smitty had to produce identification in order to be allowed to vote; your Maximum Leader did as well. Your Maximum Leader doesn’t understand why so many people (generally Democrats) have a problem with requiring people to show a photo ID in order to vote. It seems completely rational to have a person establish their identity before voting. But then again, who said anything involving democracy has to be rational.

Your Maximum Leader will take issue with Smitty on one issue. Smitty’s post implies (by my reading) that the Virginia GOP is solely responsible for the “no write-in” policy and the tough process by which a candidate has to get onto the ballot in the first place. (A process that was, for a time, contested by the Santorum and Gingrich campaigns.) It is your Maximum Leader’s understanding that these requirements are not just GOP’s - but are in fact just as applicable to Democrats. Many would argue that both parties in Virginia have a long history of making it hard to get on the ballot. This has been to give the state parties more control over the election process (and to depress voter turn out it is often alleged). Your Maximum Leader doesn’t disagree with the rules per se. The rules are the rules and are subject to change. Perhaps Smitty’s involvement in local GOP committees will help to change the rule.

Anyhoo…

If you are in a “Super” Tuesday primary state - go vote.

Carry on.