Joe Frazier has passed away. If you’re a guy may age, you certainly can’t help but remember Smokin’ Joe and his heavyweight fights against, um, some guy whose name escapes me at the moment (I believe he used to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, though). Back in those days, if you wanted to watch the fight live, you had to go see it on “closed circuit” teevee. In fact – as I recall – you couldn’t even listen to the fight on the radio live. I seem to recall they’d read the summary of each round over the air after they got them “off the wire.” Ah, those were the days. Of course, a few weeks after the fight, you’d get to see a replay on ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Ah, those were the days. So long, Joe.

So, it’s Election Day. The campaign signs are everywhere, and I’m sure the candidates’ well-intentioned supporters will be on every corner. This makes me wonder if anybody actually votes for somebody because of a sign. “Oooh. I’ll vote for Joe Smith, because he has the biggest, bestest sign.”

I know I don’t. I also don’t vote because of slogans, commercials, bumper stickers, or that goddamn waste of paper they send in the mail. Not even for schwag – and the schwag has gotten pretty crappy over the years.

All signs (so to speak) are pointing to my not voting for the first time in years. I just don’t feel like it, and this may set a trend. Somebody’s gonna have to give me a reason to vote for them from now on. No more nose-holding and then feeling resentment because the asshole I voted for turned out to be an even bigger disappointment than I thought they’d be.

I even feel stupid for voting for Governor Snotball. Maybe if Paladino had gotten in, he’d have been so goddamn loony the people would have rallied against him and we’d have gotten an actual Democrat for Guv next time around. Or not.

I sure don’t see myself voting for Obama next time around. Or Cain/Romney/Perry/Whatever. I think I’ll write in Gus Hall (so what if he’s dead?). Can you still write somebody in with the new voting machines?