Vote!

Tomorrow is Super Tuesday, B&E readers. Don't let your excitement over the Giants' Super Bowl victory and subsequent Super Tuesday ticker-tape parade cause you to forget to participate in our democracy.

I love voting, and if I've explained why before you'll have to forgive me.

Shortly after my eighteenth birthday, I went to vote in my first primary in Kansas. While I was there, one of our neighbors walked in: Mrs. Landon. She had no first name; she was merely Mrs. Landon, widow of Alf Landon, the biggest loser (to FDR in '36) in presidential history (and former Governor of Kansas, too, of course). Alf and Mrs. Landon had a daughter, one Nancy Kassebaum who was a moderately reasonable Republican Senator from Kansas from '78 until '96.

So anyway, Mrs. Landon walked in to vote, escorted by her daughter Nancy. It gave the whole experience a heft that I'll probably never forget. This woman was freakin' old, and nothing would keep her from the polls. And there was my Senator, too, not that I ever once voted for her.

But yes, I do love to vote.

And how about that Super Bowl? Man, was that a great game or what?