One Person, One Vote and a Glass of Wine

During the run-up to Election Day, newspapers, the radio, television, the Internet and even the train stations were saturated with campaign rhetoric, competing poll results, and the blah, blah, blah from supporters and detractors of the candidates and their parties.

Election Day finally arrived, and we each got to exercise the sacred right to cast our one vote for the candidates of our choosing. Later that same night the results were in, and one of these outcomes was announced, which we each interpreted from our personal perspective:

Our candidate(s) won, making us, by osmosis, ‘winners’, or….

Our candidate(s) lost, making us ‘losers’ by extension, or….

Some of our candidates won while others lost, leaving us feeling ‘unfulfilled’.

Winners got to pour a glass of cold Chablis and with smiles, laughter, and back-slapping all around, toasted their good fortune and victory!

The losing candidates gracefully conceded defeat (and the spoils) to the victors, thanked their supporters for all the pre-election blah, blah, blah, and retired for the night or for the next two, four, or six years. Most of their supporters gave a shout of encouragement, you know, for “next time” shrugged-off the defeat and went home to go about their lives. 

But there is that small, vocal group of losers-by-extension who can’t let the voting result speak for itself. They poured a tall glass of Burgundy, as deep and red as their own seething anger, and start sipping. After a few sips, they hit the blogs. 

At first crying foul, after a few more drinks they were exclaiming rampant corruption, and after they had downed a liter they were extolling about how most people really, really wanted their (losing) candidate to win, but their fellow losers-by-extension were either too stupid, or too busy, or intimidated, or bought-off to vote their true conscience. 

Those who keep on sipping just keep right on blogging and blasting away at the election results, ad nauseum.

Now to the real point of this blog.  From across a crowded room a waiter approaches, carrying an hors d’oeuvres tray with a nice selection of Ritz crackers, Wheat Thins, Sociables, some colorful toothpicks, and an array of appetizing slices of aged Swiss, sharp cheddar, peppery Monterey Jack and some petite wedges of smoked gouda.  He then poses the big question:

“Would you care for some cheese with the whine?”

One person. One Vote. Election over. No whining.