People used to say, I don’t care which party straightens out our country as long as one does. But times have changed. The Charlotte Observer (11-13-06) reports “straight ticket voting” increased 20% in Mecklenburg County this election. Of course, it’s possible that every, say, Democratic candidate in every race was more qualified than his Republican opponent. So voting a straight ticket meant voting for the best man every time. But is it likely? For years, the key people in elections were ‘ticket splitters.’ But, unfortunately, the era of “I vote for the man not the party” is passing. Today, over half the people in elections vote for the party, regardless of the candidates.

To comment, send us an email to comment@talkingaboutpolitics.com.