So, who do you think wants it more?

This is my first general election, and I\’m pleased to be voting in such an exciting election. It\’s every bit as historic as America\’s last election (who\’d have thought that the US would ever be liberal enough to elect a man who admitted getting high in college to the presidency?) and I\’m proud to be part of it. Even though my vote won\’t make a blind bit of difference.

You see, I don\’t get to vote for the who I want to run the country. I only get to vote for my local MP. Then, whichever party gets the most MPs gets to have their head MP as Prime Minister. And they elect that guy (or woman), and I have no say in the matter.

So with Horsham a solidly conservative seat, voting for anyone is an exercise in futility. Unless, of course, you are voting Tory.

But it\’s still good to get out and vote.

The exciting bit is watching a party who everyone had written off as irrelevant a few months ago come into the fore. The Lib Dems are, by some accounts, ahead of the Labour party. And, if they succeed in hanging Parliament (oh, if only; maybe we could make it happen if we all brought enough rope) they will be in a position to effectively select the next leader, which makes this an interesting race indeed.

The best thing about British elections is that the campaign period only lasts about a month. This keeps most of us from getting so very, very sick of political broadcasts, but still allows the candidates to do stupid things that make the electorate shake their head in collective wonder and switch parties. (Can you say, \”Bigoted woman!\”)

Anyway, I\’ll be watching with interest, and going to the polls a week from tonight to throw away my vote. I hope you all do the same.