Finding Relief from Political Advertising

Colorado is considered an important swing state in this year's election (that's a first!), so lots of money is being poured into television advertising, both in the presidential race and in the race for retiring Senator Wayne Allard's seat.

The other problem that our state laws make it almost too easy to initiate ballot issues, meaning that this year's paper ballot is three (legal-sized) pages long. County clerks warn of long waits on election day.

Since M. and I will be traveling on Election Day anyway -- on a train between Chicago and La Junta, Colo., if all goes according to plan -- we voted by mail this year for the first time ever.

I will miss the ritual of going down to the old schoolhouse to vote, although there were some problems last time.

But all of a sudden, the back-to-back political ads on TV don't bother me as much. It is as though they are advertising remedies for a disease that I don't have. What a relief.