Election Day Morning Coffee: A Broken Spring and a Reason to Vote

If I had a tin cup, my coffee would taste just like it did when I was chasing the bandit Rob, and he was rambling!

November 03, 2026

Good morning, my fellow coffee drinkers.

If you have Election Day off and there is a little nip in the air, I hope you have found somewhere comfortable to enjoy your coffee.

Man holding “RAMBLING BOB SAYS THE ELECTION IS A MESS! DON’T GET CARRIED AWAY!” outside a polling station; signs read “VOTE,” “ELECTION DAY,” “UNSTABLE CLIMATE,” “POLITICS IN TURMOIL,” and “VOTING CONFUSION.” — _{^{He played a game called. Pinochle, whist, and euchre.
Nobody to go his bail. The judge done said that he will pay the fine}}

Somebody suggested adding bay leaves to mine to put a spring in my step. I cannot vouch for that, for right now my spring is broken. With this leg and ankle, I would settle for replacement parts.

Meanwhile, the election machinery seems to be running at full speed. Mine requires a little more coffee.

Across our nation today, good people will be doing good work. Checking registrations, handing out ballots, answering the same questions repeatedly, and helping their neighbors exercise a right that deserves our attention.

They deserve our patience, too.

I expect we will also encounter some ugliness. We usually do. Somebody will mistake being loud for being right. Somebody will forget that the person standing in front of them is a human being.

We can decide how we respond. I hope we give those working at the polls a reason to remember our kindness.

I have strong feelings about this election. You probably do, too. The cost of living, our rights, our freedoms, and the direction of this country are personal matters. They affect what happens in our homes long after the campaign signs come down.

That is why I hope you will vote if you are eligible and have not already done so.

If you are unsure about your registration or polling place, check with your state or local election office. Some states offer same-day registration, but the requirements and locations vary. Start at vote.gov for your state’s official information.

And when you have cast your ballot, give yourself permission to take a breath.

You do not have to spend every remaining hour watching somebody point at a television map. Supper will still need making. The dog will still expect attention. Somebody you love might appreciate hearing your voice discussing something besides the election.

Soon enough, we will have Thanksgiving preparations, Christmas shopping, and the annual discovery that the string of lights worked perfectly when we put it away.

I would like us to have enough energy left to enjoy some of that.

For today, be present. Be heard. Be decent to the people sharing the line with you.

And if those bay leaves actually repair a broken spring, let me know.

Steve would probably appreciate getting me out of this chair.

I had more to say. But. Our Broadcast and standards and practices (S&P) executive suggested I not. So this is where I say, don’t worry how things turn out. All we can do is hear about it tomorrow at this point. There may very well be hope. Then again there may not.

I will leave you folks today with a quick story about the Bandit Bob, who used to steal, gamble and rob. He thought he was the smartest guy in town. But I found out last Monday. That Bob got locked up Sunday, Yep they’ve got him in the jailhouse way downtown.

I told him once or twice. To quit playin’ cards and shootin’ dice.He’s in the jailhouse now.He played a game called poker. He’s in the jailhouse now!

See you guys tomorrow. Be safe!