Election day has passed, and we have some great news!  Yes, folks, the good news is that election day has passed!  Not a moment too soon, either!  I was getting sick of the piles of fliers I got in the mail that went straight into the recycling bin.  Why the heck did the same candidates send me 3 fliers within a week?  In case I thought the first flier was a pre-approved credit card offer and tossed it?  Wait a minute, that would make sense - people tend to hold credit card offers in higher regard than political fliers.  Still, I'm not so sure sending that many mail ads really made a difference in the vote.  And I am looking forward to getting home and not having 5 recorded messages on my voice mail telling me that I should vote for candidate X because candidate Y likes to party with drunk midgets and strippers, and considers sex with sheep a good time at the farm.  Hey, sounds like a fun guy - I'm not into the whole bestiality thing, but drunk midgets are always good for a laugh.  Or a message from candidate Y striking fear into our hearts because candidate X wants to solve the health care crisis by killing Grandma.  Hmm... grandma is already dead, what's the problem again?  The advertising this year was getting to be pervasive, even taken in the context that political advertising has been ridiculous for years.  I will definitely welcome driving on the road without seeing a ton of political signs, or watching the ol' tube and not seeing one negative attack ad after another.  Alas, the reprieve will be short, after all there is another major election in two years.  I'm sure the political ads will start again after the holidays.  It's never too soon for an incumbent to start spreading lies about his or her opponent - even without knowing who it will be!