give me your mired, your bored, your unstickered masses

Depending on your social milieu, it may seem like there's a lot of interest in the November election but forwarded emails and drunken rants at BBQs aren't a good measure of general interest: I usually rely on yard signs and bumper stickers to gauge public opinion. The technique isn't very "scientific" but it gives me a window on the desires of people I normally don't interact with. It also takes more effort to get a bumper sticker, clean the bumper, remove the backing and apply the sticker than to forward a half read email so I know they mean it.
With that said I now have to wonder if anybody at all is interested in the November elections. I've seen a total of four Kerry and two Bush stickers in my Miami Beach neighborhood and two of Kerry's might've been the same car. I've also only seen one Kerry placard (none for Bush) hidden away--perhaps presciently--in someone's window. Maybe all the gays and liberals have been replaced by nonvoting immigrants or maybe nobody gives a damn anymore (which might explain Bush's relative nonchalance in the matter) or maybe everyone including my neighbors and the president expect Bush to win anyway. Interestingly enough, the Venezuelan recall election has generated LESS commentary than the original petition did a few months ago. With growing suspicion that the new electronic machines were easily tampered with it might just be that nobody believes their votes count anymore and aren't making the emotional investment in the election either. I expect less people at the polls this time around but I'm hoping the post-election analyses and complaints will be more entertaining.