So every October and early November we suffer a deluge of automated phone calls and political junk mail. Amongst today’s seven (7) pieces of political mail was a “letter” to me “from” the wife of Bob Marshall, our seven-term state delegate.

Against my better judgement, I opened the letter, wondering what language a wife would use to defend her husband’s 30 years of actively working against a woman’s right to have any authority over her own body.

Funnily enough, she didn’t mention all the times her husband has fought to outlaw women’s access to contraception and abortion. But she did brag, “I am proud that my husband authored the Virginia One Man – One Woman Marriage Amendment”.

Aw. But, really, what woman wouldn’t be proud of her husband for framing the words with which his commonwealth moved from discriminating de facto to discriminating de jure?

This woman, for one. So Byron, I apologize. I have been too hard on you. You aren’t perfect, but you would never ask me to beam proudly as you trampled on people’s civil rights. Tell you what – mess up all you want this weekend. I’m giving you a freebie.

The good news is that, when Aidan hit the “wrong answer” on the page for the Senate race, the machine actually let us back out and fix it.

Also good news, out front there were five volunteers handing out Democratic sample ballots, and only one Republican. Usually that ratio is 0:1, not 5:1. As we walked by, one of the Democrats was saying something to the Republican about how he must be cold without a jacket. The Republican responded that he was just trying to get used to the kind of austerity he would have to live under if Obama was elected. Which is a pretty funny answer (and everyone on both sides of the path laughed).

Mack hit the choice for president, Aidan for senator, Reid for the representative and all four of us hit the “Record Your Vote Now” button together.

Then we went in the hallway and I cried and they ate peanut butter cups.

Aidan cocked his head and asked, “Will he keep us safe?”