I like the sound of that a lot better than "Battleground State". Without much of a stretch, I can call up a soundtrack from Glen Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, and Count Basie. Jitterbug is a lot nicer to contemplate than gunfire.

"Swing state", with a little more stretching, could be a quantum property, like spin state.

In any event... I live in a swing state. More importantly, perhaps, we have a primary election tomorrow (the one in February was solely for "presidential preference"). It's more critical for Democrats than Republicans; the Democrats here are split over their choice for governor. The incumbent, a Democrat, has serious opposition within his own party - in fact, both the Kansas City Star and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch have endorsed the challenger.

If you read those linked articles, you may notice that the state legislature is controlled by the Republicans; the contention between Democratic gubernatorial candidates is who will be tougher fighting them. I've only been here a year, and missed the big issue (state school funding), but I got here just in time for the sitting governor's veto of a law that would permit "concealed carry" of firearms (despite my support of the Second Amendment in principle, there are applications of it I find questionable, if not dangerous, and that's one of them). The veto was overridden; the law was challenged; the State Supreme Court upheld it.

The local races I'll be voting in tomorrow include the 5th Congressional district (where my choice is clear). The local state Senate seat is not up this cycle; the state House seat has no Democrats to choose from, so the Republican incumbent will be rubber-stamped back into office, unopposed.

There are two state-wide constitutional referenda:

One would extend the territory in which "riverboat" casinos may legally operate, ostensibly to restore the economy of a former tourist area which lost its appeal when the Army Corps of Engineers dammed a river and made the water too cold tos wim in. I oppose it on basic anti-gambling grounds; I expect it will pass.

The other would amend the state constitution to "protect" marriage by defining it as hetero-only, thereby disallowing recognition of same-sex marriages legal in other states. We have the dubious honor of being the first state in the country to give itself a chance to legislate discrimination and codify a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Federal Constitution. I expect it will pass.

Interestingly enough: a few miles west of here, in Kansas - where everything is expected to be black-and-white - the legislature successfully defeated a move to amend their constitution in the same way. Kansas, the state that saw bloody lawlessness from both sides of the Civil War (and the passions leading up to it), also has no legal "concealed carry".

One issue that I will not get to vote on (though I would support it) pertains only to Kansas City itself. It will, if passed, authorize a bond issue to (partially) underwrite construction of a new sports arena in Downtown KC, in hope of attracting either an NHL or NBA franchise. Given the choice, I'd prefer basketball... but I have reasons to become a hockey fan, too. ;-)

One thing, above all, I will be most grateful for: the end to the bombardment of political commercials.