Here it is.

We are now exactly two weeks from Nov. 5, the day we will all know what we think we know now.

Kind of exciting, even if you are like me and still unsure.

There is power in making decisions.

There is weakness in not.

I guess I’ve been kind of weak lately wondering how and when to decide.

If I vote the way that my Republican friends want me to vote, I’ll make my Democratic friends mad.

If I vote the way my Democratic friends want me to vote, I’ll make my Republican friends even madder.

If I vote the way the Libertarians and Independents want me to vote, friends on both the Democratic and Republican aisles will suggest that I am wasting my vote.

Is a vote not cast a wasted vote?

Is a vote cast for the person of my choice a wasted vote? Is voting for a non winner a wasted vote?

Why it’s almost enough to make a political science major turn to bacteriology.

Were you as shocked as I was to see that there are actually eight presidential candidates on our Island County ballot?

Do you hear anyone talking about the other six?

What do we know about VP candidates Rosa Clemente or Eugene Puryear? How about Matt Gonzalez and Alyson Kennedy?

Of the 16 names listed on our ballot, I have only heard of six.

The four we all know, plus old reliable Ralph Nader and first-time Libertarian presidential hopeful Bob Barr.

Bob may not remember me, but I remember him.

It was 1975.

I was a field rep for my law fraternity, Phi Alpha Delta, traveling the country as a troubleshooter/problem solver, visiting our many chapters throughout Canada and the U.S.

With a card table set up in the busy halls of Georgetown University Law Center, I was doing my best lobbying effort to recruit any warm body to revitalize our chapter there.

Finally, after several hours of my staring, albeit professionally, a student approached. He was a first-year law student named Bob Barr.

As Barr eyed my table of pamphlets, leaflets and testimonials, upon seeing him gaze over our poster board pictures of frat brothers President Nixon and VP Agnew, Senators Ed Muskie, Ted Kennedy and Tom Eagleton, I began my spiel.

“Bob, if you act now, I can get you networked with our fraternity brothers in the D.C. area. Imagine hanging out with our noted alumni in your own back yard, throwing back cocktails with the inner circle.”

“What does it cost to join?” Bob asked intuitively.

“Not as much as a bailout,” I wish I had said.

Last week, Bob’s campaign team sent me a request asking if I would donate $100 for an autographed picture of Bob and his third wife.

I e-mailed back saying I would gladly donate $200 for a picture of Brother Bob with his first two wives.

I’m still waiting.