What do you mean, it doesn’t matter? That everything’s fixed and that no matter who you vote for or what proposition you back, nothing will change and come tomorrow it will be the same-old, same old? That’s not the spirit our great nation was founded upon.

And it certainly wasn’t the spirit Pollstar.com was founded upon, either. For even back in those Great Depression days of 1931 when Festus Pollstar started the Internet tour-date company that would eventually blanket the globe with dates for artists such as Queens Of The Stone Age, Boyz II Men and Leo Kottke, Ol’ Festus realized that democracy and profits often went hand-in-hand, and did everything he could to ensure that the right profits fell in the right hands to deliver to him the kind of democracy that would allow this company to prosper.

And that tradition continues to this day as each and every Pollstar.com employee is given a break from entering dates for Ben Folds or Mudvayne to cast his or her ballot for the candidate of our CEO’s choice. Or in those immortal words spoken over 70 years ago when Festus first sent his workforce to the polls, “Vote early, and vote often.”

Of course, for democracy to work, one must fully understand where each candidate stands on the issues facing us today. Sound checks for support acts opening for The Rolling Stones, set lengths for headliners such as Phish or Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, parking fees and service charge percentages are all factors to consider when the well-informed voter heads into that booth. Your candidate may represent your beliefs in regards to Iraq, tax cuts and Social Security, but how does he or she stand on delivering choice seats for Neil Diamond, or passing legislation that will ensure that Springsteen starts his shows on time? Those are the real issues that face us today.

So, get out there and vote! And don’t worry about missing a new dates for Sarah Slean and Roger Williams or a new tour for Pearl Jam on this election day, for not only will we open this Web site long before the first polls open in Maine, but we’ll keep it open long after the balloting stops in Hawaii so that you can do your civic duty as well as keep up on the latest info for The B-52’s, Blue Dogs and Little Feat. That’s democracy in action. That’s Pollstar.com.

Now, if you will excuse us, it’s our turn to vote. Hmmm… where did we put that dart board?