All the hoopla, shouting, smearing, bragging, hollow rhetoric and grandiose promises are over. It remains to be seen just how much (or how little) the voters in this year's hotly contested elections will actually fulfill their commitments.

Now we are faced with four years of change, uncertainty and much to be talked about. All the winners in all the elections now go on to their offices, and the losers just go home. For two years the politicians have run all over the country seeking support by the old term of "stumping for votes."

Politicians today spend millions on all methods of travel and thousands on attire to look good. In addition, millions more is spent on advertising from mailings, newspapers, TV, radio, untold numbers of wall signs, plastic lawn ornaments spread all over every neighborhood and the whole countryside.

All those signs we see on lawns and buildings across the countryside made of paper, wire and plastic are seldom, if ever, collected, but left where they were placed to deteriorate and clutter up the areas that are a disgrace to behold. They do have use, if an ecology-minded entrepreneur were to take the time to gather them up, take them to a recycling center and sell them. That would at least serve some useful purpose (just kidding).

Whether we agree or disagree with the results of this past election is now immaterial, because we are all stuck with the results. Some supporters will rejoice and brag and say, "I told you so," and the rest will just say, "Just wait until the next time."

Another thing I personally disagree with is our method of final choice, the Electoral College. What good is our right to cast our vote which can often be in the majority for a winner, and then just have it negated by the majority achieved by granting the winner all the votes from every state who had carried that state through the Electoral College process. Give that right back to the people where it belongs.

In all of this there is the one thing that I am totally in favor of. It's the fact that as an American I am free to express my opinion and am fortunate enough to have our Watertown Daily Times allow me to voice what I think and believe and enjoy all the compliments and plaudits that you readers present me when you see me. Thank you.

Arthur C. Mecomonaco

Watertown