Embarassed to be Republican

Today is California's left-over primary election where there are no presidential candidates on the ballot and thus, an anemic turnout.  I almost didn't vote today.  I live smack dab in a district represented by Lefteopatra, the Horrible Maxine Waters.  In this primary election, you still have to specfically request for your party's ballot before voting. 

For the entire day I was worried about that last part.  When I walk in there to request a Republican ballot, I know that the pollworker and most of the people in the precinct, almost all of whom are Democrats, BLACK Democrats, will sneer at me.  Walking to the precinct felt like going to a job interview that you know you're going to botch.

I held my breath, filled out a form stating my party affiliation (it was provisional), and before even I can say "Republican please", the pollworker read the form and loudly said, "REPUBLICAN" and then handed my ballot.  I stopped for a moment for reactions around the polling place.  You know when someone farts and you try to ignore it?  It was like that in there.  People fidget and glances fly into the nth dimension. 

To my relief, I saw one other man in a Republican booth.  (All the booths are labeled in large letter by party affiliation.  You go to the one you belong to.  So much for secret balloting).  I did my duty, whipped out the LA County GOPs endorsements and inked some holes.  I can hear the pollworkers converse and they had some nice Afro-Latin accents. 

Has it come to this though?  I know November's election will be very different and will have none of this partisan sorting at the polling place.  Not all will have the balls of steel to popup in deep Dem territory to risk asking for a Republican ballot.