(no subject)
Work was insanity today. So many people dropping in for a cup of coffee and a celebratory pastry after casting their votes at the nearby polling place. I don't think I've ever seen it so busy... even when we got mobbed by the Al Franken event, most of them were just hanging around waiting to hear him speak, not ordering things. It was a sea of proud red stickers.
On my walk home, I go across a bridge that passes over a freeway. A small crowd of college-age kids had stationed themselves there with signs and banners for Obama, attracting a symphony of honks and shouts. The fog horn of a Democratic-leaning sixteen wheeler going through an echoing underpass is a very encouraging noise.
Seven very well-muscled boys had taken off their shirts and drawn letters and numbers on their backs to spell out OBAMA08, and were standing on the divider between the lanes waving signs and jumping around and enjoying getting honked at by Obama supporters (or maybe just admirers of shirtless boys). I was amused to see that they'd painted themselves on both sides, but unfortunately had neglected to reverse the order, so that when they turned to face my side of the bridge, their message actually read 80AMABO. Hahah. Obviously Hamline students. Thanks, guys. Way to represent the left.
As I'm typing, Obama's just taken Pennsylvania, giving him 82 electoral votes over McCain's 34. But the popular vote is neck and neck, and Florida and Texas (!) are nearly tied.... he has a very solid lead in Ohio, but that's with only a small percentage of precincts reporting...
I've never felt such passion surrounding an election. More than fear, or anger, or tension, though those are certainly in the air as well. This makes it distinct in my mind from the last election, the first one I really paid serious attention to, the first one I cast a ballot in. It felt desperately important last time, but this time it's exciting as well as important. The word 'change' has been rendered all but meaningless by this campaign season -- it's like a beauty pageant contestant talking about world peace, too stale even to make good fodder for jokes, at this point. But. Still. I don't know. There's something in the air.
I'm not whole-heartedly behind Obama. He worries me on a number of counts. But... god, I want to wake up tomorrow to a government for which I can have some hope, something that will begin to make at least a few steps towards resurrecting the values that give me pride in America. I'd like to believe this election has the power, and the sheer popular energy behind it, to begin to effect the change...
On my walk home, I go across a bridge that passes over a freeway. A small crowd of college-age kids had stationed themselves there with signs and banners for Obama, attracting a symphony of honks and shouts. The fog horn of a Democratic-leaning sixteen wheeler going through an echoing underpass is a very encouraging noise.
Seven very well-muscled boys had taken off their shirts and drawn letters and numbers on their backs to spell out OBAMA08, and were standing on the divider between the lanes waving signs and jumping around and enjoying getting honked at by Obama supporters (or maybe just admirers of shirtless boys). I was amused to see that they'd painted themselves on both sides, but unfortunately had neglected to reverse the order, so that when they turned to face my side of the bridge, their message actually read 80AMABO. Hahah. Obviously Hamline students. Thanks, guys. Way to represent the left.
As I'm typing, Obama's just taken Pennsylvania, giving him 82 electoral votes over McCain's 34. But the popular vote is neck and neck, and Florida and Texas (!) are nearly tied.... he has a very solid lead in Ohio, but that's with only a small percentage of precincts reporting...
I've never felt such passion surrounding an election. More than fear, or anger, or tension, though those are certainly in the air as well. This makes it distinct in my mind from the last election, the first one I really paid serious attention to, the first one I cast a ballot in. It felt desperately important last time, but this time it's exciting as well as important. The word 'change' has been rendered all but meaningless by this campaign season -- it's like a beauty pageant contestant talking about world peace, too stale even to make good fodder for jokes, at this point. But. Still. I don't know. There's something in the air.
I'm not whole-heartedly behind Obama. He worries me on a number of counts. But... god, I want to wake up tomorrow to a government for which I can have some hope, something that will begin to make at least a few steps towards resurrecting the values that give me pride in America. I'd like to believe this election has the power, and the sheer popular energy behind it, to begin to effect the change...