There are places I remember
On the same Friday that I bought my MacBook (the 24th), I went inside a large trailer parked on campus and cast my vote for the now-president-elect, among other things (no on Prop 8! that shit better not pass). I also wrote myself in for State Assembly as the Republican was running unopposed.
While I knew it at the time, I felt a little silly to see my polling place right next door to my condo complex (an Episcopalian church), as it probably would have been slightly more convenient to just vote today. The lines were very reasonable for early voting, but there are so many polling places in Riverside that it probably would have been fine today as well (and of course I could gone during the slow periods).
I'm glad to hear we had record turnout in Los Angeles County, at least (maybe not "we" but it's what I've heard the most). Perhaps in California too, I'm not sure? I can't help but feel like a lot of the people running out there to vote still don't really understand the Electoral College. If they did, would they feel like they needed to be out there in these record numbers? I do know a guy who thinks that his vote "doesn't count" because of the Electoral College, so I suppose that this is one situation in which ignorance may actually be preferable.
I spent my day, in the morning, cleaning, then after lunch at Subway I actually swung by the electrical workers union hall to finally phonebank for Obama, trying to make sure Pennsylvania voters were getting out to the polls that day. Then I came back, picked up a friend, then the pizza, and waited for the rest of the results to come in, as well as for the rest of my friends to come over.
Once Ohio was called we pretty excited, because we knew it was over as did the anchors, who kept coyly pronouncing that they couldn't pronounce until they could call 270 votes worth of states. So, on the dot at 8 PM (Pacific), ABC instantly called California for Obama... and the presidency.
What a paradox. We don't count, yet we, in some inane way, put him over the top. It was nice to feel like we actually did matter. We broke out the champagne, even!
So, Proposition 8 may pass, which really sucks, and the booing that Obama received at he beginning of McCain's concession speech does not bode well for the future unity that Obama kept promising.
Despite all that... well, as much as the surface of McCain's speech was gracious, the subtext (or should I say the text) of it really centered on that whole conservative ideology that racism is done and black people should stop complaining. I really don't want to say that we've exorcised demons in any conclusive way, as there is so much to do on that front and so much unwarranted temptation to pat ourselves on the backs.
But, you know, we have a black president now. That's, of course, really something. And on the other hand, we chose wisely. I mean, he could turn out to be a horrible president, but based on the evidence we made the choice that the whole world would, well, approve of. Maybe we care what they think after all, again, or maybe we just came to our senses. That's something, too. It's a start.
While I knew it at the time, I felt a little silly to see my polling place right next door to my condo complex (an Episcopalian church), as it probably would have been slightly more convenient to just vote today. The lines were very reasonable for early voting, but there are so many polling places in Riverside that it probably would have been fine today as well (and of course I could gone during the slow periods).
I'm glad to hear we had record turnout in Los Angeles County, at least (maybe not "we" but it's what I've heard the most). Perhaps in California too, I'm not sure? I can't help but feel like a lot of the people running out there to vote still don't really understand the Electoral College. If they did, would they feel like they needed to be out there in these record numbers? I do know a guy who thinks that his vote "doesn't count" because of the Electoral College, so I suppose that this is one situation in which ignorance may actually be preferable.
I spent my day, in the morning, cleaning, then after lunch at Subway I actually swung by the electrical workers union hall to finally phonebank for Obama, trying to make sure Pennsylvania voters were getting out to the polls that day. Then I came back, picked up a friend, then the pizza, and waited for the rest of the results to come in, as well as for the rest of my friends to come over.
Once Ohio was called we pretty excited, because we knew it was over as did the anchors, who kept coyly pronouncing that they couldn't pronounce until they could call 270 votes worth of states. So, on the dot at 8 PM (Pacific), ABC instantly called California for Obama... and the presidency.
What a paradox. We don't count, yet we, in some inane way, put him over the top. It was nice to feel like we actually did matter. We broke out the champagne, even!
So, Proposition 8 may pass, which really sucks, and the booing that Obama received at he beginning of McCain's concession speech does not bode well for the future unity that Obama kept promising.
Despite all that... well, as much as the surface of McCain's speech was gracious, the subtext (or should I say the text) of it really centered on that whole conservative ideology that racism is done and black people should stop complaining. I really don't want to say that we've exorcised demons in any conclusive way, as there is so much to do on that front and so much unwarranted temptation to pat ourselves on the backs.
But, you know, we have a black president now. That's, of course, really something. And on the other hand, we chose wisely. I mean, he could turn out to be a horrible president, but based on the evidence we made the choice that the whole world would, well, approve of. Maybe we care what they think after all, again, or maybe we just came to our senses. That's something, too. It's a start.