FINALLY!!!It's 9:43 a.m.
Here's what my Election Day has looked like so far:
1. 7: 34 a.m.
Making coffee to take with me while I stand in line to vote this morning.
The Nov. 1st Economist (pictured here) endorses Obama, saying:
"It's time. This cannot be another election where the choice is based merely on fear." [1]
2. 7:52 a.m. I walked to my polling place with my neighbor, who had already voted, and her dog Chloe.
3. My precinct is tiny (only about one thousand registered voters), so there were no lines.
I was voter #91 at 8:04 a.m.
4. But lines of voters from the neighboring precinct, which is huge, curved around the block to vote in the same building, entering through a different door.
5. Expecting long lines, the city has set up port-a-potties.
6. Esther and Cherise had brought their knitting. When I took their photo at 8:13, they'd been in line since 7:15 a.m.
7. Johnny Mathis is singing "Chances Are" when I walk into Bob's for coffee.
Heidi the barista takes a cigarette break.
8. The hand-painted Obama sign across the street from Bob's.Bob's-regular Catherine tells me she's so tired of political ads she can't wait "to turn on the TV and see ads for Viagra and Metamucil again!"
____________________
[1] The Economist endorsement of Obama continues:
"In terms of painting a brighter future for American and the world, Mr Obama has produced the more compelling and detailed portrait. He has campaigned with more style, intelligence and discipline than his opponent. Whether he can fulfill his immense potential remains to be seen. But Mr Obama deserves the presidency."
wOOt!
ReplyDeleteI'm going to take my camera over to Bob's--I LOVE that last shot!!
ReplyDeleteI was number 597 at my polling place at about 10:50 this morning. Everyone I've talked to (fresca excepted) has stood in line at least an hour to vote. This seems to be record breaking turnout. And at my polling place it also seemed like about every 5th person was a previously unregistered voter under the age of 30. There is lots of excitement in the air.
ReplyDeleteEven though I'm a bit older than Obama I was thinking today that this will be the first president in my lifetime that who feels like he's of my generation. I know Bush isn't all that much older than me...but he's ruled by Cheney--and the old-fashioned religious right-- he still part of a much older generation.
It's exciting to think of someone with a world view--both politically and historically closer to mine--in the white house.
Chloe is a beautiful girl and this is a beautiful, beautiful day. The sun is shining here in Japan, the sky a beautiful clear--and appropriate--blue. It looks like a new day.
ReplyDeleteYou said it: a beautiful day! Even though it is now almost midnight here. Wow--a Democratic president. I can hardly believe it.
ReplyDeleteAnd in 7 minutes, it will officially be a brand new day.
Well done to everyone who turned out. The worl needed your vote.
ReplyDeleteDi in Australia