Election 2008

The people have spoken.
In some cases with a resounding voice and some with a little more ambiguous. I was really glad to see long lines at the polling places yesterday. Nearly 82% in our district, which is just phenomenal. The polling stations were running out of ballots. And so many people were voting for the first time. Young and old. I have never understood, in a world where people crave power, why so many choose to not exercise the power they have. Witness this election. Your vote does count. Each and every one. I've watched elections where only 24% of the registered population voted and I had to wonder about the majority choosing our leaders. While not my ideal choice for President - and really, who is anymore? - at least Barack Obama was elected by the majority. An actual majority. And for that I am pleased.
We were listening to the results on the radio coming home from dinner last night. (He took me to The Melting Pot! Ack! Sooooo good.) Tarzan has turned me on to NPR, and I like it, I do. Funny, interesting, varied, local and national, they have a lot of great editorial pieces, and report the news usually. But they are so obviously liberal. Did the host really ask if the poor white trash of America voted for Obama? That was highly amusing.
I think John McCain gave a gracious concession speech. His call to unify the country, and his pledge to do all in his power to help the new president AND taking all the responsibility for the loss upon his own shoulder was really very selfless. (I think we all know it wasn't totally his fault.) His audience was a bunch of losers though. Boo-ing the President of the United States? What the heck was that all about? Why do they put stupid people on the air? We got home in time to watch Barack Obama's acceptance speech on the television so maybe the microphone placement was different in the crowd, because I didn't hear any boos there. If the Republicans are going to be sore losers, there is no hope for this nation. And on the flip side, I hope the Democrats will be good winners and behave as the idealistic people that Barack Obama believes us all to be.
In a far more emotional and personal arena, Proposition 8 passed. By a lesser majority than the last time this issue was on the ballot, by a tiny percentage really, but still it passed. During these "on the street" interviews why can't they talk to people who actually have a coherent thing to say? Not everyone is a great orator, I get that, but you're on national television! Talk about how our children can be taught issues we don't believe in with no notification if the proposition doesn't pass. Parents have to be told when sex education is being taught, this should be the same. Talk about how you feel tolerance has to cut both ways. Don't hem and haw with vague generalities of "doing something I believe in." Expound upon what you believe in. WHY do you believe it? Of course the other side wasn't any more eloquent so maybe we're all just goggle-eyed when we have a camera in our face?
One thing that bugs me about the media reporting is the whole projected winner thing - when only 12% of the votes are in, how can they call a winner? I seem to remember something like that happening once before and a very famous picture of a guy holding a newspaper with his name as the winner, but he didn't win. Let's take it one step at a time people - I realize you have to make up small talk for six hours in a row but let's not make stuff up. Several of the propositions switched the leader throughout the night.
Leaving you on a note of levity, I love this comic from yesterday's paper. It's so deep:

This is me, with my two cents - or five - on the election.