~Bertrand Russell
“It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.”
~Winston Churchill
We are sitting in the living room tonight watching the election returns. I wouldn't say I'm a political junkie, but as a Poli Sci major once upon a time, I've always been interested in politics and the process through which we Americans manage to drive forward this great experiment called "Democracy."
I voted early today, pretty much like I always do, on the way to work. I don't want anything coming up later that would prevent me from getting back to town to vote later in the day. With my job, that's not really a remote possibility.
I hit the local polling station as usual, right at 7 am when it opens, and was surprised to see a rather large line waiting for the doors to open. I've been voting at this location since we moved into town in 1990, and I don't think I've ever had to wait, and I've never been more than the 7th or 8th voter through the door. Not this time. I was number 37. I think we have about 850 people registered to vote at our station, and in talking to the lovely ladies manning the registration books, we typically get about 570 showing up. I'm thinking with that turnout so early in the morning, the big rush at lunchtime still ahead, and the final three hours of 5-8 pm for the after-work crowd, we just might hit 700 this year. 82% of the eligible voters! That would be a heck of a turnout.
That's what really strikes me today. The sense of how important this election is, and everyone's determination to vote and be counted. Republican, Democrat, or Independent. This is each person's chance to weigh in on what direction the next four years will take. Someone once said, "Democracy is determined by those who show up." Today people are showing up.
All day long the news was showing pictures of long lines... some stretching several hundred yards in length, all waiting for a chance to make their voices heard in the choice of their government's leadership for the next four years. I think that's amazing. We've heard for years how election turnout has slowly deteriorated, yet on this day, people are standing in lines in cities all across this nation, suddenly ready to be part of the electoral process. It's kind of neat to be part of an election where people really CARE about the outcome, and are making a committed effort to have their voices heard.Lots of people took leave from work to make sure they made it to the polls on time. Some, like me, voted early, some left work early to hit the polls before dinner. Jill came home from college just to vote; a bit of a way to go, but our gain in getting to see her and share in her excitement over her first Presidential election. My in-laws spent the day volunteering to working the polling station, working from 6:30 a.m. to well after 8 p.m., when the polls closed. Apparently you can't change poll workers once the election starts, so when you volunteer, you're stuck for the long haul. Now THAT'S dedication!
Obviously the differences between the candidates have engendered strong support on both sides of the major parties. There are also the differences of where we've been the last four years, and where we want to go, or even HOW we want to get there, over the next four years. But that's what's great about our system, you are supposed to have opposing viewpoints, and over the course of an intelligent debate of the issues, decide who will provide the course of action you think is best. Some people disagree with this and get incredibly irate that anyone would think different than they do. The problem is, when people DON'T have healthy, spirited debate, you end up like Germany or Japan in the 30's, or Russia and China in the 60's and 70's.
Watching the returns it looks pretty clear the Democrats are in for a big win. One big state after another is being called for Obama. Pennsylvania went right after 8 pm, and that seems to have been McCain's big hope in the Northeast. We're watching ABC and neither the pundits nor the talking heads can seem to figure out how any set of states can stack up and result in a Republican victory.
I've been getting text messages, e-mails and facebook comments from my family back on the west coast. Seems pretty clear that Obama is a clear family favorite out there, and the wife's family on this side of the Mississippi. People are getting really excited about what is happening tonight.
I think that is the most exciting thing about this evening... the idea that for the very first time, not only can our entire country conceive of voting for someone other than a White Anglo Saxon Protestant (or variant thereof), but it appears they will take that final step and vote him into office! In one fell swoop they are erasing the ceilings and barriers that have prevented people from achieving anything they were capable of because the of barriers of color, race, gender, etc. From this day forward, none of that should ever play a factor again, be it politics, business, the military, or the local country club. People may try to keep the old rules in place, but as of today, they, like the Berlin Wall two decades ago, are crumbling under their own weight and the force of progress.
It's 11 p.m. and as soon as the polls closed on the west coast, EVERY network just announced that Barack Obama is now the new President of the United States of America. Wow.
When you think about it, it's pretty amazing! Imagine any other country being able to make that jump - a completely peaceful, calm and fully accepted transition of power from one party to another. No fuss, no rioting, no protests, no coups. Incredible. Another thing that makes this nation great.
It has been a heck of a day. Not only for Barack Obama and his family, but for the entire country.
