Election Day thoughts
After nearly two years, about two dozen candidates, millions of primary votes, countless debates and far too many late night evenings spent contemplating the spectacle of Wolf Blitzer’s facial hair, the 2008 Presidential Election is nearly over. It’s hard to believe after all of this time and relentless focus by every media outlet in the country, today’s the today.
I know that a lot of people (okay, almost everyone on the planet) is ready for this election to finally be over. I understand the burnout. I really do. But as a political junkie, I’m finding myself becoming somewhat sad as the little “First Polls Close” clock ticks down in the corner on CNN. The finality of the moment and the impending transition to something else – whatever that may be – is finally starting to kick in.
When the election is over, who will fill my inbox with spam messages encouraging me to quit my job and jump on a bus to sign up voters in a faraway state? Who will send me text messages on my cell phone every twenty minutes reminding me to vote? How will I drive to work without people giving me the evil eye because of the campaign sticker on my car? What possible use will CNN find for that nifty magic wall? Will they even bother to continue broadcasting television after tomorrow?
The end of the election season, combined with the end of the baseball season last week, will leave me with a gaping expanse of free time in the evenings. I may have to start interacting with my family and others again. I’m not sure how I feel about that.
The Wife and I voted last week, so there’s not really much for me to do today except sit around and watch it all unfold on television. (I’m at home with The Girl, who was sent home sick yesterday and is under a 24-hour ban from her day care. She’s doing just fine today, of course.)
My hopes for what comes out of today’s election are fairly simple:
- A significant increase in voter turnout. For years, American voters’ participation in elections has been downright embarrassing. A 20-25% increase in national voter turnout would be phenomenal. And it would be even greater if some of those people discovered that there are important choices on their state and local ballots having nothing to do with the presidential race.
- Some actual voting by the young ‘uns. Each election cycle, we hear about unprecedented activism by America’s youths and their now-clichéd efforts to “rock the vote”. But then a really good episode of Road Rules comes on and they never show up at the polls. It’s put up or shut up time for the kiddos. If they can’t actually make the effort to vote in this election, it’s never going to happen.
- A return to obscurity for America’s attention-seeking idiots. I’m tired of people like Joe the Plumber and Obama Girl dominating news cycles and supposedly acting as barometers of the American voting populace. Let’s get these people off of the evening news and back on the crappy basic cable reality shows where they belong.
- A renewed interest in third parties. It’s time to stop pretending that every voter fits in one of two neat and tidy categories. Too often, voters are put off by having to choose between two candidates who only line up with some of their own personal views. I don’t know that a third party can ever emerge nationally, but I think the process would be better served by a proliferation of issue-based, non-nut job third parties for people to seriously consider.
- A quick, decisive victory for one of the candidates. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem tonight, but I’d really like to avoid a repeat of the whole 2000 debacle if at all possible.
- And it would be nice if my guy won. I’m not really thinking so much for the country on this one, but for me. I’m batting 1-for-3 in presidential elections so far. It’d be nice to get back up to .500.
Regardless of who wins tonight, I think this election (even with its epic length) has been good for America. I don’t know what the turnout at the polls will be today, but I do know that people who have never been involved before are asking questions and really thinking about the issues facing our country. That can only bode well for our future.
Unless everyone is like those morons asking questions during the YouTube debates. Then we’re all pretty much screwed.
Fries at the bottom of the bag
- Apparently you don’t have to work at CNN to misspell things on the Interwebz.
- Is it just me or should pharmacy technicians be offended by this advertisement?
- 80° weather in November is just plain wrong.
- Walking a greyhound while pushing a stroller at the same is very hard.
Oh my god…I don’t think anyone wants to have what happened in 2000 happen again. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!
Maybe we could get rid of the party system altogether. 6 months out, we start with 10 or 12 candidates (or 42 or whatever). We have a primary 4 months out to narrow it to 3 at most, the pick their VPs, we endure only a few months of insanity. Then we vote. Also, lose the electoral college.
Did you see CNN’s hologram? uh, its been done, years ago by star wars. and the magic map is EVERYWHERE! I’m gonna watch it all play out, and am glad its come to an end but excited for the change…I will also miss the tons of emails, no I can’t leave my job and campaign/volunteer/call people in other states…oh well, I voted…and here’s hoping I finally picked a winner
psst, gave you an award over on my blog.
BWAHAHAHA – I gave you the same award as Carol. I suppose you only have to do it once though.
Oh, I saw the hologram! Joe and I decided CNN has way too much money. A hologram, really??!! They couldn’t just send a camera to that guy and conduct an interview the normal way??
It would have been cool if it actually was a hologram that the person in the studio could see as well, but really it was just a simulated hologram for the benefit of home viewers. But it’s still pretty cool. I don’t know if it added much to the coverage though.
I will desperately miss my gray-haired men of CNN. John King, you rocked my wall. Anderson, see you tonight, baby! Wolf…Wolf, you have the best name ever.
I have a void in my life and on my cnn.com homepage. I find myself salivating over cabinet appointments. LOSER.