Swing State

When we moved to North Carolina I thought it was cool that we were going to be living in a swing state. My previous votes have occurred in Texas and Massachusetts which respectively go red and blue every time.  At the time I had no idea that every single advertisement I saw on TV from September onward would be a political one and that my mail box would be inundated with political propaganda.

I watched all the debates and looked up my local candidates, one of whom lost by 384 votes, and voted for the people that I thought would best help the country and the state. I don’t look at one issue and make my decision that way.  I’m for homosexuals right to marry but I voted from some people who don’t believe that. I believe that women have the right to choose what they do with their own bodies, and not just women.  I really believe that if you are suffering from an awful illness and want to choose to end your life that should be your decision but I voted for some people who would argue against those things with the last breath in their body.  My point is with all our country is going through that voting based on one issue (or the candidate’s skin color for that matter) is something I find hard to understand. 

When we moved to North Carolina I had no idea that I wouldn’t know which presidential candidate had won my state until two days later. 

And with that I’m done talking about politics for a little while.

Over and Beginning

John McCain gave such a gracious speech. Seriously, it was very generous and impressive.  I always feel bad for the loser. I mean they spend years of their life working towards this goal and then they don’t win. It seems so tragic. I will say that I felt no sadness at all when North Carolina announced that Elizabeth Dole did not win re-election. That woman ran negative ads like I had never seen before. I just couldn’t vote for her, she just seems so smarmy. And she looks like she has had a face lift and I can’t vote for a woman with an obvious face lift.

I’m disappointed about Propostion 8. If California couldn’t vote it down then the gay rights movement has been set back more years than I care to count.  Also, what is up with North Carolina still not knowing who won the presidential?

Barack Obama also gave an amazing speech. I know everyone is saying it but if you had asked me ten years ago if a black man would be president in my lifetime I would have said I don’t think so maybe fifty years from now. It is amazing to experience it just like it was amazing for me to see Bobby Jindal win governor of Louisiana.  Quite frankly I think he would have won even if he wasn’t black (I know, I know, I’ve seen all the numbers of new, black, Hispanic etc voters who voted for him but I still believe it even if it doesn’t make sense to).  The economy was the number one reason people voted for him over McCain. McCain saying the fundamentals of the economy are strong was not his shining moment.  It’s like when Bill Clinton won the first time, it was the economy.  And you have to know you are in trouble when people like my parents and their friends who own small businesses and make more than $250K don’t vote for you.

Both candidates made me feel a little teary because I really believe that they will/would have tried their hardest to do what is best for the country.  I liked when Obama reached out to the folks who had not voted for him and told them he would be their president too. I also thought it was smart and strategic for him to manage expectations by saying (something to the effect of) it may take a year or even more than one term but we will succeed (I can’t remember the exact words or find the speech online but you get what I mean).

Barack Hussein Obama, Congratulations. Now go do your job and impress us all.

Edit: Here is the quote I was talking about.

“If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer,” he said just before midnight Eastern time.

“The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you: We as a people will get there.”

Nerd

It is pathetic how excited I am for today.  I’m sitting watching the Today show watching Barack Obama vote. It’s not the least bit interesting and yet here I am watching.

I usually have no issues (oh goodness, Joe Biden just walked in with his 90 year old mother. And now I’m watching that. I think it is nice that despite the ages of Biden and McCain that their mothers are still alive to vote for them) with being distracted by the TV but I’m guessing I’ll be watching a good portion of today.

As a political junkie this is like my New Years.  I haven’t showered yet, but once I do I will be wearing my I Voted sticker! I’m so excited.

End of an Error

I love election night.  My first over 18 election was the 2000 election. I spent the evening chauffeuring Alan Sager, one of my professors and former Travis County GOP chairman, around to various election night parties.  It was amazing. I was allowed into private Bush parties that I would have never been allowed within a 100 yards of in normal circumstances.  It was an exciting evening for me and not just because I was making $20 an hour which at twenty was way more money than I had made before.

I got home at 4am after we all figured out that this election was too close to call. I sat up til 6am watching the news coverage thinking that somehow I would figure out who was to be the next President.  It was not to be.  Interestingly, my first post school job was working for one of GWB’s lawyers in the whole Florida debacle.

I love election night during presidential years even when it is personally disappointing, which let’s be honest, it has been for the last 8 years. I can honestly say that tomorrow night even if my candidate doesn’t win I will be exceedingly happy because the man who has been leading my state and then country since I was 14 years old will be finished.  A lame duck who hopefully will not do anything detrimental in his last two and half months as President. 

Perhaps in time I will have benevolent warming feelings toward him, anything is possible right? But right now I’m just so ready for him to be gone.

In sad news, I will have to watch the election results by myself since Husband is out of town. He suggested that I DVR the returns and avoid the news for two days so we can watch it together on Thursday. I said no.

Stupid Tech

Watching the game last night was not fun.

In other news, I went back to my book club with the very nice but all the same religion girls. I have to break up with this book club because while I don’t mind being in groups of people who don’t all believe the same thing it is really awkward to be the only person silently wanting to make an analogy between the book we read about oppressed people and Proposition Eight in California.  Especially, when their particular religious branch is funding the vote yes on prop eight effort.  Perhaps I should have still made my comment but these are nice people and I do mostly have a nice time with them I just don’t like feeling censored because I want/am desperate to make friends. So tonight I’m going to a new book club…we shall see how it goes.

Also, last night I was the designated driver for us and four other friends and spent the evening drinking water so why do I feel like crap today? I’m getting too old to stay out late.

Snippets

Snippets of conversations from the last week.

(involving a life changing decision we can’t agree on) Hey why don’t we play rock paper scissors to decide?

I think a decision like this needs a more serious solution than rock paper scissors.

Well yeah, we would play best out of three.

…

There has been ice on my car the last few mornings. We need to buy a scraper.

Do you think I have man arms?

…

Uh, hi. It’s me. I probably should have just called Triple A. Nevermind.

What

I, uh, I locked my keys in the car…with the car running.