Well I have to say I regret going to bed early last night, but I just couldn't keep my eyes open so I missed the Obama victory speech. Though I was very happy to wake up this morning and discover that it was in fact a victory speech.
I wished I had see the reaction of the crowd in Illinois and the reaction right here in Richmond. I heard this morning that they actualy had to close off a section of Broad street (a major road here that basically runs through the hole area) near downtown with people celebrating.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that Virginia went to Obama. I was watching the numbers as they were coming in early last night and initially it looked like McCain would probably take it from what they were showing us through the local NBC station, but then just before I went to bed I saw that Obama had actually crept up in front, but only by one point.
As a Virginian, this is very exciting to me because it means that the landscape here is changing because not only did we add to Obama's win, but also for the first time in history we have two democrats in the senate with the election of Mark Warner, who won in a landside.
The voting turn out here was amazing...the two and half hours I had to stand in line to vote wasn't too amazing, but seeing all these different people coming out like they did and I gather (at least in the district where I live) most to support one man was pretty awesome and reassuring.
I think alot of people here, myself included, fall into what Tom Brokow said about it being the end of apathy with this election. There was a big push in my neighborhood, which isn't the best area, but one the city is trying to rebuild and rejuvinate, to get people signed up to vote and out to the polls.
In line at the polls I was behind this older white couple who had lived in the neighborhood for years (I say older...I guess they were in their late 50s or early 60s) and the wife was telling me about this neigbor they had -- and elderly black woman who passed a year or two ago at the age of 93. Before her death they would always help her get to the polls and she told me that as it got harder for the woman to get out and about that they offered to help her with an absentee ballot, but that she refused, saying something to the effect of, "For as long as I can I'm going to come out and vote because of all the years I wasn't allowed to."
People my age I don't think really understand that concept and we take it for granted. This is actually the first time I voted in a presidential election. In 2000 I was a month shy of being old enough and in 2004 for I was lazy and didn't think about getting an absentee ballot until it was too late (I was still registered at my mom's address -- an hour and a half away -- I know, I know, it's no excuse).
And I have to say alot of my interest this time around is because of Barack Obama and I hope he really takes this country in a new direction. I hope he doesn't lose sight of the people he wants to help now or the places/people he comes from. I think this sense of him being still so connected to his roots despite his success is one thing that makes him so relatable and likable, and I hope he is able to maintain that. He is not going to have an easy presidency -- he has a bit of a mess to clean up and, unfortunately because he is a "first" he will probably be more closely watched and scrutinized. Of course, coming in right after Bush has to make him look pretty good despite whatever policies he may put into place.
But right now I'm very pleased and looked forward to see how the next four years play out.
I'm a bit behind on all of the blogs I read, so hopefully I will catch up soon, but right now dinner's ready and I'm ready to relax.
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5 comments:
Don't feel bad about '04. I didn't vote either, mostly because I was so very apathetic about things. I know some might say that's irresponsible of me and they would be right. But in retrospect, it was inevitable. I didn't trust anyone, didn't trust the electoral process, expressed that mistrust by shutting out what was happening.
This year we were inspired and that trust is back. YAY!
Yeah, I guess Kerry (as much as he tried) just couldn't capture the people who aren't nessicarily avidly interested in politics long enough to inspire them to make the effort. Plus coming off of the FL fiasco it seemed that merit didn't really matter, but rather who you knew (or were related to) did.
This election really did have a very different feel than the last two. Finally we have someone who has inspired people.
I've had years where I almost didn't vote but it's been ingrained into me by my father that I HAVE to so even in lean years like 2004 I vote.
This was the first year since 1992 that I actually WANTED to vote and was excited and happy to do so. I couldn't sleep the night before I was so excited and happy.
:-)
I actually early voted here to avoid lines and such, then felt like I had missed out on something momentous. Oh well. As long as my vote counted. Oh wait, mine didn't. (*grumbles stupid red state*)
Hey musicwench....
I wish I had had someone who told me I had to vote, but some people in my family vote and others don't and I honestly couldn't tell you who does.
Most of my political interest came from professors and friends. But Obama definitly sent a sparrk out that made people want to be a part of the process and more importantly feel like they actually could be
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