Right on Day One.

The day has finally arrived. It feels as if I’ve waited forever and think of all that has gone on in this country and the world in the past eight years. Almost a decade with someone in the White House that I believe never should have been there. Ever.

That’s quite a bit of water under the bridge, wouldn’t you say?

I’ve had much on my mind as I’ve watched the candidates line up over the last year and begin their campaigns. It’s been an incredibly long year. Too long. And when I realize that as much as I’ve waited for today to arrive, we still have nearly nine months left to see how big an ass Rush Limbaugh can make of himself over the outcome of the presidential election. Did you hear what he said about John McCain yesterday? O.M.G.

Unbelievable.

He’ll flap all the way to the bank. I’m sure.

In the meantime, I’ve placed my vote in the same garage I’ve been placing it for the past five years since moving to this area of Paradise. The same pleasant people greet me and chat each time.

“How’s business been today?” I asked one of the women. “Busy?”

“No,” she responded, surprising me.

“What’s wrong with this neighborhood?” I teased, knowing what her comeback would be.

“We’ve got over 65% who vote on absentee ballots here!” she smiled. The young man assisting asked me how I’d be voting today because I’m registered as non partisan.

Um. I sort of forgot that I get a bit feisty about this whole choosing sides from time to time and hadn’t remembered changing or when I’d changed. He patiently explained that I could vote Democratic, or N/P, or…

I confessed that I would be voting as a Democrat, just to cut to the chase, grinning as the woman handed me a ballot. I made sure I knew what I was doing because we’ve had umpteen gazillion changes over the past few years about HOW we cast our ballots. Having gone seriously high tech now, we are using a black ink pen and a ballot printed on card stock. No poking, no punching, no scanning, or beeping or page flipping. All I had to do was fill in the bubble.

They continued casual conversation over my shoulder as I scanned my ballot, laughing because more than one of the volunteers had submitted an absentee ballot, and now, as we all know, many names originally on that ballot are no longer present for the primary today.

Interesting…

And more than 65% in our area alone vote absentee ballot? That could prove to be interesting with respect to the Republican votes, so much has changed. We have so many absentee ballots in Paradise, I heard they began to count them very early this morning to get a head start on results.

On the short drive home, I noticed only two campaign posters — one attached to a stop sign and the other a light pole. The Vote for Ron Paul poster seemed out of place here, but anyone’s would. But his posters are the only ones I’ve seen anywhere in the last couple of weeks. Even bumper stickers have been rare. Although I did notice one plastered on the bumper of a Lexus when I was walking the dog yesterday. And then there was that forty-something woman who was standing on the center divide early this morning with a huge homemade sign that encouraged passers by to cast their vote for Obama… And the youger woman outside the mall with a small, but official looking Vote for Hilary sign in one hand hanging next to her side, and a much larger, homemade Obama sign in her other, held high above her head.

Still undecided?

What did Obama say during the debate with Hilary in Hollywood the other night?

“I’m right on Day One.”

And I believe it more than I’ve believed anything in a very long time.


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10 responses to “Right on Day One.”

  1. Yep, I cast my vote in the same polling spot as always too – an elementary school. I actually like showing up there in person, it makes if feel more real than just mailing in a piece of paper 🙂 I guess our state will be one of the last to be counted.

  2. I am just waiting to see what’s going to happen. But really just about anyone would be better than the current president :/ That’s really sad.

  3. I’m with you Barbara — especially since a lot of those people cast votes for candidates who dropped out. I can’t wait to hear the spin on the effect that has. How hard is it to physically cast in a ballot on election day if you aren’t someone who is traveling, on active duty, or incapacitated? Gimmeabreak!

    Hey Ben. I agree to some extent but am cautious. It’s been a pretty bad admin on several levels.

  4. I cant believe I still have to sit through MONTHS of this… I am so not into politics. I cant with any of them. SO…. I will be voting for “EV”.

  5. out here in deepinthehearta we won’t be doing any voting for a while, and even then the wife and I won’t be doing any at all. Un-American… No, I don’t think so. Our thought on the subject is simple. We’re going wherever the Pres sends her, regardless of who he or she happens to be next term. (come to think of it, I never voted when i was in the service either… Strange. I wasn’t nearly as pragmatic back then.)

  6. Jerry — “deepinthehearta” is pretty hilarious. I’ll have to remember that one. And since I’ve been a military kid and have others in our family who have done same, I completely get it.

    Hi meleah. I used to not get into it as much as I have in the last many years, but I’ve been interested since I was in high school. I seem to remember being upset that Gerald Ford didn’t win the election that year. I make an effort to try and understand what’s going on because if I don’t, then hell, someone else will and I may not necessarily agree with them. Life’s a big argument to me, yanno?

  7. Right on Day One? Yes he can, and yes we can.

    Right on, Sister!

    R

  8. Rod, I am COUNTING on it. The time is NOW. w00t!

  9. I’ve been following the campaign closely, since I also have a political blog. If I looked only at the issues, it would have been Kucinich or Gravel. And if Hillary is all we have at the end of the day, I’ll vote for her, reluctantly. My next choice would have been Edwards. I was sorry to see him go. But Obama has moved me, given me hope. I needed it, because I am pretty devastated by what the neocons have done to our country and constitution. Besides, Obama’s health plan isn’t mandatory, like Hillary’s is. If people can’t afford health insurance now, how will you force them to pay for it when she implements her plan?

    Anyway, I had the pleasure of voting for Obama in the DemsAbroad online vote of Feb 5, which was very cool. They have one more vote Feb 12, and then they count them. It’ll be interesting to see what the expat votes look like.

  10. OMW — I’m worried about having to vote for Hillary if she’s all we have at the end of the day. I’ve been reading about the superdelegates and the more I read the more concerned I become. Obama has moved me as well. Hell, any Dem who can stop the MoH in his tracks with a speech is someone who needs to be listened to. And having paid for our health insurance for nearly a year now, I agree. It’s a completely ridiculous expense and the strangest thing about it is, we haven’t used it once. It makes me ill thinking about all that money. I’ll look forward to seeing how the expat vote looks on the 12th. Cheers!

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