Hi all,

 

What an election! Can you believe it? No, no; not Bush. Not Kerry.

I mean, can you believe we have a president the day after elections? I was ready for a 2 month battle! How glorious I felt when I heard it was all over! I felt a huge anxiety leave me on November 3rd. I felt like the whole country breathed relief. I developed respect and gratitude towards Senator Kerry for conceding so quickly, (but a worse opinion of Gore.) What a good sport Kerry was; what a gentlemanly thing to do. What a great thing to think about, when he says that the people should decide the president, not the courts! What a great thing to say in his conciliatory speech, that after the elections, we are not split, but all Americans!

Can you believe the turnout? Like 70%! Isn't it usually 30%? Amazing the droves of Americans that really do care! Or were compelled to care by party workers! Americans surprised the media again, by keeping a Republican Congress with a Republican president, instead of balancing both branches with opposite parties. They voted more this year for moral reasons. What a country! What a rebuttal to voter apathy! My friend Christina waited for hours in an early voting line, and said it was worth it! Isn't democracy great? Can't you feel the palpable comradery when the people come together and make so many decisions?

It was soooooo close! Is this starting to be a trend? Has this happened in the past? Kerry lost so many states by a few thousand votes. A few thousand. Same in Florida, where media pounced on miniscule voter problems, but nothing came of it. Theresa LaPore, Supervisor of Elections of my county, Palm Beach, (home of the hanging chad / butterfly ballot fiasco of 2000), was voted out of her office in the September primaries after 20+ years of service. And then the Florida elections went very well. Bummer.

We voted Tuesday evening. There were 6 poll workers, 4 machines, and maybe 8 voters in an antiquated neighborhood hall. I stood in line for 60 seconds. I was proud of myself--I was more educated about the candidates and local issues than I ever have been. Last month, we attended a library info session to learn about the 8 FL amendments. It was Dave's first time to vote for a U.S. president. (He's been at school or on a mission.) After we voted, we put on our stickers, and bought a TV antenna to watch the results until 11 pm. And in the morning, we had a president.

Hallelujah.

God bless America,

Liz

 

P.S. I almost cried laughing, reading these funny editorial cartoons, which sympathize more with the exhausted voter than with either party. Here's one of my favorites: