Final Few Days Before Election

In the state of Colorado over 1/3 of registered voters have voted early, and record numbers have been set in other states like Florida and Ohio as well. No matter who's side you are passionately on, it has been a historic campaign, and the first that the Internet has played such a large role in. From raising campaign donations to the thousands of blogs and opinions, it has helped to spread the wealth around, and shown how everyone's opinion matters in true democratic tradition. Dirty tricks were immediately exposed and ridiculed, so were each campaign's strengths and weaknesses. 

If you get the chance, go to your County's election return center on Tuesday evening to watch the results in real time. It's a lot of fun, people are hyped up, with proponents from all Parties there to cheer on their candidate and issues. You might get invited to a celebration party, usually held somewhere nearby. It's the culmination of what so many people have worked and fought for over the last two years, with such elation and heartbreak, that you can't help but be impressed with the political process and our country. That this scenario plays out in every town in every state is amazing.

Probably no-one will read these political blogs after Wednesday, as post-election depression sets in, oh God, why did I vote that way? And the next administration has one of the most difficult tasks ahead of it, to pull us out of the thicket of Bushes, and to get back on the path of world leadership. Other countries look to us for well reasoned approaches to solving critical situations, and the un-diplomatic, right-wing reactionary crap over the last eight years has damaged our image and many of our allies have turned away from us. Nobody will play with the bully anymore.

If we can't get our own house in order, create a responsible and responsive government (not a larger one), and stabilize our economy so the global one will follow, then other countries will begin looking around for someone else to be pack leader. Russia and China are still there, breathing hungrily, waiting for their turn next.

Both John McCain hand Barack Obama have shown a sense of humor, though not all of the time. Ms. Palin seems to most clueless when she's being pranked, though some of the cruel stuff has got to hurt. I think that McCain will retire from the Senate and have his rich wife take care of him when they move to California and get out of the desert of Arizona. If Palin goes back to Alaska, she may face more censure over the Troopergate mess; it will be interesting to see if she rises above it and continues to be the darling of the fringe.