Vote

If you haven't yet done so, please be sure to go vote. Even if you must vote McCain, I hope you will vote today.

I find it intriguing the generational differences in voter etiquette. It seems that, with the exception of my sister, voters of my generation are extremely open about their choice of candidate. Those of us who spent our childhoods, or at least matured into adulthood, online seem to be very comfortable in sharing and defending our political decisions. I don't have any trouble telling you who I voted for. One of my college-aged co-workers came into work today, sat down at the bar, and immediately began telling me every box he checked on his ballot. My boss, on the other hand, thinks asking who a person is voting for is the most personal question you can pose. Interestingly, my co-worker's openness influenced my choice when I filled out my own ballot. His opinion on one candidate and one issue changed the way I voted.

A woman running for a state legislature seat gained my vote through a cold call. I didn't have an opinion on either candidate. A cold call to my cell phone by one of her campaign volunteers informed me of her positions and helped me to make a more-educated choice. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been familiar with either candidate, and the ballot didn't list the party affiliation of either of them. The only way she would have gotten my vote without her call would have been "eeny meeny miny moe" or the fact that she's a woman, since I'm admittedly biased toward female leadership if all other factors are equal or unknown.

I want Barack Obama to win this election so badly that I've been feeling slightly anxious all day. I'm glad I'm not working tonight because the suspense is killing me and would be far worse at work. At 9 a.m. I was already asking random customers, "Do you know if they're reporting any numbers yet!?" Being away from the radio, internet, or a newspaper from 6:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. was a bit agonizing for me. Turns out exit polls are the only results so far anyway.

Here's to a Bush-free future, folks. I suppose in that sense, either way things go tonight, the whole world wins.