Once upon a time (just a few minutes ago, to be exact), in a medium-sized blue city in a purplish county in a big, big red state, a very blue girl walked into a tiny portable building in a parking lot. In the building sat two little tables: one red and one blue. Two helpful people sat behind each little table.
People were lining up at the little blue table. It had a poster saying "Democratic Primary". The people showed their identification cards and received special code numbers for the machines. These people were very excited, since there were so many wonderful choices on the Democratic ballot, from the smallest little constable race, up the the biggest office in the land!
But no one lined up at the little red table. That table's poster said "Republican Primary". The workers behind that table looked bored and lonely. Finally, a man approached the little red table! Would he show his ID and receive a Republican ballot? Alas, no. As it turned out, the man only had a question. The girl heard him say the word "Democrat". The helpful people at the lonely red table answered his question, and he walked over to join the others waiting at the little blue table.
After a short while, the girl went over to the voting machine. She paused briefly and with some sadness, seeing the name "John Edwards" still on the list for the highest office in the land. She was a little surprised to see the name "Joe Biden" at the top of the list. Happily, she cast her vote for her favorite Presidential candidate. She almost - but not quite - felt sorry for the lonely little red table, with its sad little list of terrible people for the highest office in the land.
The people in the big, big red state will have to wait another two weeks to find out who all the people lining up at blue tables all across the state will choose. The news and the polls say it will be a close one. The girl can't remember her primary vote ever having made a difference before. She can't say she is terribly upset by the fate of the lonely little red table, and looks forward to seeing her big red state turn a little bit more blue.