For Barack Obama and the straight Democratic ticket. What, you thought I was insane? Follow me below the Orange Hanging Chad for more (idle, mostly useless, I'm sure) thoughts and observations from today.
This is only my second diary, but I promise I'm not a troll.
I'm a registered Republican, which is kind of like a troll but generally neither as intelligent nor as friendly. I'd blame inebriation, but it was more because my parents were registered Republican. But let's blame inebriation anyway as what 18 year old wants to be just like his parents?
I do confess to voting for George Bush, Senior. You have my apologies for that one, but at least I wasn't in a swing state. Since then, my vote has been reliably Democratic, and most recently I either follow the Planned Parenthood voter guide or simply push Straight Democratic Ticket on our pad machines.
I vote in Northampton County, PA, in a precinct with 2,500 voters. Today I was #345 at around 11 AM, which is normal and comparable to 2008 levels (I didn't record that, but would have remembered if it were very low or high). Influx was steady and pretty normal for a Presidential election during the twenty minutes I was there.
Reduced intensity? People staying home? I don't think so. Not here.
Granted, the area tends to be lean R, but did vote for the President by a narrow margin last election. I did what I could to assure that again.
Voter ID? I was never asked. The one gentleman in front of me who offered it was told it wasn't required and he could put it away by the nice young fellow.
Wait times? Not in this district. Two minutes tops, mostly spent looking up my name. Then into the booth, and press the big D touchpad.
Then out of the booth and notice the guy recording the votes off the machine is old, very white, dyspeptic, and looking kind of nervous already. I see flop sweat tricking down his ear. This pleases me. Indeed, this pleases me very, very much. I may be white, and older, but I'm neither dyspeptic nor particularly nervous.
In a strange fit of electoral excitement, I went and got my hair cut. I want to look nice for President Obama and his re-election this evening and don't want to be shaggy for the victory speech.
I'm not that old, I full well know he can't see me and doesn't know me from Adam. But I still want to look nice. This is a momentous occasion!
I'm still just like my parents. My father has since passed, but my mother has already voted...for Obama.
GOTV!