My dear American friends, I can’t imagine there’s much worse than the uncalled for commentary of a well-meaning smug Guardianista in matters of domestic politics. You can’t blame us international types for getting a little bit excited though, when the choice you make when you go to the polls today impacts in such a very real way on the wider world.
I’m sure I’m preaching to the choir here – most of my American friends who might be reading this have been particularly politically active this time around, and many of them have even voted early. But on the off chance there’s any difference I can make at this stage – go out and vote today. I’m sure my choice of candidate, were it up to me, is pretty obvious – regardless, I wouldn’t have purchased one of The National’s specially-designed Mr November t-shirts myself. Still, I was happy to accept a gift from our Nashville correspondent which I’m wearing today while I (hopefully) cheer from the sidelines and devour some 24-hour news coverage,
PHOTO: Day 63.]
Oh yes, I voted. I voted! I’m so excited about today. I just feel like there’s an electricity in the air.
Sadly, I noticed that most of my high school friends on Facebook are voting the other way.
I therefore propose that everyone should spend at least 6 months out of the country so they can open their eyes to the affects of American Politics on the rest of the world.
I’m jealous that you have that t-shirt. I wish I had one for today!
I’m so excited/nervous/hopeful/anxious. One of my Twitter friends described last night as Christmas Eve, which I think is an apt comparison. I couldn’t sleep last night. Thank you for sharing in our excitement! Keep your fingers crossed for us. We’re almost there!
It is 6:45 am, I’m sick, tired, and I haven’t even showered yet. But I am on my way out the door to be at the poll when it opens at 7:00.
This is probably going to be the most exciting/nerve-wracking day of my life.
And hey, I really like your shirt
I have a ‘barack n roll 2008′ bag. It’s incredible!
Go Obama Go!
I have a feeling it’s gonna go the other way – but I would be voting Obama.
To be honest though as much as I want to see him win – I don’t know how much of good thing it is to have a president so universally favoured by the rest of the world.
Paul and I are staying up at his house to catch the coverage.. I’ve taken tomorrow off, as I don’t really want to go to bed until there’s a clear verdict..
Feel free to shout us if you get bored during the night
x
@Jonic I’ll be in my bed I think, my sleeping patterns have been all over the place of late so I can’t really stay up… but if I get up for breakfast news at 6am there may be a winner!
@Debbie I totally understand your cynicism, but it doesn’t make me any less excited right now…
i hit the polls as soon as i got off work, which means i ran into a lot of people on their way, and about to drop their kids off at school, thus seeing a lot of bored-ass kids not really knowing what’s going on.
I feel very excited about the election and have all available lim,bs and digits crossed for an Obama win. The man made me cry this morning when he spoke about his Granny dying for goodness sake!
I voted early. Hope Ohio counts it. The returns start coming in about an hour. It could be a long night. I’ve got the Cragganmore available.
YES!!! Was interesting watching the votes come in whilst at work, and the discussion going on in the office. The relief is felt here in the hostel, and I haven’t met a single person who would have voted for McCain since I’ve been here. Now the real work begins. Sxx
Yes We Did.
Not to oversell what’s happened, but things feel surreal right now.
Obama won Minnesota by 10-11 points, even though we’d been told by the national media that we lived in a “swing state.” Even though we’d been told that Minnesota women would be swayed by Sarah Palin’s accent and “hockey mom” cred. Even though we’d been told our state is too white to elect a black buy named Barack Obama. (For U.K. readers: a 10-11 point state win is a landslide or “ass kicking,” if you’re not polished.)
What’s great about this election, besides the obvious benefit of having the pleasure of saying “President-elect Barack Obama,” is knowing that America is rapidly changing, conventional political wisdom of the past 40 years is becoming obsolete, and the culture wars of the 1960s are receding into the collective rearview mirror. Obama is a clean break from all that. He came out of nowhere, propelled by people who have nothing to do with the D.C. political power structure. And he did it.
I am proud of my party for having the courage to nominate Obama in the face of being told for two years that he could not win the White House. I am proud of my country for its ability to see past race-baiting and grasp that he was the superior candidate, who ran a nearly flawless national campaign directed by a simple message: Hope. Change. Yes We Can.
Amazing.
Thanks so much for sharing that, Paul. I hope you’re celebrating today.
I have seen the name of your post somewhere before ? What a great night yes we can
i wholeheartedly agree with you, paul. i thought that, even with all of the growing we’ve been doing in the “race relations” department, that america as a whole was possibly too white to elect a black guy named “barack obama.” my grandmother once told me that, as a black man with an IQ of 142, that i would be viewed as “dangerous” by certain people, which is exactly why i felt that obama may have not gotten elected, because of an undisclosed fear expressed by certain right-wingers.
i’ve never been more thrilled to say i was wrong.