Nothing changes your fear and frustration like actually being with your fellow citizens. Then you realize how basically wholesome everyone is, how much they are committed to the common good, even if you think their understanding of the common good is woefully defective. I felt good about the country, and happy, even if I think we're in for a long hard slog no matter what happens.
There's something awe-inspiring about an election I can never take for granted.
Plus the same-sex couple in front of me asked where they could get the coat my little guy was wearing for their adopted daughter. So there was fashion validation across the political and cultural divide.
Our brave neighborhood McCain champion was electioneering right outside our polling place. She reported no nasty comments, only nasty looks. (McCain will receive about 8 votes in our district.) There were no Dem poll-workers at all, which she regretted, since she usually bums coffee and donuts off them. Presumably they're all in Virginia this year.
Walking home I spoke with her again and she reported one fellow who was undecided and took her literature. After talking with her for several minutes he asked for a bumper sticker, proclaimed himself convinced, and at least theoretically went off to vote McCain. So I can report the exit polling in my district shows undecided voter breaking for McCain.
Afterwards Mr. W. & I went to get our free Starbucks coffee. Mostly for the same reason as Prof. K.
My motivation is simply to do my part of cutting into the profit margins of a company whose owners and most of whose employees likely support the wrong guy today.
