Election Day 2008

[The Clash, Jail Guitar Doors, The Singles]

I was explaining my emotions to my girlfriend last night: "It's like it's my version of Christmas coming up for the next couple of days. I'm gonna be glued to the internet, and tv and radio for the next two days, like a kid would be focused on the Christmas tree in the living room with all of his presents."

"Really?" she said, almost incredulously. "Oh, yeah, babe." I returned, full of resolve and history on my side.

I've always been like this, and eat it up with a fork and spoon during election seasons. Of course, this one is most historic, if not for the high-minded reasons I prefer, such as the struggle between good and evil, communism versus freedom, socialism versus free market, etc,...then for the simple reason of the possibility that America might be the first advanced nation in the world to freely elect a black man as president.

[Strange Town, The Jam, Setting Sons]

I got over that kind of thrill when I was 22 years old. I voted from Ft Campbell, Ky that year, casting my choice for Virginia Governor with candidate Doug Wilder. I remember being attracted to the prospect of being part of the historic irony, helping the once-capital of the South to elect the nation's first African American governor. For my generation and below, there is a clear break with our parents' generation, the Baby Boomers, in how we view race relations.

I often hear self-admitted proud liberals such as Chris Matthews, Bill Moyers, etc, marvel at how this election came from nowhere, for them, and it has left them somewhat bewildered, maybe even dizzy.

They can't believe that a black man may actually WIN the presidency. You can just watch their dreamy-eyed realization of the prospect. Oh, sure, they're ALL in his pocket, now.

Hell, who can ever forget the way Chris said that he felt something "crawling up his leg" in excitement over listening to The Annointed One? It was an embarrassing moment, seen by at least 6 or 7 people out there, somewhere.

[Bone Machine, Pixies, Surfer Rosa]

But just a little over a year ago, these same dignified, important, agents of Journalism were casting his likelihood of procuring the Democratic candidacy as unlikely, for sure.

They weren't as catatonic over the mesmerizing Obama, as they are, now. Indeed, many of them peddled that all-important "street-credo" factor, actually citing polls upon the African American community whether or not Obama was "black enough".

Of course, that was still while all the oxygen in the room was being sucked up by Hillary Clinton. Her ascendency was the template that the mainstream media was operating from for the first 10 months of 2007. Hell, for many, all the way until early summer of this year was spent on Hillary-as-frontrunner. Chris' leg-thrill didn't strike until late spring of this year, only AFTER Hill's time had passed.

I am more aware of politics, now, compared to my Wilder days, including the historic struggle of tyranny over freedom, America's exceptionalism, and America's Founding Principles, all of which, because of a liberal-dominated public school system, combined with being raised in a poor mountainous community that didn't attract better teachers, were lesser-known to me at the time of my youth.

[Modest Mouse, Float on, Good News For People Who Love Bad News]

It took some time to see things from a different perspective. But not too long. Within a couple of years from then, I was proceeding on my political science degree, accumulating much love and awe of our Founding Fathers, and learning, for the first time, just how special those men were; what a grand, noble, and unique thing they crafted in the U.S. Constitution, and how eternally lucky I was to have been born at a time such as now, within the borders of this great country, enjoying the bounty of this divine experiment.

I voted two weeks ago, before I moved across the county. Florida allows for early voting to help alleviate the big crowds on election day. It was a significant day for me, despite having been laid off only days before, and feeling somewhat despondant from the whole realization that such a surprise brings. I celebrated by stopping at Mugs & Jugs for a 7.99 meal of fried steak and fake potatos.

[Warsaw, Joy Division, Substance]

I also took some pictures: