Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh. I don’t know if i’ve felt like this since Christmas when I was a little girl. It’s strange being here – even though it’s November 4th, election day, the polls don’t even open until 4PM my time, and that’s on the eastern seaboard. So, the polls won’t open in California until 7PM. That means that when the polls close Pacific Time, it will be 7AM here. At 7:30 AM, Karen and I are going to her friend’s house who has a satellite to watch results for awhile, so that should hopefully be timed ok. I’m also sleeping over at Karen’s because they have satellite radio… that has NPR! Yay! I figure I’ll stay up at late as I feel awake to listen to all of the commentary.
I keep remembering this day in 2004. I spent a lot of time volunteering, doing phone banks, data entry, and canvassing, during the months leading to the election. Even though Kerry wasn’t half the candidate Obama is, I felt hopeful for the end of an era. I went down to the Wealthy Theatre, where the GR Dems office organized a results watching soirée. CNN was up on the big screen, the bartenders were very liberal with drinks for the volunteers, and there was a whole theatre full of like-minded people getting ready to celebrate. As the night went on, the celebratory attitude lessened, and people started really worrying. I distracted myself with meeting a cute boy, and went home early enough to still be hopeful that a miracle would happen during the night. No miracle was to be had, and I went to class feeling dejected and betrayed. I had a rehearsal with my accompanist, Robert, and we spent half of it talking. We confessed we’d both been crying half the morning, and tried to lift our heavy hearts with some music making together. i think I felt even more disconnected from and disappointed in the American people that day than I did after the 2000 election, my first time voting.
Now though, I am quivering with excitement, fiercely anticipating being proud of something my country has done for the first time in a awhile. If Obama wins, the rest of the world will begin to allow for the possibility that America isn’t 100% crazy and stupid. His mere election would help to begin mending America’s shredded global reputation even before he takes office.
I find it incredibly sad that his grandmother passed away the day before the election. After reading Dreams From My Father, it’s evident that she played a huge role in raising Barack, and for her to miss the election by only a day seems like something out of a Greek tragedy.
Over a month ago, I actually checked into to ordering an Obama T-Shirt to wear nearing election day, but there were two problems: a) every shirt I liked was sold out, and b) shipping probably would have been exorbitantly priced here and likely not get here in time anyway, so I dropped the idea. Karen is organizing a victory party (to be canceled if he loses) at her house tomorrow after work, and I’ve agreed to help out. It started out having whoever she knew that was interested in the election over from some food, but has morphed into a real celebration. We had a giant more-than-a-meter-squared banner with his logo made to hang in the garden, Maia and I are making a music playlist of Obama-supporting musicians to be on shuffle for the evening, we’re making carrot cake, chocolate cake, cookies, and chili, and downloading as much as possible of his acceptance speech and projecting it onto a screen, as well as showing the “Yes We Can” video from the campaign. With all of this happening, I’ve decided I need an Obama shirt afterall. I went into town to buy some embroidery floss this morning, and since I want to stay up late listening anyway, making an Obama shirt will give me something to do. Well, embroidering his logo onto an existing shirt. Yes, I am a huge dork. But it’s funny how little things can make one feel at home, and not missing out after all.
Don’t eff this one up, America…
