I had the opportunity to vote using mail-in-ballot in Colorado and just dropped it off. Since 2000, there has not been this much excitement about a Presidential election or the political process. 2000 was only exciting because of the scandalous hanging chad and Florida disputes over who was the President – Gore or Bush? Which one is it? I cannot imagine how different our country and state of affairs might have been had Gore been elected or rather “chosen” by the Supreme Court instead of Bush but alas, history had to be written. I voted for Bush in that election. I voted for him again in 2004 because we were in the throws of a war he had started but I vowed after 2005 that I would never vote Republican again – unless of course, he was a good man.
Needless to say, this election is going to contentious. It is going to be close and for me, close is too close for comfort. I know why we have an Electoral College system and understand it. If popular vote were to be instituted, imagine all the parties that we would get calls and fliers and emails from- yowsers! Needless to say, I enjoyed the debates, and some of the speeches. I also enjoyed watching the campaigns (both of them) this year and even learning about Ron Paul and other third party candidates. I think there are pros and cons of both party’s candidates this year but in the end, I am just ready for a change – a REAL change – not the party line that McCain just hopped on. The Straight Talk express in my opinion copied way too many ideas and seems out of touch with me, with my generation. I know McCain added Palin to maybe bridge a couple of gaps- the generational gap for one and perhaps the gap he had with women voters. I am just not sure he pulled it off with the right person. Sarah Palin is a polarizer – not someone who “bridges” the gap to nowhere… pun intended.
I am thrilled to live in a country where we have an opportunity to talk about issues and make up our own minds- even my husband voted this year and he generally does not vote. I am so proud of him for making a difference. And trust me, he does. In our current state of affairs and how close this election is truly going to be, we need all the votes we can get for our candidate. No matter who wins on November 4th, I just hope that the little guy, the middle income family, and those who need to be heard get heard. As we approach the final 10 days of the campaign, I wonder what will happen next but truly hope that on election night, I can finally open that bottle of champagne and serve it to my guests. May the best “man” win and may America come out ahead no matter what the result.
