Recently in Politics Category

My prescription for tonight:

Hostess cupcakes and ice-cold milk for dinner.

Skip your homework for once in favor of two episodes of The Simpsons, during which the line "too late, mom, the mob has spoken!" will cause you to bark in sudden tearful laughter, and one episode of Jeopardy, and God help you if tonight is the night Ken Jennings loses.

Remember how grateful you are for your friends and family, and how pleased you are that they voted, no matter for whom. Be grateful for victory in local initiatives: the library will get badly needed repairs and refurbishments, and the mass transit budget will not be devastated this year.

Then early to bed, and up early in the morning to prepare for 2008, and a few of the causes that will need extra support between now and then.

Oh, it's true: I did a spontaneous little drunken-chicken dance, too, but mine came upon me in the middle of the sidewalk outside City Hall. I may have scared the constituency.

For a very few moments at City Hall this morning, I was able to set aside my trembling, stomach-wrenching concern over the outcome of the election, and instead breathe deeply and silently thank all the women who suffered ridicule, pain, and loss to give me my moment in the voting booth. In all fairness, I have this beautiful moment every year in the booth, and I get misty-eyed every time I watch "Mary Poppins" (which is more often than you'd think) and Mrs. Banks breaks into Sister Suffragette

Contrary to fearful predictions, our polls ran smoothly for most of the day. I brought extra ID, a book, and a bottle of water, expecting a longish wait and perhaps some confusion, but the line was moving so fluidly as to be nonexistent. Having prepared by studying the sample ballots, I was in and out the door in about four minutes.

We are lucky and privileged to have this system, flawed though it is. I'm glad to see so many people energized to vote this year. For the past few years, I've been more and more distanced from the rest of the United States, but today I was glad to be one of us.

We'll see how far into the evening (and the media coverage) this feeling lasts.

Barrett has a great idea, although (like so many great ideas) it may be illegal.

As I sit here watching the tail end of the DNC coverage, I am feeling a special thrill. This is the year Elli and I have been waiting for. In mere weeks, we will both be old enough to run for President of the United States. My birthday is first, giving me a two week lead on her. That could make all the difference at the polls. Eat my electoral dust, Elli!