RiderX

So the election is over. Good riddance.

For the first time in my 35 years (17 as a voter) I feel like my vote counted for something. This may or may not be true, but it sure felt that way. By many accounts, Pennsylvania was going to be a critical state. I’m a registered minority party voter, so the Obama campaign worked extra hard to win my vote. In the 24 hours before the election we received approximately 4 Obama campaign visitors and perhaps 20 phone calls. This experience was not ubiquitous, but we’re not unique either. In the weeks before the campaign both major parties ramped up their outreach. McCain didn’t bother wasting human effort. They called our house frequently offering poorly recorded audio messages. The Obama campaign never offered a recorded message. All of their phone calls were from people. I believe it all about money.

On election day, I voted early (though the polls were not thrilled when I tried to vote often…). I’d hoped that the campaigns would stop calling. No such luck. I started answering the phone with a hearty “We voted already, don’t waste your breath”. I joked with one Obama campaign volunteer “Yes, I voted for Obama, in spite of their relentless nagging”. We had a laugh. She assured me that they would get me off the call list. Words I’d heard before. There were three hours left before the polls closed. A precious light at the end of the tunnel.

One Obama campaign volunteer that knocked on our door admitted she was from New York. Apparently she was not supposed to. I inquired as to why she was down in my area (Southeastern Pennsylvania). She said that the district where I live is among the hottest election areas around, and our neck of the woods the calling ground. She asserted that CNN was going to call Pennsylvania as soon as the votes from our district are in. This made me feel like my vote really matters, and that is an awfully good feeling. I’m not sure it was worth the incessant plague of campaigning we had to endure.

As with most forms of optimism information tends to break it down. I’d head a rumor that campaign activity in Pennsylvania was a tactical distraction aimed at the McCain campaign.

I follow a blog by Colin Rule. In a recent post he expressed sadness a the booing crowd when McCain was giving his very eloquent and admirable concession speech. I admire Colin’s goal with the post. He’s attempting to bring those with varying political views together. At hesitant risk of damaging that goal, I’d like to offer an insight. It seems to me that the booing crowd is only feeding on the negative campaigning employed by McCain and Palin. This insight is unfortunate in that it does offers no solution. It only illustrates the significance of this challenge, one clearly important to undertake.

I’m pleased that Obama is going to be our next president. I’m hopeful that he’ll produce results that we can all appreciate. I’m prepared for him to make decisions which make the lives of americans more difficult in favor of a better America