And The Clock Winds Down...

I was just sitting here looking at my election countdown clock feeling excited and worried, but mostly just filled with dread at what is most likely going to be a very ugly day tomorrow that will probably stretch into many days beyond that. The past couple of weeks I've been feeling fairly optimistic, reading about record new voter registrations and a projected massive voter turnout among young people, but the still razor-thin magins in the polls and the thousands of lawyers lined up and ready to argue in the battleground states has my stomach in knots. I just want whatever happens to be decisive. No lawsuits, no Supreme Court involvement and for gods sake, PLEASE DON't LET THERE BE AN ELECTORAL VOTE TIE! The only thing worse than the courts deciding the next president would be the House picking the president. Seriously, one vote per state? That means California would get the same weight as Utah? And you thought the electoral college was outdated and unfair. I know people are probably sick and tired about all the arguments for or against keeping the electoral college but consider this: the people of AFGANISTAN can vote directly for their president and WE CAN'T. What is fair about giving the votes from residents of Wyoming or South Dakota more weight than people in New York or Illinois? What ever happened to one person=one vote? The electoral college was established in an attempt to give states with smaller populations an equal voice but the ratio of electoral votes to population by far favors the small states. My vote certainly doesn't carry as much weight as somebody who lives in a state like Utah. And if I was voting Republican in Illinois (I know, gasp!) my vote would essentially get thrown out and not count at all since the rest of the state always votes solidly blue. No matter who ends up with the 270 electoral votes, I still think the system needs to change. Bush could very well win the popular vote and lose the electoral college and I would still argue the same thing.

Anyway, I'm not sure if I will be posting over the next few days or not. It all depends on how things play out. I may be too angry and disillusioned- but then again maybe I'll be too busy celebrating in the streets! I honestly cannot believe the intensity that people have for this election, on both sides of the coin. I heard somebody on the radio today say that half the people of this country are going to be absolutely crushed after this is over no matter what happens. And then what will we do? All I know that tomorrow night we will be up to the wee hours of the morning watching the results come in, blue martinis in hand and nervously holding our breath.