wcs: another american in france officially endorses Barack Obama for President of the United States. Like there was ever any doubt...
About the Author
- wcs
- Loire Valley, France
- Living outside of Saint-Aignan-sur-Cher since 2003. You'll find here pictures and descriptions of our daily life in rural France, some travels, and other stuff about me, my husband Ken, and our dog Tasha.
Walt, what a nice start to my morning! In spite of the polls we are nervous wrecks. Lawn signs around here are hundreds for McCain to one for Obama. I hope my state goes for Obama but it'll take everybody in the southeast and southwest corners to overcome the strong anti-Obama feeling. I tell myself no matter how strong one person's feeling is, they only get one vote. (Which is why we got George Bush a second time.)
ReplyDeletefingers crossed....I am on my way to work in county Obama office....hope VA & NC both go blue this time.....people around here r still cautious about outcome
ReplyDeleteI live in Alabama- we are a bright red state, yet there are very few McCain/Palin signs around. My street boasts one Obama sign.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think this state would see that if you put a G in front of Obama you get go 'Bama;-) Of course the Auburn fans won't stand for that.
I'm a born optimist and I'm looking forward to an Obama presidency, but I'm waiting on pins and needles to see what happens in Virginia. If VA goes blue, it will be a very good early sign for us.
Lots of folks here in the US are prepared for a long night on Tuesday.
I absentee ballotted in Virginia for you know who. Blue is such a nice color!
ReplyDeleteMissouri is also usually a red state, but it's one of the ones that both candidates are seriously courting.... they're calling us one of the "swing" states. In many neighborhoods, if there is one McCain sign, there is one Obama sign next door. If there are 2 Obama signs, there are 2 McCains signs next door *LOL*. However, in other neighborhoods, there are just McCain McCain McCain McCain McCain signs everyyyyywhere... mixed in with Republican signs for all of the other offices. Still... there are other neighborhoods where it's Obama world all over the yards. So... it's hard to say. I'm thinking that the cities that anchor either side of our state (Kansas City and St. Louis) will go majority Obama... but, the outskirst will vote heavily McCain.
ReplyDeleteI'm going to the line at the polling place at 5:30 a.m., and just HOPING to get to finish voting by 6:30 or 7:00, so I'm not too late for work. I have a colleague, however, who, along with friends, is going at 4:30 (polls open at 6:00), with lawn chairs, coffee, donuts, crossword puzzles, and a patient attitude.
Most of the schools in our state were asked to schedule today as a staff-only day, because most schools are polling places, and the battle for parking would be nuts. It should be a huge turnout everywhere.
This is an amazing event.
Judy
The excitement over this campaign is palpable. Here in California we hope to give Obama a huge win. Already long lines have formed for those who chose to vote early. Most signs here on the Monterey Peninsula are for Obama. We will be glued to the computer and TV all day and all night tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteAs one of the few GOPers who regularly read this and Ken's blog, I am certainly in the minority on this one. However, no matter what, it has been interesting, and I am glad it is almost over.
ReplyDeleteHere in Oakland, CA, people have been lining up for hours every day at the city's early voting location -- people who have never voted before and others who have such little faith in the electoral process that they want to be sure that their votes count. It's hard to find a more liberal area that this corner of northern California, but we'll be on pins and needles tomorrow night waiting for the rest of the country report in.
ReplyDeleteInteresting comments about the yard signs. Maybe it's because this is Illinois, but in our rural, heavily republican area, I can count on one hand the number of McCain signs I've seen. There are Obama signs everywhere.
ReplyDeleteAs a non-American, your comments are all fascinating. I've never lived anywhere where people would put a sign in their yard advertising who they supported (at best you might see an A4 sized poster stuck to a front window). I'm a bit boggled by how long it is taking people to vote too. Both here and in Australia, I just stroll up to the local school becum polling station, walk straight in, hand over my registration card, get my name crossed out, vote, go home or go to work. No queue at any stage, even in Australia, where it is compulsory to vote. (PS this business of saying which party you support when you register to be able to vote is weird too – what is the point of that? Can you opt out on the grounds of MYOB?)
ReplyDeleteHi Susan,
ReplyDeleteJust like you I found it weird to tell the registrar your political affiliation. The very day I was naturalized, I went to the library to register to vote. I was asked my affiliation and, being polite, I said "none," instead of "that's none of your business" or even worse... So I was declared an "independent".
I consider voting a duty. In this country, people brandish their "rights" at every opportunity, but they never mention their duties to their country...
Susan
ReplyDeleteI believe that in the Commonwealth countries we vote for a member of Parliament and based on the number of MPs elected under a banner their leader becomes the PM. So it is one election at the country/national level or as we so nicely called it here in Canada - the Federal election and it is held on a Monday. Provincial election or Municipal elections are done separately and at different times.
In the US, they vote for the Presidency, the House , part of the Senate ( every 6yrs i believe) , the judge, the attorney and so on going down the ladder plus some referendums about everything and anything like what's happening in California. So instead of putting one cross and say " see you next election" , our friends from the US may have to put 10/12 X next to the candidate they have selected for a particular function. May be some US citizens can give more details.
I used to go camping/hiking and fishing in Vermont and upstate NY and I was surprised to see the number of signs along the HWys, roads and front yards.
It really depends on where you are and how familiar those voting at the same place as you are with the issues. It took me about 90 seconds to vote for President, one senator, a congressman, three supreme court justices, three criminal court of appeals justices (the civil and criminal cases have two different final appellate courts in Texas), one lower court of appeal judge, three local judges, one justice of the peace, one county commissioner, and one state representative (I think that was it). Some just take a while to get through it all.
ReplyDeleteIn Texas, we have our primary once every other year (only every four years does that include a presidential selection) in March. Municipal and school board elections are the first weekend in May, and everything else is usually up for a vote in November. Under our consitution, there are a number of things that can only be addressed through a constitutional admendment, and those elections can be held in August (when necessary) or November. Finally, schools or cities can hold bond elections on any of these dates except for primary dates.
The party declaration here is used for the primary elections in which you go in and ask for a ballot for the party you're voting for. In those races the people from the same party are running against each other with the winner running in the main election. When we vote in the main election there's no party affiliation asked for (at least in Illinois).
ReplyDeleteWe live in a pretty small town and it takes 15-20 minutes if there's a line. It's usually less than 5 minutes.
I have already voted (absentee). I am nervous and hopeful at the same time. I have never been so excited about an election since McGovern... the first time I was eligible to vote.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your endorsement Walt... I hope you have major influence over the whole U.S.
But I'm thinking not.
C-H, Beaver, Dan and Tom – Thanks for the extra info. I was aware that in the US you were likely to be voting for a whole swathe of things. You get that to some extent in Australia, where they tend to time the half Senate election to coincide with another election. Senate elections lead to some pretty memorably unmanageable ballot papers with gazillions of names on – you can choose to vote on party lines (3 choices) or for individuals (gazillions - or possibly 16 I think). One of the reasons Australia has not so far declared as a Republic is that it would involve separately electing a President as Head of State, and when you have an election you get a politician. The Queen has the advantage of not being a politician (although she most certainly is a political animal), and even non-monarchist Australians agree she is damn fine value for money compared to an elected President.
ReplyDeleteELECTION DAY!
ReplyDeleteSusan, it's not usually like this, in terms of lines to vote. Often, for presidential electioins, there is a bit of a line, but this is SUCH a huge election.... I wasn't even able to end up voting this morning, because the lines were snaked around the block when the polls opened. I have to wait until this afternoon.
Whoooo hooooo!
Judy
I am not able to vote because I'm not a citizen, but I'll be voting for Obama's re-election in 2012!
ReplyDeleteBettyAnn
I live in Oregon. We have vote by mail. We also have a Voter Guide, published by the State Government, which presents every office and issue on our local ballot. Individuals/Groups can pay to have their support/opposition printed in the guide. We are able to take our time in filling out the ballot and then drop it in the mail or drop it off at an official ballot drop. No long lines, missed work, or questionable behavior at the polls.
ReplyDeleteIt is my understanding that a number of states are moving in the direction of vote by mail. I think this is a positive thing.
I Hope in the Future.
Dear Dan M. You are allowed, as well as courageous. It would normally be frowned upon. But under the circumstances it looks like the Obamamites can be magnanimous. And the truth is that if EVERYONE agreed with one another, we should be even more frightened than we are of Ms Palin. Of course, as I write, the fat lady has not sung, and a reversal of current projections would send us all to the woodshed with our tails (and our tales) between our legs. And some of us might be forever lost to friends and family stuck with another Republican administration, but fortunately that looks unlikely, and tomorrow morning I personally, hope to be shedding real tears of relief.
ReplyDeleteThanks to all of you for the great comments and discussion!
ReplyDeleteWe now know that Barack Obama has been elected!