...standing in line to vote for the next president of the United States of America.
A simple diary this – but IMO so profound.
We’ve read anecdotal evidence from all over Texas and heard of ‘official’ reports of voter turnout at 12 to 18 times higher than the 2004 primaries. And I do not think it’s all just because Texas has an opportunity to count this time around.
Oakwell Library in past years was at most a 10 minute wait to get in to vote whether a special local, or regular primary or general election.
This time I arrived at 4:05 and stood in line with 100 other folks. The line was the same length when I was half way through and it was the same length when I finished voting.
It took 55 minutes to get to the lone clerk who checked registration and stamped my voter card so I can easily attend the precinct caucuses on Tuesday evening – location TBD.
During this 55 minute slow shuffle, I had an extremely pleasant conversation with a young black woman. The discussion was wide ranging and we did not get into specific candidates or discuss policy points. We did talk about the sorry state of the economy and we did touch very briefly on the war in Iraq. We both acknowledged that pursuing Al Qaida in Afghanistan was the right response to the attack and that we should continue to pursue the perpetrators and their recent converts there and into Pakistan should hot pursuit need to do so.
That was nice – but the most telling comment from this young mid-20’s woman who was voting for the first time ever was this: "I fully understand the consequences of having a poor president."
This lady called her husband and told him that the line was long but to get his butt down to the library and vote. When we were about 2/3 through the line he walked in – in a postal worker uniform – and asked what he had to do. She said to go get in line and wait his turn. He did so.
A poll worker was handing out sample ballots and I asked her what the ratio was of people asking for D or R sample ballots? She said today it was about 50/50. In earlier days the ration she ‘guessed’ was 3/2 or perhaps 5/3 with D being in the lead.
So I wait for the caucus on Tuesday with a small detour to listen live and in-person to the next president as he speaks here in San Antonio tomorrow night.
Oh, BTW Rick Noriega also got my electronic check mark.
Finally, I first voted in 1972 and have exercised my right and duty in every statewide and national election since, regardless of where I lived. Never – and I mean NEVER – in my experience has there been so much excitement about an election. Ho-hum would be an accurate characterization till this year.
My conversation with this young woman damn near brought tears to my eyes when she emphasized that she fully understood the consequences of having a poor president. To me, that’s more than hope, that’s a profound reality.