I spent the day working at the polls in Lafayette County, Mississippi, working to assure that everyone who sought to vote, got to vote, and ended the day at a raucous celebration of folks dancing to Lee Dorsey's "Yes we can."
It was literally a fight at the polls here– making sure that the misapplication of the rules did not prevent votes from counting. I had no idea who these people we were helping would vote for– sometimes I could guess, but really no idea– and just was part of a team (that included my wife and daughter) whose goal was to assure that everyone who was entitled to vote and sought to, got to vote. In the course of it all, a poll worker who was inventing his own rules for affidavit voters called my wife a "bitch," and she viewed that as a badge of honor.
And people voted, in record numbers I’ve never seen, having voted here since the mid-70s.
And then afterward, we all showed up to watch the returns at the City Grocery Bar. Huge cheers when states came in. Cheers for Travis Childers. Respect and applause for the gracious consession speech by John McCain, and then real tears, raucous applause, tears and celebration for Barack Obama’s speech, with its echoes of King and Lincoln and look to the future. John Currence (owner of the City Grocery) had champagne poured in celebration, and we all looked on in wonder.