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Congrats to President-Elect OBAMA


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I thought this was sort of cool - a link from Andrew Sullivan's site:

 

I Didn't Vote For Obama Today

 

November 4, 2008, 9:37AM

 

I have a confession to make.

 

I did not vote for Barack Obama today.

 

I've openly supported Obama since March. But I didn't vote for him today.

 

I wanted to vote for Ronald Woods. He was my algebra teacher at Clark Junior High in East St. Louis, IL. He died 15 years ago when his truck skidded head-first into a utility pole. He spent many a day teaching us many things besides the Pythagorean Theorem. He taught us about Medgar Evers, Ralph Abernathy, John Lewis and many other civil rights figures who get lost in the shadow cast by Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

But I didn't vote for Mr. Woods.

 

I wanted to vote for Willie Mae Cross. She owned and operated Crossroads Preparatory Academy for almost 30 years, educating and empowering thousands of kids before her death in 2003. I was her first student. She gave me my first job, teaching chess and math concepts to kids in grades K-4 in her summer program. She was always there for advice, cheer and consolation. Ms. Cross, in her own way, taught me more about walking in faith than anyone else I ever knew.

 

But I didn't vote for Ms. Cross.

 

I wanted to vote for Arthur Mells Jackson, Sr. and Jr. Jackson Senior was a Latin professor. He has a gifted school named for him in my hometown. Jackson Junior was the pre-eminent physician in my hometown for over 30 years. He has a heliport named for him at a hospital in my hometown. They were my great-grandfather and great-uncle, respectively.

 

But I didn't vote for Prof. Jackson or Dr. Jackson.

 

I wanted to vote for A.B. Palmer. She was a leading civil rights figure in Shreveport, Louisiana, where my mother grew up and where I still have dozens of family members. She was a strong-willed woman who earned the grudging respect of the town's leaders because she never, ever backed down from anyone and always gave better than she got. She lived to the ripe old age of 99, and has a community center named for her in Shreveport.

 

But I didn't vote for Mrs. Palmer.

 

I wanted to vote for these people, who did not live to see a day where a Black man would appear on their ballots on a crisp November morning.

 

In the end, though, I realized that I could not vote for them any more than I could vote for Obama himself.

 

So who did I vote for?

 

No one.

 

I didn't vote. Not for President, anyway.

 

Oh, I went to the voting booth. I signed, was given my stub, and was walked over to a voting machine. I cast votes for statewide races and a state referendum on water and sewer improvements.

 

I stood there, and I thought about all of these people, who influenced my life so greatly. But I didn't vote for who would be the 44th President of the United States.

 

When my ballot was complete, except for the top line, I finally decided who I was going to vote for - and then decided to let him vote for me. I reached down, picked him up, and told him to find Obama's name on the screen and touch it.

 

And so it came to pass that Alexander Reed, age 5, read the voting screen, found the right candidate, touched his name, and actually cast a vote for Barack Obama and Joe Biden.

 

Oh, the vote will be recorded as mine. But I didn't cast it.

 

Then again, the person who actually pressed the Obama box and the red "vote" button was the person I was really voting for all along.

 

It made the months of donating, phonebanking, canvassing, door hanger distributing, sign posting, blogging, arguing and persuading so much sweeter.

 

So, no, I didn't vote for Barack Obama. I voted for a boy who now has every reason to believe he, too, can grow up to be anything he wants...even President.

Great article, but what would have happened if young Alexander hit the wrong icon/vote button on the screen?

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Palin:

As she waited for her beverages, a local reporter asked the governor how she envisions her role in national politics if McCain loses the election. Palin did not hesitate to muse about a future that might not include being vice president come January.

 

 

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Andrew Sullivan must write a lot of corny, sappy chick-flicks.

It's written by a random dude from Pittsburgh. It's a nice story, me thinks

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I'm pretty sure that you're still missing the point.

 

 

No, I get it.

 

 

Boyd is voting for his son. Because Boyd thinks Barack is gonna make this world a better place for his son and for all of his son's friends and family.

 

 

 

I think Boyd is taking a few too many Zoloft pills, but I hope I'm proven to be wrong about Barack.

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Some guy Boyd Reed wrote it.

 

 

 

Boyd Reed is one cheesy dude.

 

 

what music makes your ears happy?

 

jakobnicholas

 

"I Just Want to Be Your Everything" - Barry Gibb

 

:brow

 

And correct me if I'm wrong, but are you not the fella who thinks Jay Leno is like, hirarious?

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According to a woman in my office, God told her that Obama will win the presidency and they will place Palin as his Vice President.*

 

I guess God really wants to see us suffer by giving us the worst of both worlds.

 

 

(*No I am not joking, and yes, I usually avoid this woman like the plague.)

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According to a woman in my office, God told her that Obama will win the presidency and they will place Palin as his Vice President.*

 

I guess God really wants to see us suffer by giving us the worst of both worlds.

 

 

(*No I am not joking, and yes, I usually avoid this woman like the plague.)

Holy moly.

 

Also, some early voting polling (not election day exit polling): http://xcurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2008/10/ea...emographic.html

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:brow

 

And correct me if I'm wrong, but are you not the fella who thinks Jay Leno is like, hirarious?

 

 

 

I'm flattered you read all my posts.

 

 

 

Actually, no, I've never said Leno is "hilarious". I HAVE said I enjoy his monologues and some of the bits he does before the guests come on.

 

 

 

 

Yeah, the story by this Reed dude makes me puke. It's corny as hell.

 

 

Are you the type that cries when you read that shit?

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