Thought Docket

The polls just closed in California and Fox News immediately called the election for Obama.  As I write this, John McCain is giving a very gracious concession speech.

Obama was not the candidate that I supported; I have had significant difficulties in discerning alignment between president-elect Obama’s rhetoric, his record, and his personal and professional relationships.  That being said, I think there is no denying the incredibly historic nature of the election of an African American to the Presidency of the United States.

While I would not compare the USA with the Republic of South Africa of the early 1990’s, I am reminded of the RSA’s first multi-race election, in 1994.  I happen to have a blank ballot from that equally historic election.  The ballot lists the 19 vying parties and provides the instructions in 11 different languages. I considered the ballot to be perhaps the most important document of the times.   I remember sharing a vicarious joy with the peoples of the RSA then.  I think I shall share vicarious joy with my African American friends over tonight’s outcome now.

A couple weeks ago, my good friend Tim reminded me of my run on Election Night, 2000.  He suggested that I try to duplicate that success by going on a run this evening.

Ahhh.  Election Night 2000.  I remember it is as though it was yesteryear.  Fairly early that evening, the news networks called Florida for Ozone and this was considered a blow to Bush from which he could not recover.  Feeling quite down, I decided to go out for a two mile run.  I was not in any kind of running shape, so I must have been running on adrenalin.  When I returned to watching the coverage about 30 minutes later, I learned that the networks had taken Florida away from Ozone…it was too close to call.  Bush went on to win Florida, convincingly :o).

Being kind of superstitious, I decided to try again this Election Night 2008.  I’m not exactly sure of the objective.  Maybe the best that I can hope for is a firewall in the Senate.  So, maybe this evening, I can help prevent a filibuster-proof 60 Democrats.  The only thing is, this evening, things are a little different.  I’m 8 years older; a little heavier; and I’m fighting chronic plantar fasciitis.  So I couldn’t run.  I could only walk.  I guess that is one more reason I identify with McCain.

Here in Vienna VA, there is a well-known character that goes by the name Sal.  Sal is a real plumber and I believe he even owns his own plumbing business, so watch out Sal, you just may be tapped to help “spread the wealth”.  Sal is an Obama supporter.  How do I know such personal details of someone that I have never even met?  I have been carefully studying this picture for hours, and it is the only conclusion I can draw.

Sal The Real Plumber

It is hard to see in the picture, I know.  But at the upper right of the Obama Biden banner, it states simply: “Sal The Real Plumber”.  On his porch, there are two headless mannequins, each holding a drain plunger.

Joe Wurzelbacher, eat your heart out.

If you find yourself in Vienna some time, and you see Sal on the street, go ahead and introduce yourself.  Go ahead, take the plunge!

Wow. I thought I would outsmart my fellow citizens by getting to my polling station at Nottaway Park in Vienna Virginia at 6:05 a.m., five minutes after it opened.  I was in a line that was twice as long as any I had experienced before.  It took exactly an hour and a half to vote.  This, even though the Washington Post reported this morning that about a quarter of all voters (about 30 million) have already voted.  The weather was great and I had some nice conversations with those next to me in line.

After voting, I drove a short distance to the Vienna Metro where I bought a box of Krispy Kreme donuts from a high school fundraiser.  They had a sign: No Politics, Just Donuts.  I’ll snack to that.

On election eve, things are not looking too good for the McCain-Palin ticket.  Everywhere, in nearly every state, the polls spell defeat.

But there is a clear path to victory for McCain.  This path does not rely on the undecideds siding heavily with McCain, or a Bradley-effect.  Nor does it rely on simultaneous early winter snowstorms across Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Florida.  No, this path lies with a Washington Redskins victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers this evening.  For nearly all of the Redskins history, the outcome of their final home game before the election has indicated the national winner.  A Redskins victory, and the incumbent party retained power in the Whitehouse.  A defeat and, well, let’s not even think about a defeat tonight.

This pattern has held for 16 elections, from 1940 to 2000.  The string was broken in 2004.

That the Redskins can predict elections has been called a myth by some. But here’s hoping that the string is established for another 16 elections tonight and that the Redskins are a winner.