I’m not going to be able to sleep tonight, I just know it. There is way too much on the table, and I feel for those two guys. I want to stop time before tomorrow happens. Just for a moment. If I, in my microcosm of a life, ever felt I had a big day coming, this puts it all in perspective doesn’t it? When did this whole experience become so heated? So much hate speech. Rising up of passion that could ignite in a second. A tide of fear. I feel pressured, and overwhelmed, and I don’t even have a vote. I want them both to win, and to be happy. I want us all to be happy. And mostly, I want America to be proud, happy and strong. Why do I feel like with the two options I must choose an adjective from the three? So I’m stepping back from American election madness on this day to review how and why we do things this way. Despite the monstrous amounts of money spent that could be put to better use (frankly), the media hysteria/bias (even more frankly), and the historical tipping point on all three fronts; even with record numbers of Americans heading to the polls, the US won’t even come within a rabbit’s tail of the top nations in the world for voter turnout. Regardless of international media domination and interest, the US will still be well behind Sweden, New Zealand and Iceland. Steve Israel and Norman J. Ornstein of the WSJ believe the common element might be voting on a weekend. Hard to overturn a 150 year tradition, where farmers focused on…well, farming on Saturdays, “Sunday was the Lord’s day”, and Monday was travel day to get to polling stations, in time to return to the land for farming again, yes, you guessed it, over the weekend. Not surprising, most Americans don’t follow the same schedule as our agrarian forefathers, and many go so far as to state that Tuesday is one of the most inconvenient days to vote. One in four people who didn’t vote in 2006 said that they were “too busy” or had “conflicting work or school schedules.” However, making the day a holiday would be too costly. Perhaps we should turn to today’s most successful fundraisers in this race for inspiration. For me, I have my big day on Wednesday. I get to assume the American identity. Gather the rights, responsibilities and privileges of that piece of paper I have earned. And yet it still feels so fake, and I am ashamed. I am torn, though I need not.
A few simple thoughts on a couple of complex matters. It’s late, and tomorrow is a big day.
