Election Day '08, Blue Ridge Mountains

About quarter to seven, starting the wipers to clear the condensation on the front and back of my Jeep, I set out toward drive-thru breakfast and decided to check the Civic Center first. This is a very small town, our Civic Center holds 600+ for such events as voting, and the wipers intermittent, I kept the glass clear for maneuvering. The chilly air, the bright yellows and reds of hardwoods in the ascent of sunrise, the necessity of headlights so others with condensed side windows could see and be seen, a snap to the moment, the familiar Election Day rumbling, electricity, anxiety, hope and intent made the trip wholly inhaled.

It was now ten til seven. The grade down and around the curve brought the first blue flashing sheriff's parked car, well above the Center, two officers in orange cross-body straps, one holding coffee, stopping me to let a voter cross from the parking lot, a small, early gathering in the foyer stood behind the front door entrance, and another sheriff's flashing blue car on the other flank. The morning was clear, beautiful, and it heartened me to see the seriousness with which this monumentally important election was being overseen.

Here We Go. Countdown to November.

Well, here we go, folks. Countdown to November. You think it got ugly? We ain't seen nothin' yet. This ole ringmaster has seen a lot of elections, but none as unprecedented. It's far more than race or age, left or right. It's vastly different perspectives on how to bring America back to itself. It's being pitched in dirty ways already, with incredible venom, at the same pitch since that September Tuesday in '01, heightened with Afghanistan leading to Iraq, and now the ungodly deterioration of the dollar, the home floreclosure crises, and the others we can all count and list. Unprecedented.

We need unity, vision, stamina and boxing gloves.

Entry Four

Here we are again, with our economic realities making more headlines than our candidates. Let's tackle those.

How to weather what's coming: [any suggestions welcome]
Lose the car, find the bus.
Lose the makeup, find the skin care.
Forget the credit card, remember the coupons.
Join freecycle.org and the library.
Fill the freezer, get a good haircut.
Draw, paint, pot, sculpt, or whatever other quality investments.
Keep the television on the comedy channel.
Put a funny poster in your closet.
Make faces in the mirror.
Remember there's dust everywhere else, too, not just under your monitor.

Entry Three

Another week, another set of blow-ups and defiant claims. Ain't life grand. I could get punditish here but won't. All we need is another rant. We've got our balloons and cotton candy and ring leader. That will suffice. Not gonna root for my choice, just cross my fingers. I root elsewhere anyway.

I send out the same hope: that you're paying attention to this race, that you're thinking seriously, that you're aware of your importance and use your citizenship power to get us out of these eight years with honor.

Entry Two

Now we're at Sunday the 6th of April, early morning. We've moved from the tent to articles and coverage online. We've got this many more accusations and claims and retorts and constructive efforts, posings and heartfelt logic. Before the birds start their pre-dawn symphony, I send hopes that you reading, continue fervent participation in this, arguably the most formidable challenge any candidate has faced in my lifetime, in this year of economic horror stories each next day. To withstand what's coming, we've got to keep a steel will, a strong back and a perspective graced with humor.

Entry One

Yes sirr-ee, folks, it’s Thursday. Thursday, March 27, in the great year 2008. The sun has set and we’re ready to go. Everybody comfortable in those bleachers up there? Nosebleed? Okay. We’ve got our klieg lights? Ah, there we go. Now we’re lit.
First we have Barack Obama folks, in Ring One, let’s have a hand.
As you see, Obama is balancing corporate influence and Constitutional intentions in one hand – doing well, Obama! – and racial bias with youth in the other. By his side there, Michelle, on the SuperDuper plank-and-ball, reading her GoIntoDetailWithYour
One-Liners primer as their little ones skip their red-white-and-blue ropes.
Ring Two, everybody, John McCain. A nice hand for John McCain.
And we see John consulting there with Defense Secretary Gates. That’s a nice stick-and-plate he’s balancing on the side, huh? Shushing the rank-and-file so he can think. Yep, let’s see, what does his sign say? Okay folks, there it is: We Won’t Succeed Without War. Okay, and Gates...Gates is raising a finger now and then, in the direction of John’s jaw. And Cindy, guiding their children onto that cute little makeshift college, everybody, in Arizona, far away from the Mexican border as they can get.
Ring Three, everyone, a big hand for Hillary and Bill Clinton.
Bill is looking a little lean, huh? And here’s Hillary, doing her famous acrobatics – is that Chelsea? Yes! It’s Chelsea, bravely upon Hillary’s shoulders -- nice big smile, Chelsea! And Bill, with his saxophone in the wings, juggling his thinking cap, his cash box and his...what IS that, folks? Oh, his Is/Is instruction manual.
You’ll see, folks, tonight, our parading elephants circling the rings. Under our SPCA contract, donkeys are restricted. So who do we have aboard? There’s Al Gore, proudly holding his Earth flag. Give a big wave, Al! And there’s Mike Huckabee, thumping his Bible. Hi, Mike! Rudy Guiliani, in his 9/11 sportscoat – welcome, Rudy! Here’s Mike Bloomberg, riding double with his lead accountant, let’s have a hand for Mike.
Now, following our elephant parade, we see in our trademark coveralls, Ann Coulter, Camille Paglia, Ariana Huffington, Maureen Dowd and Baye Buchanan with their shovels.
And what’s this? A suprise, folks! Look who’s arrived! Clowns, hold up your hands as I call your names! James Carville! There he is, in the orange ClaraBelle hair. Bill O’Reilly? There we go folks, there’s Bill. Lou Dobbs? There, in the green shoes. Keith Olbermann? There’s Keith, in yellow.
You notice in the background we have the Billington High School band, tonight, folks, playing our beloved John Philip Sousa.
There’s cotton candy, caramel apples, roasted peanuts, and DecisionSoda in our concession, people. Enjoy the show!