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The wife and I arrived at our polling place soon after it opened at 7:00. A line stretched out the door. Voting took us 45 minutes — about 10 times longer than it has taken in either of the previous 2 elections (2006 and 2004) at this polling place.

Back in January, after the Iowa Caucus, I wrote about why I thought Obama’s win mattered.

On Super Tuesday in February, I posted my reasons for supporting Obama.

Regular readers of this particular journal will be well aware of the twists and turns of the election, and my opinions regarding them — as I was never shy about speaking my mind regarding the issues over the past year. I hope that my stream-of-consciousness ramblings brought some issues to your attention, and maybe even helped sway a few opinions (I can hope).

I’ll be glued to exit polling and election coverage most of the day. And celebrating tonight, if it goes the way it’s looking.

4 years ago, after Kerry lost, I wrote:

“I don’t feel like I belong here any more–not with 46% of Americans (according to a December 2001 poll) self-identifying as “Born Again.” There are times, and last night was one of them, where I feel like we’re at most 10-15 years away from a right-wing Christian theocracy in this country.

I can’t leave, though. If I packed up, I could take my oldest daughter with me, but my two youngest live with their Mom, and that keeps me here. So, I am instead left with the words of Tolkien’s Aragorn:

“We must do without hope. At least we may yet be avenged. Let us gird ourselves, and weep no more. We have a long road, and much to do.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Book II, Chapter VI.

We did without hope…. and then we discovered that what we had to do, on that long road, was to re-discover that lost hope. Because, in the end, that’s what has driven this election — not the oft-used slogan of “Change,” although that was surely a part — but Hope. Hope for a better nation, and hope for a better world.

Here’s hoping.

I leave you with this. The lyrics make no sense, of course, but the title is appropriate:

Arcadia – “Election Day.”

My latest acquisition:

The Lord of the Rings: The Complete Recordings.

Every second of every bit of music recorded for the film trilogy. Over 9 hours of music.

It certainly helps when I’m working on 4E stuff for Adamant….

Anyway — *strongly* recommended. If you haven’t managed to pick up any of Howard Shore’s soundtracks from the films — get these. Hell, even if you had — like me — picked up all of the previous albums, this is still worth it, for the material from the extended editions.

Makes me miss 2001-2003, when the holiday season meant the release of a new LOTR movie, and all of the related stuff (books, games, music, etc.). I haven’t watched the films in a long, long time. Too long, in fact. I should get some folks together and address that.

Just a reminder for area folks–

and I are having a shindig at our place here in Lawrence on Tuesday, November 4th — Election night! An opportunity to sit a room with our fellow snarky Liberals, nosh on nibblies, maybe have a drink or six, and watch the writhing death-throes of the Republican Party.

After you vote, come on over around dinner-ish. The returns will be on all night long — MSNBC, so we can enjoy the running commentary of Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow — and we’ll cheer the wins, boo the losses and mock the conservative commentators.

RSVP via comments or email! BYOB and something munchy to share. Some drinks and group-dinner-ish stuff will be provided as well.