If you are heading to the polls today, don't forget to listen in on those around you as you stand in line to vote. I'd love to hear your favorite quote from your sly eavesdropping. My voting experience was so very entertaining that I couldn't possibly include it all in my last post. One of my favorite quotes from a fellow voter happened as follows:
After waiting over an hour, I glanced up as a group of three young girls walked into the crowded recreation center. They nearly spilled their Starbucks as they took one look at the line. Then, one of them walked confidently to a man who worked at the center and said in a loud, valley girl voice: "Can't we just like, go up to the window and vote?"
Yes she did. And, when the man said no, she actually huffed. She huffed, people. There may have even been an eye roll. I'm surprised she didn't fall over from all of our grownup eyes boring into the back of her sloppy pony-tailed head. I think we all stood collectively taller as she and her cohorts sauntered to the back of the line. Justice had been served. The people were satisfied. Democracy at its finest.
Now that it's almost over, I can't say I will miss the political ads. But there is a twinge of sadness as I bid farewell to all the personal phone calls I have been getting. Both Michelle and Barack Obama have called during this election season. Tonight, it was Hank Williams Jr. And last week, Stevie Wonder actually sang to me. He called to say he loved me. So sweet.
I just love living in a swing state.
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
happy election day
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39 comments:
Holy cow - I got no votes from either Michelle or Barack...should I be offended that you did? I was thinking that I probably bleed too red for them...hee hee? So truly those girls weren't one of our high schoolers, were they? ;)
And now I am off to bed since tomorrow I am gone from 7:50am to 9:00pm....ugh!
Happy Election Day to you as well!
I've never heard of phone calls like that--I live in New England, no surprises here who everyone votes for--this is Democratville after all! We don't even have early voting. If we do, they've hidden it because I haven't seen a thing about it.
Valley girls are just like so like totally cute, right? Like fer sure.
That is a funny story about those girls!
Oh,and you've got nothing on me...Sarah Palin calls me every other day for the last week!
Loved this post...so funny!!! Sadly, not being in a swing state, we are just not feeling the love--no phone calls here.
"He called to say he loved me"
Ha Ha Ha! I live in the reddest state in the union, so I haven't gotten any calls from anybody. But I'd move to a swing state just to hear Stevie Wonder on my line. How great!
Hi from the midwest!
Heard about your blog from a few others and have been enjoying it immensely.Both yours and your sisters! Great articles on Election. We've been just slamming the phone down left and right with the gazillions of political calls.......BUT yesterday I just couldn't slam it when I was hearing the First Lady Laura Bush on the other end of the line...WOW..even if it was just a recording it was GREAT!
In Christ Alone, Lord Bless.
Haha! Yes, a our swing state does have its benefits, wink.
We've had some 'famous' phone calls over the last few weeks. Richard Petty and I had a nice conversation, even though it was a little one sided.
You make me laugh!
The Obamas didn't call Tennessee either..... Hm. Nor Stevie? I'm not feeling the love. Already voted. Thanks for your funny post.
I hate those phone calls. And all the mail that tells me if I want to protect my gun rights I should vote a particular way. You know me, Em, am I concerned about my gun rights? LOL.
Anonymous Jim, my apologies for deleting your comment. It smelled of spam even though you signed your name.
i will not miss the phone calls! people for john mccain have called us at minimum 3 times a day for the last 3 weeks! and i have no idea how to make them stop. i was especially unhappy when they called at 9:15am on saturday. don't they know that some people are still sleeping then?
i too live in a swing state...
Ladies, I would love those calls. I get calls from my oldest sister. We aren't of the same mind when it comes to this election. Since I'm the youngest, she feels it's her duty to tell me what's wrong with my candidate. Yesterday's was, "Have you noticed how much he looks and acts like Uncle Bob?". Like I would be voting just because the man looks and acts like my uncle, who happens to be a retired military man himself. Thanksgiving should be a hoot.
Hi - I went to vote at 6:30am this morning. I waited about half hour. No chatty people, everyone look sleepy. There was one older couple who kept estimating how long it would take to vote and do their other errands of the day. He kept under cutting her estimate by 15-30 minutes. I thought if was funny, of course, I wasn't quite awake.
The free cup of Starbucks for voting helped wake me up. Thanks to Meredith (my political friend)for that tip!
I was so dissapointed to hear Steve called you also. I thought he called just ME to tell me he loved me. Oh life in a battleground state!
Well I guess I should have gotten a landline phone cause I am in a swing state (VA) and no one called me on my cell!! Why didnt they call me?!?!
I was really trying to listen to people in line, but the people behind me were speaking French (I think) and the guy in front of me was on the phone and talking really low so I couldnt hear him. I did hear other people talking about how Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts and Ben and Jerrys are giving away stuff today if you voted!
What is the opposite of a swing state? Tether pole state? That is what I live in...Texas. Obama never called. But our tax assessors wife did.
Thanks for stopping by! It's nice to see you around from time to time!
Stevie's my boy, hands off.
*huffs into starbucks cup*
*and rolls eyes*
Wow! I didn't get any of those calls. Can't imagine why they wouldn't take the time to call a Texas gal!
Blessings!
Noone famous called me THIS election, but during the last one, P. Diddy called me to tell me to vote or die. That went over well.
"Dem have umm tugboat and submarine 'dere?" My two-year-old wanted to know this morning when I said we were going to vote... he thought I said float. And that is one of my election day smiles.
It was DEATHLY silent in line this morning. No one spoke. I wore headphones so I wouldn't have to awkwardly not talk to people. But my iPod battery died like 32 seconds in. I still wore the headphones.
I just came back from voting and each time I vote I feel so proud. it was actually quite quiet for early morning a lot of "good morning" "hey how are you" I love to watch and wait I still get nervous.. don't know why have a great day
just got back from my polling place - I could not believe how loud it was! Im standing there with my starbucks listening to the workers go on and on about how much they hate starbucks coffee and how over priced it is, how much better MC Donalds coffee is.....oh well, Im behind the iron curtain here in southern cal
Unfornately, "Ponytail Girl" seems to possess the selfish attitude I see a lot these days. But she got her due so alls well that ends well.
I agree that's it's been very exciting having so many celebrities call me all the time. I know they're really sincere and aren't just doing this for the election and all. We really are special to them, right?
I didn't overhear anything interesting, because I didn't have to wait! I was third in my line and got right through.
I did, however, get plenty of voice mail in the last few weeks from people I have never heard of. They greeted me so friendly and introduced themselves, and then I pressed '3' to delete them. I hope my new friends didn't mind too much. Do you think they'll ever call back?
Wow, you must be important! Stevie never called here! :)
I'm slightly disappointed that I don't live in a swing state, and therefore don't get phone calls from important people around elections.
I don't have any fun stories from voting. Just chatted with my line buddies about raising boys. =)
This is what I heard from behind my curtain:
"Shaelynn, did you poop?"
silence
"I SAID, DID YOU POOP?"
No mama I aint no poopy
"Then what the *#&* is all up in your hands and pants? And it STANK. Owe no, Babeeee, it's all over the dex too"
Then I hear a polling judge clearing her throat asking if everything is ok and ..er...did they need a rag with soapy water.
:o
I eavesdropped on football talk. Yawn.
No phone calls here!
The only conversation I overheard where the poll workers trying to verify a very elderly man's date of birth.....he couldn't remember it and they just were not cutting that poor guy any slack.
i got no such calls!
while voting i was in line behind about 5 old people, one with a walker and tennis balls on the legs. they were talking about buldging discs and surgeries. really fun stuff.
It was relatively quiet in line at 6:20am this morning. The only person talking was a professor from a local college who was going to vote No on Amendment 2 so that we could redefine marriage to include same sex couples. I work for a faith based local university and absolutely oppose redefining marriage. It took me 4 hours to get my vote in because somehow my name was changed from Kimberly Dawn to Dawn Renee...that has been interesting and nobody can explain it. At least all is resolved and I was able to vote.
No funny voting stories here, we vote by mail in our state-just had to zip through the drive through booth. I guess we may have missed out on some funny stuff...that poop one cracks me up! And such a bummer, no fun calls for us here. We're glad it's all over!
I went last night about 6:00 and I was the only voter!!!!!!!!! No conversation!
I live in an incredibly rural area (I'm talking 35 miles to the nearest Wal-Mart or anything like it) and while "in line" to vote behind my hubby and our neighbor-we were the only people there-the voting official came to show me pictures of her new great-grandbaby, born just Monday. I went to school with her grandson and while we weren't friends, we were classmates. That's my big voting story, and I'm sticking to it!
A poll worker came at me to ask why my husband had not voted yet...
of course she was my best friend so it was funny! LOL
We got a phone call from Fred Thompson this year. Oddly enough we did not get a lot of mail or phone calls my home in FL this year.
In 2004 Laura Bush called. I saved that FOREVER and told everyone about it as if she was calling just to talk to me. Of course they knew better but it was funny!
We are hard core Republicans here so I guess we won't be getting a lot of celebrity phone calls. :)
I voted early at Bur-Mil, but I still waited an hour.
Things I overheard:
- the man behind me (in his 50s) talking to the lady behind him about the first time they voted. She was a student at UNC. I couldn't hear his answers on this subject.
- the lady had her two tweenagers with her and took a teachable moment to tell them it was bad to vote straight ticket. **oops! that's what I planned to do!**
- the man pointed at a flyer demonstrating how to tick the box of your selected candidate. . . it had mickey, donald and minnie listed. He said, "I'm voting for Mickey," and I jokingly replied, "What? Not Minnie? No feminist vote?" He gave me the cold shoulder after that, maybe not getting I was joking.
- otherwise, the fellow voters were uptight.
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