A quiet vote on a noisy day in Wasilla; New York series still on hold

After marking the names of the candidates of her choice, Margie casts her ballot. Now I will back up just a few minutes.

Our polling station is at Tanaina Elementary School, where all of our children attended, and where they sometimes had Sarah Palin's father as a substitute teacher. Some of the students were at recess when we parked and headed toward the door.

As we walked toward the voting room, I was surprised to see students walking out. We always vote here and never before had I seen students in the ballot room.

When we stepped into the voting room, I saw more students, getting a civics lesson on how the voting booth works.

Inside the voting booth, my unmarked ballot awaits my vote.

After Marking her ballot, Margie heads to the machine into which it will be cast.

In the evening, Margie smiles as First Lady To Be Michelle Obama joins Barack Obama on the podium in Chicago after his acceptance speech. I know that there is a great deal of disappointment in Wasilla tonight, but this was just the outcome we had hoped for. Wasilla's disappointment is profoundly offset by the new surge of hope that so many in this country now feel.

What a bleak time we have been through! What a horrific challenge Obama faces. Yet, if there is anyone who can inspire and lead us through the storm that is bearing down upon us, I believe it is Barack Obama. He needs our help. He is going to face so much opposition from the very people who created this mess that now faces him. On that account, John McCain's concession speech was an excellent and fine piece of work. 

It sounded like the John McCain that so many of us once loved and respected. Had that John McCain been on the campaign trail, rather than the one who sought vainly to capitalize on the anger and fear that the Bush administration so exploited, who knows how this election might have turned out?

Now, the obvious question is, where are my pictures of Sarah Palin and her entourage, as she cast her vote in Wasilla this morning? I'm afraid I blew that one, folks. I was not too concerned about it at all. I thought that I would handle it just the way that I have been handling most everything in Wasilla in this blog.

I did not know what time she would vote, but I figured I would eat my breakfast, then head out in the general direction of her polling station and if I happened upon her entourage then I would photograph it, if not, I wouldn't. No big deal. Her vote would get plenty of news coverage without me being there. 

As usual these days, I went to bed about 4:00 AM and then did not get up until a bit after 8:00. As I was preparing my oatmeal, Caleb walked into the house, home from his overnight shift at work.

"You should have seen it out there," he said. "Sarah Palin had an escort of State Troopers a mile along. They had the roads blocked off and were escorting her back to Anchorage to catch her flight." This happened about 7:30 AM, he said.

Suddenly, I felt that it did matter; that I should not have even bothered going to bed but should have just stayed up and then very early set out and scoped out the scene and photographed it - even that I should have gone through the process ahead of time to get the proper press credentials and should have been right there in the voting room to provide my own witness of this onetime moment in Wasilla's history.

Too late.

I had also thought about going to Anchorage tonight, to drop into the big party that the Obama supporters would surely stage, but instead, I choose to spend the entire day hanging out quietly, alone with my wife. 

That part of the decision was good. I enjoyed hanging out just with her. I always enjoy hanging out with my wife.

Comments

[kalaluka]

Our polling place is an elementary school too: Ha'iku Elementary. And I also did not take advantage of recording the event with my camera; though one major difference is that none of the candidates are voters in my district.

There was, however, a lone man in a beach chair on the corner outside the polling place with signs about him that read: Recall Tavares (Mayor of Maui county). That would have been news-worthy, locally.

I also stayed home with my husband that night, and we enjoy each other's company as well. We are very happy with the outcome of the national election (some local races we weren't so happy about).

I bet you find your glasses now that you have 4 more pairs!