warning: political goo.

I woke up at 6:30 this morning, and waited in line for an hour and a half to vote. I groused and whined (as you can imagine), and thought back to 2004, when I just rolled out of bed at 8:30 and voted in the lobby of the Shoreland. Ah, the halcyon days of my youth.

Or perhaps they weren't quite so halcyon -- George Bush was re-elected that year, after all.

Election day kind of turns me gooey inside, to be honest. In general, I am not hopeful when it comes to politics; certainly, I think evaluating politicians based on the sincerity of their commitment to elusive qualities like "change" is both foolish and naive. Politics is, at its very best, a game of persuasion, and anyone expecting transcendence or heartfelt sincerity is going to be disappointed. Voting itself does require a certain amount of faith, though, both in the candidates you are helping to elect, and in the fairness of the voting process itself. If we could get rid of the electoral college, I would be happier, but nonetheless, it is wonderful to live in a democratic republic, especially on election day.

And so, in the spirit of political gooey-ness, I must say that, regardless of the outcome of this election, I am sincerely hoping for an improvement. Change, which both candidates have been so incessantly touting, can go either way. Today I'm hoping for something better than change.

And tomorrow, I look forward to reverting back to my usual cynicism.