And I also have an invitation: It seems like for a lot of people there were stories from Election Day. Like, waiting in line to vote -- LL Cool J was in line ahead of me. And P Diddy (whom a Jesuit I know accidentally calls P Diddly) was there earlier. Or, if there were any big celebrations in your area after the results -- Times Square was a madhouse -- maybe a description of that. Or, how the whole thing made you feel (for better or worse). Or whatever -- anything surrounding those days; if you have something, post it as a comment. I think this is one of those moments we all want to share.
So, just to lead by example, I'll post just one for now: I was working at a call center encouraging people in Florida to come out and vote on Election Day. I spent two and a half hours talking mostly to answering machines, and occasionally to a real person. A number of whom told me, I'm not voting. One lady, I think from the Caribbean, just kept repeating it -- I'm not voting! I'm not voting! I'm not voting! Like it was crazy.
And then I talked to a guy who was a baseball coach, very pleasant, open minded. He was going to vote, but he wasn't sure for who yet. And he said to me, out of the blue, Don't you think it's possible that Barack Obama is the anti-Christ?
Now -- I know. You're thinking, conversation over. I thought the same thing, but what am I going to do, hang up? I said, well... yes, I guess he could be the anti-Christ. (It is of course completely possible, if unlikely.) I don't think he is, I went on, and I guess the same questions could be asked of McCain or Nader.
And for a while, this guy kept musing on that, in what seemed a very reflective way. But then we moved on and had a very interesting conversation about the candidates and what's important in the next 4 years. And eventually the whole anti-Christ thing made sense; he saw how people revered Obama, and worried that they're setting him up as a Messianic figure, and he can't live up to those expectations. He seemed more worried for Obama, really, than anything.
It was a real privilege. I suspect I had very little in common with this guy, and wasn't sure at all where this conversation was going. But to think now, on Election Day I got to talk to someone as they were sorting things out for themselves, an undecided voter. And I got the chance to talk someone who came from a different world, and let him expand my horizons.
How cool is that?
Alright, now got to comments and you try!
In the meantime, some fun links:
All Their Fears Were True
Julie, I have the perfect name for your baby
Obama Roasting Rahm Emanuel
A Brilliant Article about the Election, written at 4am
The Scariest Obama Video Ever
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