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Democrat or Republican, 'We' win
Trailing in around 9 a.m., I spent most of my morning with my toe just over the “no soliciting beyond this point” line at Fairfax County High School, trying to talk to voters.Among my questions: what issues drove your vote? Is this your first time voting? Who did you vote for and why?
Oh, Obama.
The voters were enthralled, entranced and in love. I waited an hour for a Republican to talk to me. If you were like me today, you were probably waiting around for a long time, too.
I anticipated long lines. I anticipated cell-phone chatters and newspaper readers. I anticipated people disinterested in speaking with a reporter.
What I didn't anticipate was comradery in the democratic process.
Throughout this extended election, I have fielded probes into my personal, political beliefs for this election. 'You're from a small town, you must be Republican' or 'You're a member of the liberal media, you Democrat.' Waiting in line, with the rest of the Dems and Reps, all of that fell away. We all became American.
The Washington Post had a great column in the Style section on Nov. 4 about the party of 'we.' As in, regardless of our political affiliation, we all comeout to place our vote. We wake up an hour and a half early and stand for upwards of two hours in the thrusts of long lines for what? For a single vote that seems so miniscule in the mass of the popular vote.
All the same, that vote is ours and it belongs to us individually. All the same, together we become the color of our county, the color of our state and a vote in an electoral college. We are me and we are we.
Never have I felt more American than when I walk into my former elementary school wearing the press badge of my county's newspaper and color in the circle of my president.
Regardless of whether you're feeling red or blue today, bask in the American liberty of yesterday.
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