At the Polls ...

I'm sitting here in a bit of a daze. As many of you know, I'm not exactly a morning person. The only thing I like about mornings are Bloody Marys and the occasional W&B. But somehow I found myself in front of John Jay High School at 6am this morning holding an Obama sign and shilling for the campaign. I can't really find coherency in my brain, but a few quick thoughts:

• Brooklyn likes Obama. A lot.
  
• The Obama volunteers were mainly neighborhoody folks. I also briefly met John Tarturo, who was in the Obama camp.
• Clinton volunteers were mainly white women and local Democratic party machine politicians (city councilmen and such).
  
• Obama supporters were enthusiastic and outspoken, a lot of "right-ons" and cheering. Most Clinton supporters/voters were snarky, almost annoyed that there was another candidate running. (This wasn't a product of my sign and allegiance or feelings of being outnumbered, as I was standing right next to a Clinton volunteer.)
• Kids! The polling station was a high school, and so I was surrounded by teenagers. None of them could vote, but they were almost completely for Obama. Apparently some of them were up earlier than I was ripping down Clinton posters. One guy did an Obama rap and dance for me. Many had Obama buttons, as did an entire elementary school class leaving for a field trip at the school two blocks down! The various volunteers I worked with included three 9 year olds as well. Obama definitely has the under 4-feet vote.
• The main reason people gave for leaning towards Clinton was the experience thing, which is a valid point but one I don't agree with. Political machine experience is not what we need.
  
• One person, who was pretty rude, said Obama was too eager. It sounded a lot like he was calling him "uppity." For the record, Obama has served in elected public office for a total of three MORE years than Clinton. Clinton has served on corporate boards, including Wal-mart, a corporation with an abysmal employee rights and benefits history. And yes, that includes health care.
  

That's about it. It was a nice morning, and I had some really good discussions with undecided voters, clinton supporters, and even an independent/republican who voted for McCain (I think he's the only republican in Park Slope, but he said he liked Obama, he just thought he would be good 8 years from now). Though it's heated, I think everybody is excited by the chance to choose not between the lesser of two evils, but between two strong candidates. Republicans must feel like the guy with the ugly prom date right now, and it's time to choose the prom queen.