Overheard at the Polls
 © David Paul Morris / Getty Images |
The one downside? The political junkie in me had to keep her mouth shut and avoid talking politics all day long.
Of course poll workers cannot engage in any sort of political discussion while we're on the job. But we hear plenty of uncensored voters' opinions of the candidates. And we come away with a glimpse of what rocks the vote - and the voters. From the front lines of the democratic process, here's what I saw:
- An eighty-year-old woman delighted to vote for Hillary Clinton.
- Her fiftysomething daughter who said, "I'm canceling her out. I'm voting Obama."
- A Republican man who begged, "Can't I vote for a Democratic candidate? I don't like any of the ones in my party."
- Another Republican male who said, "I need to vote Democrat because I gotta make sure the 'right' candidate gets chosen." (Who that was, he never said.)
- A number of older Democratic women who commented again and again on how wonderful it was to see a woman on the ballot.
- A number of younger Democratic voters who were there because of Obama.
What I learned from my first day working the polls is simple: It's more fun to play the game when you don't know the outcome.
Today I saw the eagerness of voters who believed the races were so close that their votes truly mattered. The prospect of voting brought them out despite bad weather, and they came with smiles on their faces.
The rest of the country deserves the same opportunity - to vote for their party's candidates in a race that's not yet decided. Looks like most of us will get that chance this year.
Comments
As funny as our political system is. Our voters are even funnier. That being said, I would still rather have our system than whatever is used (or not used) in the rest of the world. Not to worry, it will all work out in the end (pun).
When I heard Hillery speak on ABC about how far she would go to MAKE people accept her healthcare plan- Garnish everyones wages or go after them and register them involuntarily where they work or thru taxes or the IRS I was horrified.This borders on the Gestapo !! Many people are taxed without representation in THIS country and pay taxes TWICE on their money. A goodly number of the uninsured are that way because they do not want to spend ANY money on insurance ,[Many of them making $ 3000.00 a month or more were interviewed and said 'it was not for thtem' or it was not something they WANTED to get because they didn't WANT to spend the money ]
I would NEVER vote for Hillary. Any one with no more self respect than to stay with Bill Clinton after what he did to her does not have guts to run the USA.