Post-Election DC

The 2008 Presidential Election was highly anticipated and extremely long awaited. The Iowa caucuses seem like ages ago, and I didn't think Election Day would ever come. Living in a "tri-state" area, with one of the most crucial swing states (VA) included, led for crazy amounts of campaigning. While consuming one poll result after another, I didn't know it was possible to reanalyze a political race so many different ways or so often. This was a truly historic election, and I am very fortunate to have taken most of it in while in the nation's capital.

My co-workers and I all made educated guesses on the election outcomes. We each guessed how many electoral votes the president-elect would receive, as well as the number of Democratic gains in both the Senate and the House. I guessed conservatively, in hopes that all of the talk about Dems sweeping were over exaggerated. I am a firm believer that overly partisan politics is harmful to our nation, and as long as the "us versus them" mentality rules, I'd like to keep the number of Rs and Ds relatively equal.

In order to avoid getting too political (as I know not all of you are big followers), I'll finish by telling you how I took in the results on election night. I met up with friends at a bar on The Hill a little after 6pm, and we were standing shoulder to shoulder in the line of traffic. People were decked out in their suit and ties adorned with "I voted" stickers. I felt a bit left out being stickerless after absentee voting in Iowa, but I was extremely glad to take in the results in the political center of the country. The constant pushing was annoying at first, but I realized that it was all just part of the experience of being on The Hill on Election Day. With that attitude, I loved every minute of being at Cap Lounge.

My friends, however, weren't enjoying the atmosphere nearly as much as I was, so we headed off to another bar. The line to get in at Cap Lounge was at least 35 people long, and the guys at the front of the line cheered as we walked out the door and counted how many of us there were as we walked by to determine how many of them could now get in. It was a little crazy, but I would have been equally excited to go inside if I had been standing outside in the rain too.

We ended up going to my old stomping ground (Union Pub) to watch more results come in. Unlike Cap Lounge which was full of Dems, Union Pub had a great mix of supporters. No matter what the results coming in were, some people were cheering with excitement. I enjoyed the atmosphere at Union Pub equally as much as Cap Lounge on Election Day for this reason. Throughout the night I was thoroughly engaged with all of the results, and I was even coloring in my own map for the presidential race and keeping a tally of Senate races. This behavior could only ever be fully accepted in DC, and I absolutely loved it! However, my friends weren't nearly as engaged and all wanted to leave when they started getting tired. I was unfortunately en route to Bethesda when Barack Obama had secured enough electoral votes to claim victory as the first African American president-elect, but I did make it home just in time to hear both John McCain and Barack Obama speak. Each of their speeches were equally impressive and I'm glad I did not miss either of them!

If I thought for more than a second that once Election Day was over things would settle down, I was crazy. Talk of the transition team, possible Cabinet appointees, and inaugural plans have filled each day since the election. I'm not quite sure how everything will play out in the coming months, but I'm excited to be here! I was upset after seeing the crowds in front of the White House on election night, because I didn't even think to stroll by there. I did walk past the next day with Elizabeth over our lunch hour and construction of the inauguration stages was already well under way. The bike policeman patrolling the area informed me that it's tradition to start preparation the day after the election, and that they won't be finished until January 19. I can't wait to see how everything looks by then, and I'm hoping to take in as many inaugural activities as possible. I'll keep you informed!

I've got a few other experiences to share, but I find myself extremely tired even after having the day off. I hope to blog about them sometime very soon.