I woke early, in hopes of getting to the polls before work. A progression of household delays will force me to do so after work today. Still, I was in position to get to the office early enough to enjoy a cup of coffee before the rest of the organization gets in, and that seemed like a solid goal for me.
When I arrived to the subway station, a college student was at the top of the escalators handing out Obama literature and encouraging people to vote. I passed on the literature, stating that Barack already had my vote. The young man thanked me and I took the stairs down to the train stop.
That’s when I noticed something far out of the ordinary for my morning routine. My fellow commuters, who I see every morning and afternoon, were engaged in conversation with each other. Usually, this crowd of mixed age, race, gender and preference casually ignores each other. They stand or sit quietly. They bury their faces in books or newspapers. They close their eyes. Rarely do they interact. Today, they were discussing politics with their fellow strangers.
All of this was inspired by the young man at the top of the station encouraging votes for Obama. It appeared to me that a majority of my fellow commuters were receptive to that encouragement. People were shouting, “Yes We Can!” Others asked each other if they’d voted yet and if they knew where to do so.
<snip>
Lots more at:
http://tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/05/no_tuesday_more_super/#comment-2588717