Voting Lines Stretch to 8 Hours

[jpertello]

Never in my lifetime did I think I'd live to see the day when voter apathy was gone! Back in the 80's when I was a young adult I used to go vote in a very large city (pop. over 500,000). The polling place was never busy. There was no line to vote. Just me and the elderly Ladies and gents who ran the place. I'd vote and leave, maybe pass an older person on the way out. My friends thought me a bit odd for voting. They could care less. Reagan? Bush,Mondale, Dukakis? Who cared? It didn't seem to change their lives very much who was president(or so they believed). I have voted in every presidential election since I turned 18. My family instilled in me the idea that it was my civic duty to cast my vote.

It brings tears to my eyes to see this image below because it means people finally CARE about their country! Whether they are voting for Obama or McCain we all should rejoice in the interest the young people especially have taken in the future of their country! A lot of patriots were born this year, and this is something we ALL should be proud of!

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Wow! Where is that/ I see what looks like palm trees...Is it Florida?

[jpertello]

3. Here is the caption to the picture:

Several hundreds of voters wait in line to cast their ballot two hours after the polls were supposed to close Tuesday Nov. 2, 2004 on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. This precinct was equipped with only five voting machines.
http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_110204ELBelectronicvotingproblemsLJ.1aac5fda.html

[NorCalDem]

6. And in that caption lies the BEST WAY TO STEAL AN ELECTION

Basically, underequip high population areas to not have enough booths/machines to let everyone vote in a timely manner and then people CAN'T cast their vote. Just imagine if Republicans had their way and no one was allowed to go and vote early... Only 10% of the electorate would get a cast a vote on tuesday, which of course would go right along with the Republican plan.

When you can't beat em, make sure the other side can't vote. Republicanism 101.

[BrklynLiberal]

11. Yes...long, long lines with 8 hour waits = voter suppression

[Tallison]

2. Participatory democracy in action!

It's what I like to think we're all fighting to preserve.

What a beautiful thing!

[Dukkha]

4. very encouraging because

Nobody endures 8 hours of wait for 4 more years of the same old thing.

[stillcool]

5. That's from 2004...

[jpertello]

8. Shoot! You're right! Damn!

[Generic Other]

7. This picture is from 2004 not 2008

Why are you posting it now?

[jpertello]

9. cause I Googled long lines and found the picture and was too stupid to read the date.

But the sentiment still stands. Still glad to see so many young people voting this year.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. Fear, Loathing, Regret, and rational thoughts end up energizing people

And even those who never thought Obama was the messiah, recognize how much better he is than McCain. The one equation that MSM has refused to mention.

McCain, 72 yrs old. Bad pilot. Spoiled son of Admiral, who guaranteed his future. Cancer survivor(?), white, asshole, senile, married rich. Very rich.

Obama, 49 yrs old. Top of his class in Hahvahd, smart, intellectual, black. Recently saw increase in income.

To be blunt, both McCain and Obama share one thing - a high probability that their lives are seriously at risk. For McCain, the idea that they would throw 1500 pages of 2 yrs of medical records at a few select reporters (and give them 30 minutes to read, not copy, but read them) suggests one read of the situation. His mental or physical health are at risk. I know the former is, and I suspect the latter is as well. A fine oncologist I know professionally suspects that the Dx and path results of his last surgery were very telling.

but Obama's health is not at risk, you say? Ha. Being a man of color, he risks snipers at 3,000 yards, he risks evangelical racist GOPers thinking that his death would guarantee their path to god. I've been in some strange places, especially in central south, and southeast America. I learned that while Chicago's "racism" may exist in subtle fashions, we ain't got nothing on some southern evangelical racist bigots who cannot believe that a man of color could be elected. No matter how good the SS is, (damn, that sounds almost german) a crazed person with conviction, and no fear of death, can still surprise them.

I have a decent sized minority clientele. Each one, without exception, has told me that they are convinced that Obama will be killed in office. and uniformly, they have said, "Biden's good. Jeesus, that woman from Alaska?" translation? Those Wall Street- based life insurers would sell a policy to McCain at the same rate as they would to Obama. When they rate lifestyle, health, age, and risks, they really have all the data. And when they compare the risks of Obama vs. McCain, I suspect they are identical.

Do I sound morbid? Not intentionally. Rather, we have to be realistic, and realize that a small, disturbed percentage of this country is just that. Disturbed. Obama's election is pretty much a foregone conclusion, and for that, I am extremely relieved and grateful. But, we need to plan for all contingencies. Only because we see what sorts gather on the conservative blogs.