Reflections from Our Election Day in "Real" America

We spent election day volunteering at a precinct in Manassas, VA. We'll keep the exact location between us so as not to further embarrass the folks we're about to mock, but suffice to say that while Mark Warner was elected to the Senate with about 63 percent of the statewide vote, his opponent, Jim Gilmore, beat him 51-49 in our precinct. McCain also won 63ish to 35 percent over Obama in our precinct, compared to 51-48 statewide, so there's the context.

The Background
Several weeks ago, Dan volunteered to do voter protection anywhere he was needed in VA. Once he got assigned, Chrissie arranged to be at the same place as well to hand out sample ballots and the like. Our experience in real America started Monday night, when it took us about 3 times as long as it should have to get out there due to Obama's rally (which we did not attend). At 9:15, VERY hungry, and somewhat in the middle of no where, we put our liberal, moral compasses aside (not to mention our culinary judgment) and ate at Cracker Barrel. It was nasty. But we checked into our hotel in time to see Obama's rally on tv and then went to sleep so that we could get up to be at our polling place at 5:45.

The day's best quotes:

"Which would you rather get hit in the face with - a coconut or a pineapple?"
This from a 17ish year old boy who looked liked he might bring a bomb to a school and who Chrissie really thought was going to throw one or the other at Dan or the other lawyer that was stationed with us. (Turns out, he was just a kid with issues...)

"So I just vote for the dark one?"
We were giving out Democratic sample ballots, which like their Republican counterparts, list all the names on the ballot, but bolds the candidate that is the member of that party and should be voted for. Totally innocently, someone looked at the ballot and said the above quote. Once he went inside, we had a little laugh between us.

"Only to use it as toilet paper."
We offered a woman a Democratic sample ballot, and our Republican counterpart offered her theirs. When she looked at what we were offering, she said she'd only take one to use it as toilet paper. To her credit, when she came out of the polling place, she didn't quite apologize, but had clearly realized she had been rude and started on a rant about how she was a fiscally conservative Republican and that the religious right had ruined her party. Regardless of how she may have voted, Democrats and Republicans alike could agree that using these sample ballots as toilet paper may not be the smartest move (that is, it would not be very comfy for one's rear end).


"I hope the Bradley effect is strong"
This was said by a Republican voter to our Republican counterpart. No further explanation needed.

"No, we're part of the silent minority."

A middle aged white woman said this after being offered a Democratic sample ballot. We spent the day trying to figure out what she meant...

"If you don't pay taxes, own property, (fill in other ridiculous, possible racist comment here), you shouldn't be allowed to vote."
This was said by our last Republican counterpart at the end of the day. Note that this man was also one of those "excited" by the pick of Sarah Palin.