k wrote:
] Anyway, if nothing else, i can be glad that the past 4 years
] have vastly increased my political knowledge and involvement,
] and i don't see that changing... this has been a
] transformative period for me, and hopefully for many of my
] peers, and I think the next four will be even more active.
] -k]

Then that's a great thing. :)

One of the ironies that's struck me about this election, is that in previous years, I often heard people complaining that "their vote didn't matter". Presidential elections were usually won with such a clear majority, that voting could feel futile for some. But this election (and the one in 2000), it's clear that individual votes *do* matter, and I think that along with that knowledge for many people is also the increased sense of responsibility. When people feel their votes matter, they become more emotionally invested in the process.

So yes, passions are running hotter, people care more, things are debated with more emotion and volume. I see all of these as *good* things. It's when people stop caring that I worry.

RE: Election Eve 2004