From the last thread:

I did. While it was moving to see so many people demonstrating, it felt like the message got a bit diluted. It seemed more about bashing the Mormons than about equal rights. I mean, I'm pissed with the Mormons as well and thought rallying in front of their temple was a great move. I just think we could have left the Mormon connection at that.

Wednesday night, I had to work in Beverly Hills, pretty late at night. As I was driving down Santa Monica, a large group of protesters passed by my work truck. I stuck my hand out the window and touched, slapped or shook hands with a bunch of the people passing by. It was touching and beautiful.

When I left the job site at 2:00 in the morning, I again ran into protesters who were blocking the intersection at Santa Monica and San Vicente.

That group of people was much more drunk and hostile, and didn't seem to be interested or care if any of the cars they were refusing to let through the intersection were on their side. I tried to talk to some of them, but they just drunkenly told me "NO ON 8!" and that I needed to find some other way around in a somewhat hostile manner.

It was sort of depressing and disheartening, and I wanted to knock their heads together and tell them they weren't really helping their cause very much.

I do, however, think that they will hurt rather than help themselves if the leadership of the party tries to cater to the Palin base. I think that base is a shrinking pot in America.

Except the conservatives disagree. And I rolled my eyes because the moderates lost seats because they are in areas where there is greater political diversity! Der.

So the press conference is running 10 to 15 minutes late.

I can't believe that Obama won, but as it is sinkng in, I find myself wanting so badly for him to be audacious! To actually fix! Something. I am totally ready to pay more taxes if it means everyone gets healthcare or something.

Except the conservatives disagree.

I know, which I find fascinating/terrifying. Conservatives are highly organized though. They have already had cross-issue strategy meetings NOT involving politicians, these are issue mavens who are not so much in the public eye and they are building coalitions that had fallen apart when they were already "winning".

I take the occasional turn through Redstate.com because I like to know what the opposition is talking about between themselves. They believe that they lost because McCain wasn't tough enough on socially conservative issues like abortion and gay marriage and that their girl Sarah is the hope of the future. Newly victorious progressives can snicker and dismiss them, but that popular vote was too close for my comfort, and we dismiss those millions to our peril.

God, I wish we could get a decent gague of the opinion of the people who didn't/couldn't vote.

I'm more than a little confused about the long lines, but total turnout numbers NOT being that much higher.

I'm more than a little confused about the long lines, but total turnout numbers NOT being that much higher.

My impression of Brooklyn, at least, is that lines were really long in the morning because everyone was anticipating long lines and voted early. People who went after work said they didn't have to wait at all.

In GA, early voting had long lines; election day voting, not.

The shots of Biden and Obama alone together look so casual and friendly--they genuinely like each other.

I had the same thought with the shot of them sharing a pretzel from the big Philadelphia day -- they have the body language of real friends, not "we have to do appearances together" friends.

I am totally ready to pay more taxes if it means everyone gets healthcare or something.

The quote I had running around in my head through the whole socialism phase of the election was, I think, Brandeis: "I love paying taxes. I use them to buy civilization."