How in the world did she know to turn up at the poll if she hadn't watched TV, read a newspaper, or talked to anyone in the past year?

I am way more anti-abortion than I have ever been given my experience but also way more pro-choice.

I think that's where I am, too, and I have never heard anyone else say it. Obviously our personal histories are different, but what you said exactly. And the pro-choice side is always going to get my vote anyway.

I wonder why she decided to vote this time. Must have been a proposition or local measure, huh?

My parents worked at a polling station like they usually do, and the remarkable thing this time was that there was only one incident with a belligerent person (usually there are several). Lots of people who needed provisional ballots for one reason or another, or were at the wrong place, one woman who was not, in turned out, registered to vote, but they were all good-humored about it. The one "problem" person was mad because they had posted the precinct numbers on the wall behind the tables where you check in, instead of taping them to the front of the table. She apparently harangued them for a while about it. That's not how they do things there.

I support any candidate who is for the free coinage of silver and bimetalism.

We have some of those in Utah, and a few of them try to pay their bills in gold. Oddly enough, most retailers refuse to make change.

One of my students asked whether I was anti-abortion or pro-choice and I actually snapped and said, "Every person I know is anti-abortion. No one thinks, 'Abortions are awesome! One for everyone!'" Then I went on to say that abortion is probably the most horrible choice any person can make, but it is their choice to make it. I think it probably offended the kid and shut her up. I've never liked the dichotomy that the right has set up.

Please to explain to me why 80% of my waking life is folding laundry? It's my big friday event. I put the kids to bed and watch TV and fold laundry. My life is fucking pathetic.

I don't think I'm particularly single-issue, but my views on a bunch of issues tend to line up with the Democrats: pro-choice, pro-gay, pro-helping people who are struggling, pro-raising my taxes to pay for better schools, etc. I believe in the public good, and I believe that those who can pay a little more to support things like schools and libraries should do so. In 2008 I voted for Obama in the primary, though it was a tough call between him and Hillary. In the end, Obama won my vote mostly because he had voted against going to war in Iraq and Hillary had not.

But certainly the fact of his race had something to do with my vote for him as well. I was, and am, very proud to have played my tiny part in electing a black man to the White House, for a whole host of reasons. We are an amazingly, wonderfully diverse country, and it's one of our greatest strengths, so I'm very glad to see the presidency begin to reflect that diversity. Obama, with his ties to places like Kenya and Indonesia, also seemed like a desperately needed corrective to the American isolationism of the Bush years, and I believe his election went a long way towards rehabilitating many people's view of America around the world. He is also an incredible role model here at home for young black kids -- and, I would hope, for kids of all races and backgrounds.

Also, as Kat said, I believe he is a genuinely thoughtful person, which I value hugely in someone making the kinds of decisions he has to make every day. I trust him to give each matter serious thought and to seek out as much information as he can. He may still make decisions I disagree with, but I feel reasonably sure they won't be due to stupidity or an inability to understand their nuances or consequences.

I wonder how much Obama's team learned from GWB's campaigns (and how little Romney's team or McCain's team did). I'm shocked at how close both of those elections were, even with the electoral votes (+4 in 2000 ~+30 in 2004). I don't know how Republicans perceive GWB, but do they think he was successful president with a clear mandate? Because those seem like shockingly close electoral races. Esp. given that most people win with at least 200 EVs more than their opponent.

Well, Kat, I can't quite imagine a pro-gay anti-choice republican who also got me on other issues...but like I said, sometimes it's lesser or two evils. I was shocked at how many votes Jesse Jackson got, even though he's been gone for months in treatment and being all secretive! But then I figured some people just wouldn't vote for a republican even if the opponent was awful.

I think MAYBE if there were a pro gay anti choice but pro birth control and other stuff person...but probably not. Most of my values are to the left of most Democrats these days, I think. Go socialism. (Ok, not really. But universal healthcare and subsidized daycare and better education? Yeah...)

the pro-life women I know are almost all, I think, anti-sex out of marriage. I clearly do not engage in the discussions with them much, but that is a chunk of it.

How in the world did she know to turn up at the poll if she hadn't watched TV, read a newspaper, or talked to anyone in the past year?

I have no idea! She really didn't like the length of the CA ballot and asked if she had to read through all the propositions. (Good thing she doesn't live in Florida!)

Also, as Kat said, I believe he is a genuinely thoughtful person,

Yes, me too. I don't like everything he's chosen to do (drone war! transparency failure! Matthew wassname from Wikileaks! too much use of executive privilege! TSA expansion & security theater! Etc.) But I trust him to make decisions based on facts, and what would in his judgment be best for the most people, and to care about the effects not just on Americans but also around the world.

I admit that I'm really quite interested in his post-Presidential career. He'll only be 55 when he leaves office, and he could do an enormous amount of good work internationally. (Sec-Gen of the UN? Who knows!)