Election Night Open Thread – Yes We Did.

What an incredible day.  It’s still sinking in that we have a President Elect Obama.  I just returned from Election Central in downtown Anchorage.  Many candidates were there, and everyone was feeling very festive.  The Barack Obama campaign people came in with huge signs and the place went wild with chants of Yes We Can!  It was electric.

I will tell you all about the evening tomorrow, Mudflatters…  I am so overwhelmed by this historic night that words aren’t coming.

It looks like neither the Senate race between convicTed Stevens and Mark Begich, nor the House race between Don Young and Ethan Berkowitz will be decided tonight.  Both races are close, and there are almost 70,000 ballots that were submitted via early voting between Thursday and yesterday that are not figured into tonight’s count.

Stevens and Young are both ahead by single digits, but as of now, the precincts that have reported are the more Republican districts, so the race will tighten before the night is over.  And early voting also tended to favor Democrats.  So the race goes on in Alaska for the next 10 days.  I remain hopeful.

And on a personal note….thanks to all of you for sharing the highs and lows of the past two months.  Your support, and enthusiasm, and intelligence have carried this blogger through what would have been a difficult and challenging time over the past several months.  You have buoyed my spirits with kind words, and made me feel useful on days when frustration was overwhelming.  If I can credit Sarah Palin with anything, it is bringing together this far-flung group of incredible people from Australia to Alaska and all points in-between who otherwise would never have crossed paths.

Whether you are frequent posters on the blog, forum devotees, chat room regulars, or lurkers who have come to know us in silence, you are all lovely dots on the Mudflats map and have been part of this wonderful collective.

I will continue to do what I have been doing here, although work, family, and my disaster of a house will need to take some of my time.  I was blogging before Sarah Palin’s unlikely rise to the national stage, and hopefully will be doing this after her time is up.  I’m not worried that Alaska will run out of muck any time soon.

(Raises glass)  To you Mudflatters, and to a brave new chapter in American history.  Yes we can.

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President Elect Barack Obama

Hi everyone,

Snoskred here. AKMuckraker is stuck on a new laptop unable to log in, but dropped by the chat to let me know you needed a new open thread. Here tis! Enjoy.

Oh, and as a non-American, may I be one of the first to congratulate you on the election of Barack Obama. Everyone I know here in Australia is so thrilled for you. *I* am thrilled for you.

Now, fingers crossed that Alaska turns blue. Sephyroth tells me it cannot happen, but I have faith, and I believe.. yes we can! 😉

Election Night – Open Thread

OHIO!   NEW MEXICO!

Chat room is open on the Forum board!

So far so good, Mudflatters!!

Has a Landslide Started? Open Thread

NJ, PA, DE, DC, IL, CT, ME, MD, MA, NH, VT, NH  all for Obama.

The Mudflats chat room is open for business!

Election Day – Open Thread

First calls!

VT to Obama

KY to McCain

IN too close to call.

The Mudflats chat is in full swing!

I Voted!

I feel better.  I thought about voting early, but my usual polling place is generally pretty quiet, and I do love the festive feeling of voting on the day, so I waited.  Then I kept thinking….what if my name isn’t on the voter rolls?  I checked to make sure it was….but what if something happened AFTER I checked?  What if I get hit by a bus before election day?  What if my car runs into the ditch and I don’t make it in time?

So it was with great relief today that I walked into my polling place to finally vote.  I couldn’t stop smiling.  The poll worker who checked me in was a woman of color, and I had such a stupid smile on my face that I made her smile back in spite of herself.  There were 12 polling stations set up, and no line.  I dodged behind the curtain and just looked at the ballot for a minute.

I filled in Mark Begich, then Ethan Berkowitz, then my local race.  I saved Obama-Biden for last.  I took a deep breath and really thought about what it took to get to this day, not only all the incredible work that has gone into this particular election, but also to have a viable African-American candidate on the ballot as nominee for the President of the United States.

I hope to see a woman in that spot too, some day.  But I want to vote for a woman who has earned her place on the ticket through her own intelligence, principles, work ethic, determination and grit, not someone who got picked as a strategic calculation, and a poor one at that.  I looked at Palin’s name on the ballot.  After my deep breath, I filled in the Obama-Biden oval carefully…being sure not to leave one little white space.  Then I double checked to make sure I filled in the right oval, and didn’t make a horrible mistake because of my reverie.

Then off to the optical scan machine to watch my ballot get sucked into the little slot.  Number 555.  Pretty good turnout so far.  I’ll be back later to photograph the paper tapes they are required to post in the window.  In 2004, we had some precincts in Anchorage with a 220% voter turnout.  Not again.

We should be getting the first returns from the east coast within the hour!

Let the Games Begin – Election Day in Alaska

The day started early.  I left the house at 6:00am, took the long drive up to Wasilla, just because I had to wave a sign at Sarh Palin as she drove by.  We never caught up with the sign waving crowd, but we did see the Governor’s entourage flanked by Alaska State Trooper cars in front and back, with 12 or 15 SUVs and other vehicles in between.  The sun wasn’t up yet, and it was freezing cold.  I doubt she saw me with my Alaskans for Obama sign on the side of the road, but I can say I was there.   I followed the motorcade on the way back into town, but never caught up.  They were in a hurry.

I debated whether to go to the Sarah Palin event she had planned in Anchorage, because normally I like infiltrating such things (so you don’t have to), but today, after my brief statement roadside in Wasilla, I’ve decided to take my focus off the dark side.

Back in Anchorage, there were lots of people out smiling and waving signs at major intersections – Obama, Begich, and Berkowitz supporters were out en masse.  There were a few Don Young people, even fewer McCain Palin people, and nobody for Ted Stevens on this first pass through town today.

Next stop – voting!  I’ve got my video camera, and I’m ready to video my vote.

Open Thread – Election Eve in Alaska

This is it, Mudflatters….Election Eve.  We’ve been on a strange journey since August 29th, when the unlikely selection of Sarah Palin for Vice President was announced.  It all comes down to tomorrow. 

Remember, the Mudflats Chat Room will be open all day.  Just go to the Mudflats forum (on the sidebar) and then click the link in the upper right-hand corner to enter the chat room.  Before you click the link, I’ll tell you what it’s like.  It’s a big virtual Alaskan lodge made of long orange spruce logs.  There’s a roaring fire in the fireplace, and some nice hot cider.  There’s a full wet bar over in the corner too, for those who need it!  There are windows looking out over the Chugach Mountains, and lots of big, soft chairs and couches to flop on and chat with all your fellow Mudflatters.  Unlike many Alaskan lodges, there are no moose heads on the wall here.  The only moose heads to be found are those still attached to our favorite Mudflats mascots Brian and Brenda, who are hanging out outside in the snow, nibbling bark.  So stop in any time!

I will also be trying to make sure that there are threads available for you on the blog, and will attempt to post about my doings about town, and any other big happenings of note.  I’m looking forward to sharing tomorrow with all of you.  It’s been quite a ride, and it’s not over yet.

Good night from Alaska, Mudflatters.  See you in the morning.

Sarah Palin’s Medical Records Released….Sort of…

Yes, finally….at the 11th hour, not only is Sarah Palin completely exhonorated of any hint of wrongdoing in Troopergate, now she has also released her “medical records”.  Methinks the public is growing weary of Palin’s shenanigans on both these fronts.  I know I am.

Now, whether or not Trig is her baby cannot ever be incontrovertibly proven without genetic testing.  But this “doctor’s note” from family friend Dr. Cathy Baldwin Johnson, which is obviously meant to put those rumors to rest, does absolutely nothing for those who are convinced that Trig is not her baby, other than perhaps fan the flames of uncertainty. 

For anyone who was really waiting for these records, the letter of reference from her family physician is a total non-story.  Palin had said that the dealy in release of her medical records had to do with the fact that they needed to gather the records together and that it was taking some time.  Then she said she would release them early last week.  The days ticked by…  Then, 12 hours before the polls open, they come out with a two page letter that says, “Dear America, Sarah Palin has five children, is healthy and exercises.”  It’s kind of like the Cliff notes of the medical records, because we really didn’t want to read that whole thing anyway, right?

Feel better now?