What can I say here that hasn’t already been said, debated, argued about, screamed about, cried about,and or  ranted about on the internet 1,000 times before? I guess what I can say is THANK GOD THIS IS OVER! Has this election been going on my entire life? Because it’s truly starting to feel that way. Or has been feeling that way for well over a year. Especially since I sent off my ballot three weeks ago and have since been mourning my loss of voting rights in Ohio. (Damn my parents for moving to Delaware, where my vote lacks the same power it once held…not that my Kerry vote made much of a difference in ’04. Ohio – don’t disappoint me again! Ok…tangent over.)

Not that I haven’t enjoyed the election at times.

See, even though I don’t post about it much here, as it would turn into a million word rant that would be sure to offend many and make me look like a raving lunatic, I am a very politically opinionated person. Thus, I’ve been following this election very carefully. And while I’m a registered Democrat, I did, with much nudging from my father, investigate McCain’s positions. (With lots of help from extensive commentaries by guests on “Fresh Air” and “It’s All Politics.” Thanks NPR!) I try to watch and/or read the news daily. I always watch “The Daily Show.” (That counts as something, right? Right?) What I’m trying to say is, I’ve stayed informed. I’ve researched the issues, and the only political message I’m going to spew here is that I hope you’ve done the same.

Truly, no matter who you vote (or voted) for, just do it knowing what you are actually voting for. Know where candidates stand on everything that’s important to you, not just the stuff the pundits chose to talk about. I know it’s too late now to actually be giving this message, but I still feel like putting it out there, because I think it’s the single biggest problem with our democratic process. (And a note to my mom: You can tell me who you decided to vote for! I won’t yell at you like that time you told me you kind of liked Sarah Palin. I promise!) 

Now, onto the fun stuff. TV Coverage! Sadly, I have to be at my TV show taping until 9, but I’m sure we’ll be following the returns in the control room…or at least, I’ll be shoving people out of the way to get to a computer to watch the returns. When I get home, I think I’m going to start with a little buffet of news channels, just to see what everyone’s got to offer. I mean, how can I decide now if I’ll be in the mood for America’s Election HQ: Election Night (Fox News) or Decision 2008: Election Night (NBC) - Election Night in America (CNN) or You Decide 2008 (FOX). They all sounds so enticingly news filled. Although, I’m sure if I see Anderson Cooper’s face, I’ll be sticking with CNN. Then, of course, I’m tuning into The Daily Show/Colbert Report Fake News Live Extravaganza…or whatever they decided to call it. 

So, there you have it. Go forth and vote! And I’m sure I’ll be back (hopefully early-ish) with a happy post about the outcome. Fingers crossed! Go America!