The general election is only one day away, and I have to admit, I'm excited. Election Day is like the Super Bowl in the TV news business. I'm really looking forward to it, even though my election day duties end at 12:30 PM tomorrow. Management has mercy on those who report to work at 3:00 AM. I'll get the night off while my co-workers are busy tallying votes and trailing candidates.
I'll miss the speculation, the discussions, the back and forth, the analysis, etc. Election season is more than casting a ballot. There's a lot that leads up to it.
I won't miss my home mail box being filled with junk. I won't miss my e-mail "in" box filled with even more junk. I think I've worn out the "delete" key. Some of the television commercials have been downright embarrassing. Wait! What's that aroma? It smells like desperation. There's been huge voter turnout in states that allow early voting, and that makes me feel good. All the negativity isn't keeping people away from the polls. Maybe it encouraged voting by getting people angry.
And through it all, there was one spectacularly refreshing moment of honesty over the weekend. We ran the story on Newswatch 16 Sunday Morning. Actress Scarlett Johansson was campaigning for the Democrats at a university in Cleveland. Some of the students, especially the males, said they didn't care about politics. They just wanted to see Scarlett.
You made my day.
