How I Planned to Spend Election Day

[Canoerebel]

Lady and Gents,

This is election eve. Months ago, I decided to spend election day as far away from the hubbub as possible. My plan was to cast my vote at seven a.m. I would then drive 60 miles to the Cohutta Wilderness Area, hike two miles into the wilderness on Beech Bottom Trail, then bushwhack along a narrow ridge to a point overlooking Horseshoe Bend of the Jacks River. I would pack a big lunch and several books to read. I might do a short hike down to the Jacks River, remembering that just two months ago I was swimming there amidst the warmth and greenery of a late summer afternoon. I would not return to my vehicle until after the East Coast polls had closed. In all likelihood, the networks would have already called the election, based upon the results in key-toss-up states like Virginia, New Hampshire, and North Carolina. But I would drive home in the quiet darkness of a rural Georgia night.

That was the plan...until the U.S. Forest Service closed the Cohutta Wilderness Area last week due to wildfire. That's the first time that's happened in my memory. Now I'm casting about for a suitable alternative. I have several in mind, but haven't yet decided which way to go.

Eschewing any whiff of political commentary (self-policing, as we have proven time and time again that we are capable of doing), is election day a routine work day for you U.S. forumites or is it a day set apart in some way?

[MakeeLearn]

I will drive down the road to Crazy Horse Canoe Rental where my polling place is and vote. Then I will do some work and afterwards - fight the war in the pacific and watch the CIRCUS play out!!!

[pontiouspilot]

Thank god there is a meaningless hockey games on TV tomorrow. I shall divert myself into that opiate of the masses. To celebrate the end your 3.5 year long act of masochism I plan a nice heavy bottle of California Zin. I do want to enjoy it while I can ie. before the wall go up!

[TOMLABEL]

ORIGINAL: Canoerebel
,then bushwhack along a narrow ridge to a point overlooking Horseshoe Bend...

Well, if you are going that far, then I would suggest you spend the night and dine in at the Kowaliga Restaurant on the west side of Lake Martin. When the sun sets, it is another world experience in beauty!!! Plus the shrimp dish is excellent as well.

I have always loved my trips to Horseshoe Bend. I've walked the entire river bend as well as the high grounds. Hope you enjoy your trip and understand the need to get away from the madness!

TOMLABEL

[geofflambert]

I will vote, and I will vote once, and once only Vasilli, as I always do. Then, in case things go the wrong way I will prepare to commit Seppuku. Now living in Missouri I have had to do this many times and I always decide in the end that I must wait for a more abominable election result before I sacrifice myself in that way. This time I'm not sure I'll be able to do that.

[geofflambert]

Hunt for Red October was Tom Clancy's first book. Something that is not well known is that Jack Lord, who's given name was John Patrick Ryan played Felix Leiter in Dr. No. Well that part was well known, but for From Russia with Love Broccoli felt that Lord's presence would compete too strongly with Connery's, so he recast the role. Tom Clancy's hero was named John Patrick Ryan and I'm led to believe that it was no co-incidence, but that the character was named for Jack "Lord". So who shows up in the movie opposite Alec Baldwin playing John Patrick Ryan but Sean Connery? "I know this book." Ivan really was crazy.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: geofflambert

Hunt for Red October was Tom Clancy's first book. Something that is not well known is that Jack Lord, who's given name was John Patrick Ryan played Felix Leiter in Dr. No. Well that part was well known, but for From Russia with Love Broccoli felt that Lord's presence would compete too strongly with Connery's, so he recast the role. Tom Clancy's hero was named John Patrick Ryan and I'm led to believe that it was no co-incidence, but that the character was named for Jack "Lord". So who shows up in the movie opposite Alec Baldwin playing John Patrick Ryan but Sean Connery? "I know this book." Ivan really was crazy.

Always thought they should have made a movie based on "Red Storm Rising". Epic scale, lots of action, and even a sexy Icelandic woman!
The battles could easily be done in today's CGI.

Second choice would be "Debt of Honour" for the modern war with Japan. But please ... Harrison Ford is too old for the Jack Ryan role and Ben Affleck is too wooden. Keifer Sutherland seems to be doing a good job as the new president in "Designated Survivor" - he could handle it!

As for election night - my TV is off unless it is playing the streaming music stations. It isn't the election drama that turns me off it is the mindless need to fill the air with banal commentary that makes me wait for the wrap-up report on a non-US channel like BBC.

[pontiouspilot]

Relax...we take political refugees here....even alien refugees!! If you flee pls bring some California wine when you come.

[warspite1]

Okay I will keep this non-political by keeping it non-partisan.

How will I spend election day? Well I am still wondering - as I have been for sometime now - how the leaders of the free world, the USA, have got themselves into this situation. I spoke to a few Americans in the States in the summer and they were at a loss too - totally uncomprehending.

Trump vs Clinton. Its like Manchester United vs Liverpool at football or Russia vs China in the Olympics.

Can they both lose please?

If that is considered too political please delete this and not the thread.

[Orm]

The Swedish election is always on a Sunday. If I have not voted in advance I take a midday stroll to speak a few words with all (usually three to seven) the local campaign workers and then cast my vote. Then I go home and play computer games or read and stay away from the TV and radio. Late evening or early night I check who has won and then I try to stay awake long enough to see who won the election in our municipality (usually this is called between 1 and 2 AM although individual mandates might shift for a couple of days).

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Okay I will keep this non-political by keeping it non-partisan.

How will I spend election day? Well I am still wondering - as I have been for sometime now - how the leaders of the free world, the USA, have got themselves into this situation. I spoke to a few Americans in the States in the summer and they were at a loss too - totally uncomprehending.

Trump vs Clinton. Its like Manchester United vs Liverpool at football or Russia vs China in the Olympics.

Can they both lose please?

If that is considered too political please delete this and not the thread.

Indeed. Surprised by the rather weak candidates in this election.

And as Warspite1 said, if that is considered too political please delete this and not the thread.

[dcpollay]

Just a regular work day for me. As a state government employee, I have the option to take the day off, presumably to assist at the polls. I never have done that, although I sometimes think I should. Instead, I bank the holiday, work, then go to the polls and vote. There is usually a Brooks BBQ setup by the polling station, so it's takeout chicken or brisket for dinner. I then try to avoid the news for the rest of the night and check for results the next morning.

[obvert]

Working in a school I've spent the last week helping students understand the context and differing ways the election is being presented via media. Teaching film and photography it's interesting to look at the very things we study in classes and apply them to looking at election ads or photos on the front pages of newspapers.

We are having a mock election, and being also in the UK we will all go to sleep just as things are heating up there. I'll set my alarm for an hour earlier than usual and wake to watch some news over coffee at around 5:30am, in the dark, cold beginning of winter. My wife will still be sleeping. It will be reflective time to prepare for the next four years, whichever candidate wins. I'll be curious at how the UK and world media frame the results, candidates and possible outcomes.

Either way it goes it'll be good to have it (hopefully) over and decided. So much effort, attention and so many resources go into this process that so many other important issues are sidelined in the meantime.

[Bullwinkle58]

I started my day at 0535, watching the combat replay of a turn in my game with Lokasenna. The turn is away at 0650, so, priorities . . .

Now thirty of "Morning Joe", coffee, breakfast, and off to volunteer as an adult ESL tutor.

Our students are about 50% Somali and Muslim. Many spent all or most of their lives in refugee camps in Kenya. This is their first presidential. The rest are a mix of Russians, Chinese, Vietnamese, Mexican, Egyptian, Eritrean, Belorussian, one Spaniard/Venezuelan, and a few others. Some come from strong democracies; others are amazed there is more than one name on the ballot, or a ballot at all.

The teacher is a naturalized citizen who grew up under communism. She speaks four languages--English is her fourth--and is passionate about US politics. She will have voted already when class starts and be sporting her "I Voted" sticker. We are doing a mock election just as Obvert's class will do. I will be the Head Judge. Each student will also get a red "I Voted" sticker. One student is already a citizen and another soon--I helped her with the stonkleringly long citizenship application. It makes some sense in a Chinese wiring mindset, but some of the questions are fairly strange.

Humbled by what these folks have seen and done in their lives, how they left everything behind and came here to build a new reality for themselves and their children, I will go vote about 1400. Then three hours at the gym. Then home to watch every second of the results, two channels on the remote jump button, my phone on my chest tuned to politico.com. I will go into the wee hours of tomorrow. I hope to make it to the Hawaii returns.

Yesterday I was musing that the spending on just the presidential races amounted to a figure possibly larger than the total GDP of the nation when the Constitution was ratified. Have to look that up. Regardless, it's a heck of a show. I'm not going to miss it.

[Jorge_Stanbury]

I hope you all Americans vote in this election. It doesn't matter which candidate you choose,


Funny I vote in two countries, and I haven't failed to vote in either, ever. In Canada it is very easy to do so, you have a full week to mail it, then polling booths all over the city, so yours is always conveniently located.

Then, in my home country, Peru, you have one of the highest voter turnout in the world, and this with long queues. Turnout is always around 90% to 95%. This is because voting is mandatory [X(] and there is a steep fine if you fail to do so [:D]. There are some allowances for the sick of course and recently, they cancel the fine for Peruvians living abroad. But otherwise, you have to pay, and pay rather quickly because if your ID card lacks the "sticker" of the latest election, it is void, thereby you won't be able to do things like cashing a check or withdrawing money in a bank until you fix the issue.

[Alpha77]

The English word election is missing an "s". But the German phrase is more acurate "stimme abgeben" - which means literally "give your voice away"

Edit,btw: Orm said: " Indeed. Surprised by the rather weak candidates in this election. "

But WHO are all the candidates ? I only heard of Clinton and Trump so far. WHO are the others ?


(If that is considered too political please delete this and not the thread. )

[Canoerebel]

Around the country, there are something like 500 qualified write in candidates on the presidential ticket - not each of them in every state. But most states will have ten to thirty candidates on the ballot. There are the main ones: Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Green. Then there are a host of others, ranging from very serious (but marginalized due to lack of numbers) to a few tongue-in-cheek.

Unless I don't have my pulse on current events and the political landscape, only the two main candidates have a shot at winning.

It's going to be a dramatic day and night - a real spectacle. But what is tomorrow going to look like?

[Alpha77]

ORIGINAL: Jorge_Stanbury
This is because voting is mandatory [X(] and there is a steep fine if you fail to do so [:D]. There are some allowances for the sick of course and recently, they cancel the fine for Peruvians living abroad. But otherwise, you have to pay, and pay rather quickly because if your ID card lacks the "sticker" of the latest election, it is void, thereby you won't be able to do things like cashing a check or withdrawing money in a bank until you fix the issue.

Whow, I just saw an YT video an aussie saying the same, they get fined if they do not vote. I could not really believe this, but if it is in your country too.... one has the wear some "sign" on your clothes soon as a non voter ? [8|] Guess this will come to us old europeans also in the future - we are already fined for the smallest of things here...[:@]

I remember the last (s)election I was going to some years ago, I forgot my ID card, it did not matter - I could vote even if they could not check if I was even allowed to do so....

[MakeeLearn]

Alpha77

I remember the last (s)election I was going to some years ago, I forgot my ID card, it did not matter - I could vote even if they could not check if I was even allowed to do so....

You can even vote in our election, come on over

Obama Told Illegals to Vote.
http://www.lifezette.com/polizette/make ... gals-vote/

[Jorge_Stanbury]

You can, of course, void your vote by writing some witty comment about the quality of the candidates, and the election can even be cancelled if too many people do that, however, the required void rates are so high (I think it is something like 66%) that for all purposes it is not going to affect the results.

and actually, some years ago, there was this "election ink" you were supposed to dip your middle finger in. But this was more to avoid fraud (somebody voting multiple times) than to recognize you as a voter. Technology and better times had made this obsolete, at least in Peru [:)]


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Election_ink