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On the Front Lines of Democracy
I took a day of vacation today so I could work outside a polling place on behalf of the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures (MCLC), the driving force behind the passage of Missouri’s pro-stem-cell Amendment 2 in November 2006. This group did not have a referendum on today’s ballot, but they are concerned about a potential referendum this fall, through which anti-stem-cell forces may attempt to roll-back some of the protections afforded such research in the voter-approved Amendment 2. Hence, the task today was to sign up supporters for our cause for the general election.
I did not invest a lot of time out there, about five hours worth, but there were intermittent downpours and progressively dropping temperatures throughout — making it very difficult to stop voters leaving the polls and engage them in a substantive discussion about the issues. The turnout also seemed to be remarkably low. Then again, I was there from roughly 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and I suspect the turnout was more robust in the earlier hours of the day and will be again in the couple hours tonight, before the polls close.
Regardless, I was honored to be part of the larger effort and charged up when I returned home, given that the pro-stem-cell voices seemed to outnumber the anti’s by at least two to one.
I was also charged up because — after my stint outside — my wife, son, and I were able to enter the polling place together. It was our son’s first time voting in an election. He turned 18 last fall. Clearly, a once-in-a-lifetime moment, and I hope he’ll remember and cherish it and be inspired by it to continue voting in future elections.
For whom did we vote? I won’t speak for my wife and son, but I made the decision to cross party lines and vote for Obama. I’m relatively confident McCain will emerge the nominee (or effective nominee) today on the GOP side of the equation, whereas the Obama-Clinton contest will be much closer.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a sense of other voters’ choices. There to represent the MCLC, I was not in position to do any informal exit polling about the candidates. Accordingly, like the rest of you, I’ll have to wait until tonight to see the returns. But no matter what happens, I’m glad I was out there today, doing my miniscule part to stand up and speak out on the front lines of democracy.
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4 Responses to “On the Front Lines of Democracy”
good article about non-armchair democracy
also, congratulations on your son's first vote. To me, that was the sweetest bite of your story. I could just see you all. Neat.
dr.e
Derail the Clinton Express!
As to your current cause, I believe you have enough numbers in STL and KC and in Columbia to survive any attempt to change things originating out of the southwest.
An excellent story. Not been American I dont really get the hole anti-stem cell protesters, dont get me wrong we have them here in the UK as well but they are a much much smaller force . Infact apart from the churches, there's not that much, maybe its down to the fact that the religious right dont have that bigger voice when it comes to science.
Also congrats on getting out of the armchair and hitting the street, both here in the UK and i would guess also in the US there are way to many armchair pundits. I remember what its like to be out campaigning when its pouring down with rain, and your cold and wet – thats when convictions show.
Congrats to your son as well, I remember what the feeling was like the first time i voted, not many things come close to that.
The polling place wasn't too busy when I was there, but like you I was there just late enough to miss the people whose work hours start at 8:00. There are massive lines and extremely crowded places on the Kansas side of the state line where they have caucuses instead. They were reporting on one place that had 3 times the number of people who could fit into the normal caucus location for a Democratic caucus. For a Democratic caucus in Kansas.