Go Obama

Wow what an amazing, historic, inspirational, exciting, joyful etc (too many adjectives!) night! I am still on a high and I am still watching CNN, nearly 24 hours later!

This is our election night '08: we arrived home after work and we switched on the TV and the internet immediately. We talked to Dhara for a bit via skype. We really got into BBC America. We popped round to Emily and Miles home for a short while. We finally arrived at Michelle and Scot's election party! CNN called Ohio! The excitement was huge! Dhara said she was off to bed; I was chatting to her on FB whilst at Michelle's.

We finally made our way to the Bishops Arts district, where there was a democratic street party. We congratulated the Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, she is a Democrat and was re-elected. (Wooley met the person whom he was robo-called about!) We also saw the local Democratic Congresswoman, Eddie Bernice Johnson. Amongst the happy, excited crowds we found our friends, Lauren and Aaron and we went to a bar. Virginia was called and then the race was called shortly afterwards. It went crazy, so much fun, so glad we went out. The night was so emotional, and I honestly mean that despite all my British cynicism, it was awesome in the traditional sense of the word. I am so excited to have been a part of this monumental moment.

On our walk back to our car at the end of the night, we saw an African American weaving his way up the street on his not so hot looking bicycle, shouting at he top of his lungs "In my lifetime!"

This "audacity of hope", this joy, this belief in people, this is the "real" America. Jigna and Walraj

PS: Dallas went Democratic by 57% so its not just Austin that is the little spot of blue in red Texas!

Election fever

Election fever is reaching critical mass in the USA, and I dare I say it the rest of the world, and of course Stef and Rich. With only 2 days to go this is probably one of the most exciting elections in the USA in recent times, and we are here, experiencing it all! When I say it all I mean "it all", there have been comments, opinions, reports, shows etc etc. Even when we were out for dinner last night in suburban Dallas, both tables next to ours were talking politics, the usual embargo on not taking politics has been lifted. All our visitors from the UK have been caught up in the election fever; Roopa got so excited and involved she has taken it back home to her students, Andrew and Shazia watched the final debate with us and some American friends and experienced some of Palin's "real Americans", Deepa and Chris cheered every time we saw an Obama/Biden yard sign in the neighborhood close to where the new "W" Presidential library is being built and we have had countless email exchanges/Skype conversations with Dhara and Stef and friends. Our main topic of conversation over recent months has been the election, and of course what shall we have for dinner (we have to keep our energy levels up to read, watch and listen to all of the election coverage). 

Although Texas is nowhere close to being a swing state, the fever has clearly still reached us here in the GOP heartland. There are a fair few Obama/Biden yard signs, stickers etc rattling the cage here in Dallas. I do however have a question: who are the undecided voters, and what are they doing....tossing a coin? While we wait with bated breath for November 4th, 2008 those undecided better get a move on.........Jigna