Random Thoughts on US Election Day 2008 (Part II)

Woke up early enough (ha, that sounds odd) to catch the beginning of the election results stream. I've always marvelled at the way pollsters and pundits extract solid opinions by extrapolation from virtually nothing. In Vermont, the data from less than 1% of the voting results allows CNN to call it for Senator Obama, while in Kentucky, it takes 13% to call it for Senator McCain.

More random thoughts:

• More women vote than men; it is the crowning glory of the suffragette movement.
• I'm struck by how stable the Biden and Obama families look; in contrast, the Palins look manic and the McCains look synthetic.
• There'll be a whole new generation of young people singing along with John Denver, "Where's Virginia? Mountain mama, take me home..." (OK, that was a bad pun.)
• Then again, some people might confuse John Denver with Denver, Colorado.
• In South Carolina, McCain is projected to win from the fact that at the moment, Obama is leading 55-44 with 1% counted.
• I have sinned; I am drinking ginger extract with my coffee.
• The stock market seems to have made me some money.
• I kept having dreams of stuffed bird toys; it is all Speedcuber's fault.
• I'm wondering what McCain will say at his concession speech, and at what time Obama will make his victory speech.
• Michael Fullan's The New Meaning of Educational Change is on my desk; the title is beginning to take on new significance.

I'll be adding more to this list.