Oxfam America Blog

The day after the most incredible election in my lifetime, I flew to Washington, DC, for an all-day meeting in a windowless room. I was a little sorry not to be at the Oxfam office in Boston where I knew feelings had run deep and strong about the course history could take on Nov. 4, and on Nov. 5, I wanted to be able to mark that moment with my cube mates—several of whom are former reporters like me.

But I got my jolt of joy: When the meeting finally ended and I wandered out into the DC dusk, the first thing I noticed was a huge line that had formed across the street. What were they waiting for? The Washington Post—with election and elation all bundled together for take-home commemoration. Roaring across the top of the fold was this headline:  “Obama Makes History.” I got in line for my copy, thrilled to be in the nation’s capital with hordes of people lining up to get their news fix in a country where freedom of the press ensures us freedom to make historic electoral choices.

And in a bit of irony, you know what hard copies of historic headlines are selling for a few days later? eBay has copies of the New York Times on the market for $100 each.  How American is that?

Last night I took my place inside the booth, only partially hidden behind a frayed red, white, and blue curtain. Balancing my paper ballot on a wobbly, dented metal shelf, I carefully filled in the circles using a thick black marker. After I stepped out and slid the completed ballot into the machine (wondering the whole time if I was putting it in backwards) the woman working the polls handed me the emblematic sticker—“I voted today.”

And I wasn’t alone. According to Politico, more than 130 million Americans also cast their ballots yesterday—the most ever to vote in a presidential election.

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I watched the VP debate last night with muscles tensed and one eye open. I felt the way my husband, John, looks in the middle of a big Red Sox game – like a lot was on the line, and it could easily go either way. The debate had been hyped so much, through so many media outlets and conversations with friends and co-workers, the anticipation made my stomach hurt.

Of course, it didn’t turn out to be quite as controversial as I had expected. Earlier in the day, I had made a joke to a friend — what if it just turned out to be a quiet night of earnest policy discussions? No huge gaffes. No gotcha moments. It seemed silly when I suggested it… something was bound to happen, so much was on the line, someone had to screw up.

But now, despite what the talking heads might say this morning, it feels like my prediction was basically right. Though demonstrating vastly different styles – folksy vs professorial – both Sarah Palin and Joe Biden actually got into some nuance (how much is an item for further debate, but it was more than I expected, anyway). Somewhere between tax breaks and Pakistan, the soccer field and Home Depot, the candidates discussed their genuine differences on some important topics.

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