Sun 12 Nov 2006
This past Tuesday was a momentous occasion and cause for much celebration throughout the United States, indeed around the world if U.S. foreign policy failures and reactions to them are any indication.
My buddy Doug and I decided to spend the day south of the border in Seattle and partake of American democracy in action: the 2006 Mid-Term Elections.
We pre-booked a hotel in the downtown core — no way we were going to drive back to Vancouver after what was certain to be an evening of vote counting debauchery — and headed over to the Montlake Ale House.
This particular drinking establishment is located at the north end of the UDub district (U = University, Dub = W, or Washington). UDub is the largest college in Washington State and decidedly left-leaning. It’s also home to the ‘purple and gold’ Huskies football team — “Go Dawgs!” — the fans of which are among the most rabid in all the lower 48.
Every Tuesday night the bar is taken over by the local chapter of something called Drinking Liberally, and this particular Tuesday night was going to be special. What is ‘Drinking Liberally’…? Here’s how their website defines it:
An informal, inclusive progressive social group. Raise your spirits while you raise your glass, and share ideas while you share a pitcher. Drinking Liberally gives like-minded, left-leaning individuals a place to talk politics. You don’t need to be a policy expert and this isn’t a book club - just come and learn from peers, trade jokes, vent frustration and hang out in an environment where it’s not taboo to talk politics.
The beer was flowing, the food was consumed and the initial half dozen political junkies who showed up early, including the two of us, quickly swelled to over a hundred.
One large TV monitor tuned to Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann of MSNBC, and a video projection screen of CNN aided in the minute by minute tallies as the evening wore on. There was even a white board to keep track of the seats won by Democrats in each of the contested categories: House, Senate, Governor. Each time a new ’seat’ was added a cheer went up and another round of beer was ordered. As you can see from these three pictures, and my reaction to the results, there were many alcohol-fueled lefties by the middle of the evening!
Although the celebrations continued well into the night, Doug and I decided to head back to the hotel where we could watch the remainder of the coverage. There were still three contested senate seats when we left and as we all know now, the final make-up of the senate wasn’t officially decided until Thursday afternoon when ‘Macacawicz’ took one for the Red Team and finally conceded.
The next day the hits just kept right on a comin’.
Secretary of Defense Donald “Stuff Happens” Rumsfeld resigned. Yeah, right - don’t let the door hit you on the ass on your way out! There were smiles and laughter at the magazine kiosk at Pike Place Market. Everyone was asking, “Did you hear about Rumsfeld?! Wonderful, isn’t it?” The sun was shining, literally and figuratively.
Before heading out of town and returning to Vancouver, Doug and I made one last pilgrimage to the Apple Store which just happens to be near the UDub campus. To get there, you have to drive past numerous fraternity and sorority houses (you can just imagine the kind of business Apple does at this store!)
One of the large brick houses along the way had had an election-watching party the night before. Entree to the party was given if you brought along an election lawn sign of some description - it didn’t matter who the candidate was, and as you’ll see in the video below, it didn’t seem to matter if it was an election sign at all, as long as it was pulled from someone’s lawn.
Alright - now it’s the Democrat’s turn. Don’t fuck it up!
Music: Signs - Copyright © 1970, 2002 Five Man Electrical Band