To those who went to vote - we salute you. After the long, hard crawl to the polls you didn't wimp out. You made that ballot answer your beck and call.
Michigan and East Lansing voters, like many across the nation, went out in record numbers. MSU students heard the call and did their civic duty.
By the time this page went to press, we still had no idea who the next president of the United States would be. For all we know, it might even be Ralph Nader. But whatever end Tuesday's election comes to, it needs to follow a just process.
Problems with outdated voting machines and voter fraud from early elections will have to be accounted for. America might want to consider different routes of settling disputed votes outside of the 2000 election guidebook. The fail safes already worked into the U.S. Constitution could have bizarre side effects.
In the case of a 269-269 Electoral College tie, the Constitution demands that the vote for president goes to the U.S. House of Representatives, and the vice-presidential vote to the U.S. Senate. In extreme cases, seriously strange things could have happened. The legislative body could have elected a Bush-Edwards ticket, or if the House vote tied as well, John Edwards might have been elected president for two years.
This probably won't happen. But if no clear winner emerges this time around, we're going to have to reconsider the worth of the Electoral College.
Even if your candidate loses, be thankful the Constitution doesn't call for gladiatorial combat in cases of disputed elections. You'll always have that.
Regardless of the outcome, America needs to rediscover civility in politics. Ideally, Republicans and Democrats could interact intelligently without petty bickering or fist fighting. We're faced with a problem of keeping voters as galvanic and passionate about all elections as they were with this one. While the passion should not drop off, our country will have to balance politics with reason.
If you did vote, thanks for keeping the polls civil. If you held back on name calling, we applaud your restraint and consideration. It's a good thing you were able to respect the political opinions of others.
Conspiracy theorists were wrong. Thankfully, terrorists haven't attacked Americans at the polls. We at The State News couldn't ask for anything more on an election day. A special thanks goes out to the police and firefighters who spent the day guarding our cities, just in case.
Really, the most important part of what happened Tuesday is not which candidate you voted for. For the first time in recent memory, we have a more representative democracy - a democracy that took into account the voices of those not normally heard. People were enfranchised. Apathetic voters finally found a home in the American political system.
Voters waded through the pre-election heap of negative ads and editorial films by Michael Moore, somehow making sense of it all. Rhetorical messages of leadership, troubled times and great change didn't faze you. For one reason or another, you made up your mind and voted. Even faced with friends who called them "liberal" or a "Bush lover," some voters defied parents, family and friends by voting their own way.
Unlike 2000, most voters knew their rights and fought back against poll challengers. If you've been reading up on it, you knew only your signature was needed if you weren't a first-time voter. So armed, no one could mess with you.
The small faction of the eligible who didn't vote - be warned. Sean "P. Diddy" Combs might actually round up the Citizen Change crew and murder you. More importantly though, you missed out. You had one great chance to hire the elected officials most directly affecting your ability to live life as you want. This is all we can ask - please vote next time.
To the rest of you, thanks for making Tuesday a night to remember.
