Notes From The Swamp -- Florida in the Final Days of the Election

There were hundreds of people at the early voting station in Hollywood, Florida, and the wait was ninety minutes. I was with Benji from The Daily Beast, and Josh from the LA Weekly. We asked people if the wait was too long and they said no, the didn't mind. Someone said, "It'll be one hour today, but four hours tomorrow."

It was three in the afternoon, only a little hot, t-shirt and jeans weather. A local lawyer who volunteers for Florida Democrats said, "The reason the Republicans are against early voting is because they know no one would wait three hours to vote for John McCain." But this year Republican Governor Crist has extended early voting, which many see as waving a white flag. Crist said, "It's not a political decision, it's a people decision." One Republican operative accused Crist of giving the election to Obama.

At the Obama rally in Sunrise eight or nine protesters screamed at the line of cars waiting to get into the stadium lot. "They speak lots of beautiful words," one of them said to me. "Obama knows how to project himself very well. But his package is all socialism and we've been through that already. I'm an exile. I came here in '66. My father served in the prison 12 years under Fidel Castro. This guy here is doing the same thing, talking pretty, and he's going to put socialism in this country."

"No socialism, no communism," a woman said, also Cuban. "I'll be a Republican for life, anyway. I've always been against communism and I've always been a Republican."

Another protester said, "I'm a Juban," meaning Jewish Cuban. "I don't want Obama. Everything is a big issue: Israel, communism, spreading the wealth. You want to give your money to others who sit down and do nothing and get a check from Obama and they don't even work?"

It was interesting the McCain supporters were digging so deep into the communism story and then equating communism with welfare. They told me Obama wants everything to be equal. One of them said, "I want what I earn, not what you earn." I said that was probably true. All the while a plane flew above the stadium dragging a sign, Don't Try To Spread My Wealth Around. I thought the ability to own or hire a plane seemed to undercut the argument.

Two hours before the rally the line circled the parking lot. Tens of thousands of people were waiting to get inside. We cut through the press entrance. I spent all of 2004 on the campaign trail, writing a book about the quest for the Democratic nomination. It didn't seem to bother them that I didn't have credentials this time. In 2004 I told them I was writing for GQ. This time I told them I was writing for the Huffington Post.

By seven the stadium was full. The energy from 2004 was entirely different. In 2004 the rallies were primarily anti-Bush, but this rally was pro-Obama. Joe Biden said, "You can't call yourself a maverick when for the last eight years you've been a sidekick." Then Obama took the stage and the crowd went wild. And I understood McCain calling Obama a celebrity. He started to speak and a group of women behind him screamed, "We love you Obama," and he raised his hand and replied calmly, "I love you back."

The rest was what we've already heard. Healthcare, economy, bringing troops home. And after I took some pictures of Allison Winfield, a pretty Obama volunteer standing the first row, crying.

But there's something more sinister afoot in Broward County. There's more Democrats in Broward than anywhere else in the state. In 2000 Broward was the county that finished their recount.That was also the year Roger Stone organized the Brooks Brothers riot, shutting down the recount in other parts of the state.

But Roger Stone is in Broward County this year. There must be a reason...

- Stephen Elliott

Follow Stephen Elliott on Twitter: www.twitter.com/the_rumpus

Comments

[JeanieC]

As a Florida resident, this year I have lost control of my snacking and I place the blame squarely on Barack Obama. I have lost my usual restraint in waiting until Halloween afternoon to get into the candy designated for Trick or Treaters. I have even returned to the store to buy more bags of candy including my favorite selections. This election has taken a physical toll on my body and mind. I dread the morning after the election if Obama does not win.

I Tivo and watch key news shows. I obsessively track the polls. One or two polls is not enough. I religiously track the polls that summarize the polls, checking RealClearP­olitocs.co­m and FiveThirtyEight.com at least every eight hours for national and state polls. I must monitor the key battle ground states. The obsessive compulsiveness of my news addiction apparently knows no limits.

On the positive side, I may be helping the sluggish economy with my purchases of ice cream and chocolate. I know it would be more in line with my political beliefs to invest in something high energy that can be useful, for example, solar power. I don’t think chocolate is the kind of renewable energy the Dems had in mind when they proposed alternative renewable energy. But conviction and anxiety are driving my appetite.

I worry about the future. What will I do without the tracking polls to follow the day after the election? Whoever wins, my life has been forever changed.

[dadele]

Keeping people from voting. That's very pro-america and patriotic isn't it?

[bekahpaige]

I early voted in Brevard County, FL on Monday. It took 90 minutes. It was a little bit hot and we had to wait in the sun for the majority of the time. There was a good mix of people, but several elderly people and I was a little worried about them standing for so long in the sun. It was inspiring to see so many people waiting in line, there were at least 200 people there, and the line seemed just as long when I left as when I got there. There were no problems, no protesters, I didn't even see any shirts for one candidate or another. Everyone in line was very friendly and polite to each other, and so were the poll workers.

The long line kinda annoyed me, but when I became annoyed, it just made me even more determined to vote!

My friend went on Wednesday and said the line was even longer when I went. She ended up having to leave because we had a test (both graduate students) and she was afraid she wouldn't make it in time, even though she'd waited for 45 minutes. She's going early tomorrow morning.

[dfranz]

Governer Crist may be one of the few Republicans who still has a job when this thing is over. Too bad his party is waist deep in garbage.

[walkthewalk]

I recently returned to NY from Broward County. Each day I passed a library that was an early voting location and saw endless lines of people waiting to cast their ballots. I spoke with one African American woman, an Obama supporter, and told her that I feared that the long lines would discourage people from voting. She said that everyone she spoke with was determined to have his or her vote counted, whatever it took, even if they had to wait up to 5 hours.

I just can't imagine that kind of passion from a McCain supporter. If only all of Florida were like Broward County. Keep an eye on Roger Stone. Don't let hm disenfranchise voters again.

[ConcernedCitizeninVa]

Funny how republucans view the right to vote as somehow "throwing the race". Thank you Governor Crist for doing right right thing.

[kjstjohn]

That was good, wasn't it?

[Satch]

Gov. Crist is doing the right thing for his state by ordering the polls to be open longer.. I believe all the people in his state comes first. Good for the Governor... Now you know why he is so popular in Florida..

[viewfromuphere]

one of the reasons the republicans need to go down is so the Gov Crists of the party can take it back

[gbw1954]

I just love the quote of the operative.. You just gave the election to Obama. That given by extending the hours at the polls so Registered Voters could cast their ballot. There in is the current strategy of the GOP. We want our registered voters to vote not all voters to vote. And they wonder why people show up at the rallies and registered to vote and are voting and knocking on doors getting others to vote. Because we are sick and tired of the divisive suppression, hatred and fear campaign.

[Mugzi]

Right on! Extending voting hours is the right thing to do...it's not about Republican or Democrat, it's about right and wrong

[PopeRatzo]

Viva Obama!

[customgreen]

Well on this side of the state the crowds are not nearly as rude. In my early polling place (swf) not one word was uttered for or against Obama or McCain. People kept their opinions to themselves just like it should be. Respect was everywhere, and no comments were thrown out. The poll workers were very unbiased, extremely helpful, and thanked every person for coming out to vote.
I never could understand why either party would want to supress voters. It only serves to remind people in the next election why that party doesn't deserve your vote. That I believe, is one reason why I think Florida in the end will not even be a close race. I do honestly think Obama will take the state by a wide margin. Young voters, minority voters and struggling middle class voters will put this thing away for the Dems.

[StarwindE]

Just a note, last night's Obama rally was held in Sunrise, FL, not Sunnyside.