What a night that was, one week ago tonight! I must confess that I expected that Kerry and the Democrats would be the winners last Tuesday night. Perhaps it is simply a result of the state in which I live, and the city in which I work, but I felt like the “anyone but Bush” sentiment combined with the strong “get out the vote” campaign was going to be enough to get rid of Bush. Little did I know how impressive the Republicans were going to be at getting their base to get out and vote, particularly in the hotly contested states of Florida and Ohio. Four more years – hopefully President Bush can make good on his promises.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad election, at least in terms of who and what I voted for as compared to the actual outcome. I vote against just about any “citizen initiative” – many of the initiatives failed, though a few did pass, including a crazy new format for primary elections that will allow for the possibility of two members of the same party running against each other in the general election.

I vote for just about any “referendum” – the only one on the ballot, regarding charter schools, failed. Of course, no charter school money would ever end up going to a religious school like Mount Vernon Christian School, so I don’t have a whole lot of stake in that.

I vote for just about any Republican – most of them lost, though there were a few victories. The Senate gets to enjoy the company of Democrat Patty Murray for her third six-year term. But the biggest prize, governor of Washington state, is still “too close to call.” The lead literally switches between Rossi (R) and Gregoire (D) day to day…

Finally, I voted for the winner in every one of the non-partisan races, so that was a welcome change from previous elections.

Mostly, I’m glad for the opportunity to vote. I’m glad that there were no terrorist attacks, no major riots (though plenty of protest rallies, including one in Bellingham on Wednesday), and no protracted legal battle for the presidency. Regardless of the outcome, that makes me proud to be an American.