Cosmic Tumblers

Yesterday, with a group of McAdamites, the subject came up of whether any of us had voted in a presidential election for a Republican candidate. Ashley Sumner, our communications director, responded first, "Yes," she said sheepishly, "the first time I was eligible to vote Bush ran against Kerry, and I voted for Bush."

I was immediately contorted in a display of writhing agony. "No, no, no..." I cried out, "say it is not so!"

There is no secret I'm a loyal Democrat, but even so Ashley was surprised by the vehemence of my response. "I know, I know," she apologized, "if I had it to do all over..."

I interrupted her before she could elaborate, "No Ashley, my pain has nothing to do with for whom you first voted, it has everything to do with when. God girl, that election was yesterday!"

Someday she will understand.

.....

Speaking of Ashley, later that morning we were walking in the direction of her car. We had a distance to go and there ensued a long moment of silence, each of us thinking our own private thoughts. Suddenly, she made a statement apropos to nothing we had discussed before. "We're going to win this," she said in a matter of fact tone.

My mind was in an alternate universe so I didn't immediately make the connection. "What?" I asked.

"We're going to win the election," she said, as if reading aloud a text newly received from the board of elections.

"Really? You're sure?"

"Yes."

"You've worked on campaigns before, ever feel this same way?"

"No, never."

My first instinct was to caution against blind optimism, but when I reached into my pocket for a flashing yellow light it wasn't there. "I think you're right," I replied.

None of this is based on verifiable evidence. There are no polls that would support such a conclusion. Yet, in that moment, there was a shared sense that cosmic tumblers had turned and something had fallen into place.

Was it simply wishful thinking? Or did the weight of a thousand sensory inputs reveal something analysis never could?

Perhaps we'll never know, but I'm guessing November 6th will offer nothing to end that speculation.