Columns

A man touched by greatness lost the American Presidency Tuesday just as another man presented with an opportunity to achieve greatness strode confidently to the front door of the White House. And a nation showed the world----and proved to itself----that it had the capability to call upon its truer lights to shed its haunted past in order to forge a brighter tomorrow.
Barack Obama completed his rags to riches personal saga to become President Elect before hundreds of thousands of beguiled supporters and a nation demonstrably eager to bestow upon him the leadership mantle which can lead him to historical heights on a storied governing path. Obama has been presented a mandate for change. He possesses the magnetic charisma to accomplish a new direction so longed for by an electorate thirsting for an end to partisan posturing. If he delivers that change he will climb to the pantheon occupied by the likes of Lincoln, Washington, Jefferson, the Roosevelts and Reagan. Already he has accomplished a feat Americans could scarcely have imagined a generation ago.

On November 4th, millions of Americans cast their secret ballots not only for the President of the United States, but for other federal, state and local officials. Voters also decided many other important referendum issues at the polls.
In the process of making these decisions we exercised free speech, demonstrated peacefully, benefited from a free press and did so without any fear of reprisal by the party in power. Our court system stands ready to resolve any election disputes and the rule of law will prevail.
As imperfect as our system of government may be, November 4th stands as living testimony to the benefits of being Americans. One week later, we all have a chance to thank those whose service in our military has permitted us to maintain and expand these freedoms for more than two hundred years.
At 11 a.m. on Tuesday, November 11th, a color guard made up of representatives of all of our military services will “Present Arms” at the Tomb of the Unknowns, at Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony includes the laying of a presidential wreath, followed by the playing of “Taps”.

The Presidential election which will culminate in a victory for either John McCain of Barack Obama has always been about Obama. The Democratic challenger is an historic figure in American politics. Win or lose, his place in the lore of the nation is firmly established. As the first black candidate to head the ticket of a major party, Obama's quest will be widely viewed as a measure of how far the country has traveled in its determination to erase the images of slavery which have haunted a people since the Civil War.

I am so excited! I mean the day I have been waiting for for so long is finally here. I just seriously can’t believe we are finally here. If I weighed thirty pounds lighter I would do cartwheels and dance in the street. Seriously I just am so thrilled!!!
I have done so much research and really tried to pay attention and just be informed so that on this day the decisions I make are the right ones. I have watched every debate and read all the papers and searched the internet for the answers I haven’t heard yet. Next Tuesday I get to take all that knowledge I have gathered and go to my town hall and I get to vote. How totally amazing is that.

Many commentators call the upcoming election the most critical in a generation. For once, this may not be an exaggeration. War and financial crisis both add to the normal importance of balloting this time.
In four days, the speeches, fund raising, commercials, polls, debates and other campaigning activities will end. Voters will have heard everything from indisputable facts to debatable figures. They will have coped with misrepresentations and lies.
The decisions we make in the privacy of the voting booth will have a huge impact on our common future. Those choices rest with each person that casts their ballot on November 4th. These are the decisions that really count.
For several years, our fearless cat “Charlee” has compiled a solid record for predicting election results. This year we have matched him against twenty volunteers. Their task was to predict the winners of twelve election contests that Henniker voters will help decide at the polls. These are not necessarily their personal choices.

Regardless of the outcome of the presidential election less than two weeks hence, one likelihood seems to stand out on the political landscape, Sarah Palin may be the leader of the Republican pack in 2012. The Alaska governor has emerged as more than the second banana supporting Sen. John McCain on the underdog GOP ticket. She has taken the country by storm as a natural campaigner who has either wowed or angered the electorate depending on political persuasions.
One gets the feeling Palin is an emerging force who may play well with the electorate for years to come. Hence the ferver with which those on the political left have savaged her at every opportunity. She has been ridiculed by late night comics and attacked by a free press which has abandoned any attempt to project an image of fair coverage.
A confident and comfortable Palin is a dangerous opponent of liberalism, and she has been sliced and diced to an extent which would have destroyed a lesser luminary. The angst she engenders among political opposites is almost palpable. Yet she cheerfully campaigns on with a smiling aplomb which only feeds the bitterness of her foes.

I can remember so clearly ( which believe me these days is no small feat) lying in a hospital bed many, many, many (damn I’m old , look at how many “manys” I had to use to make this historically accurate) years ago. The sun was shining through the window making a cold impersonal hospital room feel somewhat homey. Nicole, who was not quite two at the time, was trying desperately to climb into my bed so she could get a look at the kid who she was now going to have to share Mommy and Daddy with. Funny, she really didn’t seem to mind her at all, at least that day. Their relationship over the last eighteen years has been pretty good, at least it is good for two people who couldn’t be more different if they tried. They are sisters in every sense of the word , they fight with a good deal of zest and they defend each other with the same amount of emotion.

This last weekend I notice a news bulletin that gave me some new information about our wonderful state. It isn’t the most important item that’s come across my desk in the last few months. None-the-less, it was interesting. That prompted me to search my files for other intriguing facts that I’ve stored for future use.
The Mount Washington Observatory holds the world record for the greatest wind speed ever recorded on Earth. The facility on the 6,288 foot summit had only housed observers for two winters when the storm hit.
Three staff members and nine cats were present to feel the thrust of winds that eventually hit their highpoint at 1:21 P.M. on April 12, 1934. The wind gust measured a record of 231 miles per hour.
Many of you probably know that Contoocook River stretches seventy-one miles from Poole Pond and Contoocook Lake on the Jaffrey/Rindge border until it joins the Merrimack River at Penacook Island. Those that tour the waterway are likely to see any number of the one hundred and seventeen species of birds that visit the area.

With less than three weeks remaining before Americans choose another resident of the White House, there seems to be a growing consensus that Sen. Barack Obama has hugely beneffited from the economic crisis and is a solid favorite to edge Sen. John McCain. But several key states remain winnable battlegrounds for either candidate and it is possible to discern uneasiness among Obama supporters and flickering hope among McCain stalwarts that something may be going on which is not reliably reflected in the polls.
That something may not admirably reflect upon the electorate, but the truth is that Obama has over-polled in many of the primary elections leading up to the November face-off. In New Hampshire primary polls he was a solid favorite, yet was soundly beaten by Hillary Clinton. Democrats expect racial prejudice to alter the poll figures by at least five points.
It is possible that as many citizens (non African Americans) will vote for Obama because of his race as will vote against him because of his race. However, neither factor should be a valid reason for choosing our next president. Making a social statement one way or the other is a weak position in dangerous times.

Picture this my friends......It is the dawn of a new day. Our heroine has just woken from a peaceful nights sleep, having dreamt of a world of peace and serenity, (everyone is home in the comfort of those who love them, and we have a president who tells us the truth at all times) and a world where she is married to McDreamy. (Sorry Toby, but you still have Hallie Berry.) The sun is shining through the bedroom windows cascading across the bed as she rises and stretches her arms welcoming a brand new day. The bedroom is spotless, no laundry baskets with awaiting clothes wanting to be folded, no toys from a precocious six-year-old waiting for you to step on as you get out of bed. The three foot pile of papers that usually sits by the computer has disappeared. It is so pristine you can almost smell how clean it is (hey I know ..I’m weird, but a clean bedroom is part of my fantasy, so just let me have my moment.. O.K.) It is like a scene from a Disney movie, the only thing missing is the cute little squirrels and deer bringing her a bathrobe and slippers.