FORTY FOUR?

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Most of you can tell I like sports analogies and sports in general, and from what I see and hear, so does the O man. Well, if the polls hold (IF), it looks like his O ness might become the 44th president of these divided states. This is in spite of ignorance like this, being pushed by Drudge, and the people like the clown on the *bike captioned here.

The number 44 is a pretty good number to have if you are into sports. It was Jerry West's number, it was Reggie Jackson's number, and it was Hank Aaron's number, as well. That's some pretty good company. And now, in 2008, A-merry-ca is about to put a black man in the house named after her majority population, and make him her 44th president. I have to give it to A-merry-ca, whether his O ness wins or loses, she has come a long way. I read some of the regular posters here who happen to be white, and I have to say that there might still be hope for this crazy country of ours yet. I say might, because for every well meaning person of good will I run into, there is a story of the opposite taking place here in the land of the [some are] free. Today I listened to a young college educated white colleague tell me that he was out with some of his friends (other young educated white people) and he got a rise out of them by telling them that he was voting for Obama. He told me they were racist, I asked him how he knew, and he gave me that look that said; come on field....and I knew exactly what he meant. Young, white, educated, living in a Northeastern city, and they would never vote for a black man. If they feel that way, what's a poor uneducated old white guy living in Appalachia supposed to do? This is why I still feel that my run might be safe. This is why, in spite of her great strides as a nation, I still get so discomposed when I think of some of the shit that goes on here.

Look, if you are not going to vote for the O man because you really believe that his policies are fucked up, well then more power to you. But if you aren't going to vote for him because you just can't stand the thought of that nappy headed family putting their nappy heads on your White House pillows, well then you represent the very worst that this country has to offer. And you make it possible for angry black men who are supposedly living the A-merry-can dream, to have a blog where they can express themselves in clear unambiguous terms how fucked up this country can be to people who really don't have a voice.

So what should we expect tomorrow? I suspect that we will see a huge turnout on both sides, and I suspect that we will be in for a long day. But at the end of the day, whatever happens, it will be historic. When I see stories like this, I damn near tear up just thinking about the significance of what is transpiring in our midst.

So O man, I gotta give it to you; you just might have put some egg on this field Negro's face (don't get any ideas Drudge), and proved me wrong about the qualities of the A-merry-can people and our ability to reach deep down inside and connect to to our better selves.

Good luck tomorrow, and please tell your Obamaholics to behave if you win; or, for that matter, if you lose.

*Now a quick note about the elections here in Philly:

*If you are a felon, you can vote. Here in Pa. that's true even if you are on probation or parole.

*If you lost your home to foreclosure you can still vote, but you must fill out a form at the polling station.

*Even if you didn't vote in the last election, you can still vote. (You have five years of inactivity before you can be removed from the rolls)

*Polls open here in Pa. at [*6:AM in New Jersey] 7:00AM and close at 8:PM. Thanks Ayana.

*If you have outstanding warrants or parking tickets etc. go and vote. Nothing will happen to you.

*If you are voting for the first time you will be asked to show a valid ID. If you don't happen to have one on you fill out a provisional ballot. (Valid ID is driver's license,passport, military ID,current utility bill, current bank statement, or a government check.

Now go out and VOTE!!!