Twelve years ago, I was at the Tarrant County Democratic Party watch party being a witness to history. When the 10PM hour struck, it was announced that Obama had won.
In 2012, I was at my home in Denton, TX watching the returns come in. Ohio was announced for Obama 12 minutes after 10PM thus securing his re-election.
I remember where I was in 2016, and the slow agony among those in a Denver hotel room of watching Hillary Clinton losing to Donald Trump. I was so distraught that I could not drive, and I remember calling my sister to apologize to my niece for not doing enough to prevent the nightmare from happening.
There was some anxiety going into 2018, but there was relief when it was announced that the Democrats had flipped the House thus providing a necessary check on Trump’s recklessness.
In each of those instances, we knew the results.
If you haven’t voted yet, do so.
Before I reveal my final electoral college prediction, I cannot stress enough how important downballot races are. What happens in your state capitol matters; probably more than what happens in our nation’s capital.
Because 2020 was a census year, 2021 will be redistricting and several states still redraw their districts based on what party controls the legislature. There has been an effort to flip those chambers or introduce ballot initiatives to allow for independent commissions to redraw districts that do not so strongly favor one party.
If you haven’t voted yet, do so on Tuesday