The Election is Over!

Two years and two internships later, Campaign 2008 has come to an end. I couldn't wait for the negative ads to stop airing, but now that the whole campaign is over, there's such a huge void in my life!

But, it was good while it lasted. My campaign adventures are well-documented in this blog, from C-SPAN to 9NEWS, the Clarion to CQ...and everything in between.

Election Night, for me, was a great capstone to the whole experience. The above picture is me with 9NEWS' Kim Christensen and Mark Koebrich at the Democratic HQ in Denver. We covered the festivities and experienced what many there considered to be one heck of an evening.

Before the doors to the Sheraton Hotel ballroom opened, I enjoyed my free Starbucks coffee 

(for voting!) and got in touch with PR people for many major Democratic newsmakers. In my job helping the crew (three photographers, three talent, and one engineer and one other producer like me), I tried to get the newsmakers on our air. In this process, I interviewed Rep. Dianna DeGette (D-Colo D1), Sen. Ken Salazar (D-Colo) and state party chair Pat Waak. Throughout the evening, I also conducted interviews with party-goers and anti-amendments 47, 49, and 54 spokesperson (Joel the Firefighter!).

 When I wasn't interviewing, I was helping the photographer and Mark navigate the huge party and get to interviewees like newly elected Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo) and (now former) State House Speaker Andrew Romanoff (D-Denver). It was a busy night that kept me on my feet for five hours! There was even a party on the street outside the hotel that I ended up tagging along with a photographer to help him get interviews at. It was definitely a great 9NEWS shift!

Election Day itself was also great. I woke up extra early to make it up to Adams County to vote. I decided to vote at home so that I could cast a ballot for Mark Udall's replacement. I arrived at my vote center at about 6:50 a.m., ten minutes before the polls actually opened. Already, at least 25 people were in line! This made me so happy about democracy!

I waited in the chilly weather with fellow voters. I was, by far, the youngest person there, hanging out in my DU hoodie, jeans, and Rockies baseball cap. By 7:15, I was at a station, casting my electronic ballot for my candidates and issues. There were multiple "electronic pages" and opportunities to go back and forth between them to change decisions. I never changed any of my initial choices, but did have the opportunity to reject and redo my ballot as it created a paper and an electronic copy. 

I got my "I Voted" sticker at 7:30 and happily returned to my apartment by 8. I then returned to bed, if only because I knew it would be a long Election Night:-) I was ready for work and arrived at 9NEWS at 2pm, only to then go downtown and begin the festivities discussed above. Yaaay for democracy!

Now that it's all over with, I have a full two weeks to get five papers done and complete fall quarter. In essence, I am done with my two BA degrees (Journalism and Poli Sci) by Thanksgiving, and should be done with my minor by St Patrick's Day! 

In the meantime, I am going on a international service-learning trip with DU to El Salvador! I am leaving in 13 days and will be gone for a full month! Nine of us, along with two DU staff and faculty members, will be in San Salvador working with a community center to support marginalized populations. We will mainly work with kids to encourage them to stay in school and find alternatives to gang violence. When not at the center, we will be traveling and learning in the city, at a national university, and in the countryside. We will also spend a weekend at a beach, and have a free weekend to travel. I'm sooo excited!

When I return, I'm working on making it to the Inauguration. Politics and news just cannot disappear from my life so suddenly!

Next quarter, I am registered for the last two classes in my minor and will also be drafting my thesis in Poli Sci. I have to make the best of these last few months as an undergraduate:-D

Either way, that's my elections and life update. Check out www.blogs.cqpolitics.com/reportcard for my last couple of posts to the CQ blog...including a video! I'm not sure how much longer the CQ blog will be up...so, be quick!

Also, you can find my last truth test at 9NEWS, on an ad that supported an amendment that ultimately did not pass this week (which actually kind of surprised me). 

Two years, two internships...and so many Truth Tests later, the 2008 Election is over!

I'm sure life will still be great...although, I kind of miss the campaigns:-)

~MJ