As Election Day nervousness sweeps the country (I’m this close to opening a bottle of wine), former president Barack Obama has offered us a brief sigh of relief in the form of a reassuring post on social media.
Obama, who has spent the past few months tirelessly campaigning for his hopeful Democratic successor, took to X to remind us of a few things as swathes of ballots are being counted across the nation. Obama’s main message is a reminder that the outcome of the election will probably not be known on the actual Election Day of Nov. 5, which makes me think we should rename it to Not-Quite Election Day.
“It’s very likely we won’t know the outcome tonight,” Obama wrote on X, after citing the “several days” it took for ballots to be counted in the 2020 presidential election. If you recall, it took four gruelling days after Election Day for Joe Biden to be projected the winner of the last election, which means we may have a sizable chunk of time to relax and let the process play out… at least until the end of this week. Anxiety clock starts now.
With this in mind, Obama went on to urge voters to “please keep a few things in mind as you make your voice heard today.” Those hoping for a last-minute recap of Donald Trump’s record shouldn’t hold their breath (Obama saved that for the campaign trail), since his reminders are more to do with the election process than the candidate who has consistently tried to upend it. One reminder from Obama was to “let the process run its course,” since it “takes time to count every ballot.”
It’s a useful and encouraging message for those of us who’ve spent the last day chewing our fingernails down to the nub, but Obama’s reassurance didn’t stop there. In true, classy Obama form (apart from that hilarious joke at the DNC), he also reminded us to “thank” and “respect” the “thousands of election workers around the country [who] are working hard today.” Nothing like an appeal to our empathy to keep us grounded, especially given what some poll officers have been through in recent weeks.
Proving that optimism must run in the family, Michelle Obama also took to social media to share a message of hope as the election results pour in. She, too, has been heavily involved in the Harris campaign, speaking at multiple events — including a show stopping speech at the DNC — and consistently reminding us of the stakes of this election.
Sharing an image of Harris on X, Michelle reflected on the “remarkable few months” it has been since the Vice President became the Democratic nominee (which feels like lightyears ago). The former First Lady praised Harris for having “built an extraordinary campaign, set forth a clear policy agenda, and proven again and again that she will be working not for herself, but for you.”
Michelle added that Harris did it all with “intelligence, integrity, and grace,” three words that Trump, given his history, probably wouldn’t even know how to spell. “She has gone above and beyond,” Michelle concluded of Harris, “she’s more than done her part.” With the reassurance of the Obamas by our side, let’s all breathe a collective sigh of relief (for now). By week’s end, I will have finished that bottle of wine, and probably a few extras.
Published: Nov 5, 2024 10:38 pm