Blank slate

Before TV coverage of the US Presidential Election began, one of the channels screened Death of a President, perhaps a strange choice. I watched it anyway to pass some of the time leading up to the TV marathon, having first opened a few web pages which offered varying flavours of interactive, live-updating electoral maps, just for additional reference.

I have to admit to some concern because of all the polls which over and over again showed Barack Obama with a comfortable lead, fearing that it could still go wrong despite what people might have said to the pollsters. I'd taken the precaution of grabbing an afternoon nap to prepare me for the coverage. I make a point of always watching the election returns, and there was no way that I wanted to risk nodding off for this one in particular. So I gathered my biscuits and sweets and coffee and microwave meals and settled down for the duration.