It’s all over but the counting.

Yup, it has been a long few months, wading through the pleas of political candidates and the attack ads that more often than not obscured any hope of making an informed decision.

But it’s our system and you gotta love it, I suppose.

So, look at this morning as recovering from sort of a political hangover. Some are nursing a headache and a big victory is sure to turn any sour stomach sweet.

As I write this, I don’t know whether my choices came out victorious. Now it can be told. I am hoping that Chris Gregoire will still be sitting at her chair in Olympia for another four years and that Barack Obama will have his chance to bring change to a nation that is in sore need of a new direction.

What disturbed me were polls that showed more people were “scared” of a President Obama than of a President McCain. I am just not sure what that means, but the implications are disturbing.

I just never felt that McCain, at his age, was ready to lead a nation through a period of time that will demand a youthful energy and a willingness to find new solutions to often-repetitive economic problems. The “old guard” simply has had its chance and now we need some fresh ideas.

For me, it’s not so much idelogical. I voted Democratic and Republican (Dave Reichert for Congress). I have no probolem voting for a woman; I think that Jennifer Dunn, had she remained in the political arena and not died way too soon, would have made a fine vice presidential candidate.

No matter what Republicans say, Sarah Palin is not qualified to stand a heart beat away from the presidency. I don’t see her as the best hope for a resurgent Republican Party. If McCain wins, then we may want to hold our breaths.

Anyway, the counting is going to take a few days, if not weeks. Let’s hope there isn’t a repeat of 2004, when it took recounts to send Gregoire to Olympia and made a mockery of the way we count our votes.

I think those lessons have been learned. One thing we don’t have to fear are the safeguards now in place to ensure a fair election.