U.S. election coverage

What's left of my article (they cut it by about 1/3rd) on the US election (I was in Chicago on election day)
is at the Byron Echo's online site: www.echo.net.au

but you have to search for it. The heading is American spirit rekindled by a true leader

The full web address is:
http://www.echo.net.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1255&Itemid=543

The Echo is my local newspaper in Byron Bay, New South Wales

Coming back through LA last Friday night, I was picked up at the airport by a couple I have known for 20 years; they married 6 weeks ago, after 26 years together (longer than most 'straight' couples I know)! Imagine how pissed they are about Prop 8... However, as we returned to their house in Long Beach, they mentioned that a demo had been going on for several hours. As soon as we got to their house, we were drawn out by a cluster of helicopters hovering a few blocks away. So we marched down the street for a few blocks, made a left and voila! we were in a large demo, police with full riot gear and so on, informing us (on a tape loop through amplifiers on the back of a truck) that if we didn't disperse immediately we would be arrested! The recorded message ("in the name of the people of California" no less!) was drowned out for at least an hour by constant rounds of chanting.

It was so exhilarating, after being in Chicago on election day itself, to land back in California and be able to join in that protest. It took me back to the days of the anti-war marches against the stupid involvement in Vietnam, and I was chuffed to see my brothers (and sisters) not laying down and taking it anymore. I remembered the feisty spirit of the drag queens in New York, who started the riots at the famous Stonewall Inn and kicked off a revolution...

As for the success of the nasty Prop 8; as many people pointed out over there, the huge turnout of voters, esp. black voters, many of whom are churchgoers, meant that their conservative 'Christian' values came with them.

The surprise is that Gov Arnold Schwartzenegger (spelling?), who originally said that marriage was between a man and a woman, expressed disappointment that the prop. actually passed, encouraged gays to take it to the courts (that is happening now) and said if they wanted to pick up a lesson from body building, to never give up!

Arnie does have a Democrat wife (former newswoman and member of the Kennedy/Shriver clan), but I wonder what his belated opinion is worth: he's standing for re-election in less than 2 years and I am sure he would want the gay vote!