Spending the night with Chris Matthews...

I'm wondering if I made the right decision to sit in front of the TV tonight and watch election coverage. Even with the very early results from four states, I can feel my stomach swirling and dipping from the news. Maybe this is a good night to catch a movie, ignore the TV, and find out what happens in the morning. But I know I won't be able to resist.

No matter what happens, there is one thing I would like to see change. Today on campus, I saw a girl wearing an "I ♥ Bush" t-shirt and the blood just boiled to my head. In the past, I probably would've felt at least an ounce of admiration toward this person for believing in her opinion strongly enough to wear it on her chest. On a college campus, she probably knew she was going to have some verbal tomatoes thrown her way. But today, I instantly judged her and wanted to scream at her. And I hate that I feel that way.

Even if Bush wins this thing, I hope I'm mature enough to move past it (eventually - give me a week, okay?) and let go of the negative feelings I hold right now toward anyone who believes in a candidate different from the one I support. I'm tired of feeling the way I felt today, as I've felt for much of the past four years.

As a comic strip by James Kochalka said today, "I guess we can relax. Bush won't be president much longer now. Four more years, TOPS."

Having said all that, I'll miss all the political action here in Iowa. It's been so fun to experience the caucuses and national election here, with all of the candidates breezing through, holding rallies, and meeting people. Presidential politics has never seemed more personal and more vital to me than it has over the past year-and-a-half.