Tuesday’s culmination of the U.S. presidential election stands as something none of us have ever seen: A true national turning point, likely to stand as an indelible bookmark in the story of America.
No matter what happens Tuesday and thereafter, the choice of U.S. voters seems sure to have not just national, but dramatic global implications.
When the national-election dust finally settles, America will be a different place. The nation either moves forward with its first woman president or adjusts to life with a reelected former president who brings to the White House a felony record and promises of a vengeful, grievance-fueled makeover of American political and cultural life.
In our own backyard, adding to the public unease in this moment is a disconcerting sense of helplessness, or at least lack of direct influence — let alone control. The proclivities of the U.S. Electoral College ensure that votes cast in Northwest Washington are likely to become footnotes. Unless the Evergreen State veers from its expected blue vote, we citizens are spectators to a world spinning around us.
The moment’s gravity calls for an extra-intensive, unique coverage plan by your local newspaper. Part of our job at Cascadia Daily News is to document, for history’s sake, our community’s response to this monumental election.
Along with standard reporting of local election results, we’ll deploy our entire staff Tuesday and Wednesday, fanning out across Whatcom and Skagit counties, as the presidential election unfolds. Our journalists will provide real-time glimpses into ways our neighbors and fellow citizens process, react to, grieve, celebrate — or even ignore — what might prove to be landmark events.
We’ll post this series of vignettes from NW Washington on cascadiadaily.com, in a live story labeled “Turning Point,” beginning around 3 p.m. on Tuesday and updated through Wednesday afternoon. Watch also for other local election updates on CDN’s social media channels and at cascadiadaily.com/elections. And of course, we’ll follow any locally focused election-related news events until decisions are clear.
As always, help from readers is central to our success. If you see or hear interesting responses, events or other news in your community on election night or the morning after, feel free to email newstips@cascadiadaily.com, or drop us a call or text at 360-922-3092.
Ron Judd is CDN's executive editor; his column appears Fridays; reach him at ronjudd@cascadiadailycom; 360-922-3090 ext. 102; @roncjudd.
