alas

And so it has come to pass... All hail Staatfuhrer Schwarzenegger. We'll see what happens... In spite of my own pessimism, I hope Arnold does well for California, and following his own rhetoric, does what is right for the people. I certainly think he is capable of standing up against the Republican establishment at times if he chooses to do so, and I hope to see that play out. Hopefully also the large voter turnout and celebrity governor will keep more Californians involved in politics (even if I disagree with them). With over a hundred candidates involved, this recall election has also solidified for me a strong interest in instant run-off voting.

At the end of this whole spectacle, at least I can say I don't feel that impending sense of doom that I (sadly accurately) felt after the 2000 presidential election.

Also, I got to cast my vote using the computerized Diebold voting machines that have lately been the subject of much controversy. And let me tell you, while it certainly could have been much worse, the UI sucks!! I doubt there was much of a user-centered design process in play for this most important of interfaces.