I figure there's some interest in this type of thing with comments slowing and the Hot Stove league not yet fired up, but maybe I figure wrong.  When justin had the RR Presidential Poll a couple weeks ago, there was a mention that an election day thread might be interesting.  The political discourse around here has been remarkably civil, so I don't think there's any harm in this.  As I rarely contribute much of worth to Red Reporter, here y'all go.

This whole election cycle has been filled with enough twists and turns too strange for fiction.  Whatever happens tonight, the country's undeniably going in a new direction.  So, after all the spin, the inane trivialities that somehow always creep into Presidential elections, and hundreds of millions of dollars, we finally get to vote. 

I want to hear your opinions on this day.  Are you excited?  Could you care less? Voting for a candidate who didn't support the bailout? (For you, BubbaFan)  Are voting lines gigantic in your state? Are you watching the floating pie charts, magic map, and swooshing sound effects on CNN?  Are you going low-tech and watching actual objective analysis on PBS/C-Span?

via www.huffingtonpost.com

So what horse are you betting on?  It looks like it may be an early night, but I'm not so confident (Full Disclosure: As most of you know, I'm an Obama staffer in NC and have been on the campaign since January, slowly descending into a fevered insanity that I had to take a break from tonight to write out this post). 

Thoughts? Observations? Predictions?

The news just came over the wire that Jon Lieber's going to the Cubs for one year and 3.5 million.  That seems fairly cheap, but it might be inferred that Lieber took a paycut b/c he liked Chicago the first time around.  Regardless, it looks like the Reds are content to stand pat and not pick up a veteran.  IMO, I like this because it means that we aren't throwing money at a pitcher in his late 30s (see Stanton, Mike).  If we give the 3 young 'uns a shot along with Belisle and Shearn I think we'll have 3 decent options for the back end of the rotation.  Everyone here seems to think the team's a year away, but if the Central's as bad as last year, the Reds can afford to endure some growing pains before seizing control of the Central in the second half.  Let's just hope Dusty agrees with me.  Thoughts?