One of my colleagues voted early yesterday, and she spoke afterward of how moved she was that so many people were willing to stand in line out in the sun for so long to make sure that their vote was counted.

This election, especially the circumstances surrounding it, may have finally gotten people to understand how much government--and who is leading it-- can affect their everyday lives. The economic crisis hits home in a way nothing else can. It isn't abstract, it isn't something that only the chattering classes yak about on Sunday morning talk shows. Never have the choices been so stark, or the outcome of greater consequence.

Hence, the connection I made in the cartoon between voting and the economy. Go stand in line to vote. It's a lot better for your health than standing in line for fast food.