Subversive Almonds, Dolls And Other Election-Night Rituals

--Heather Murphy

Everyone has their voting night rituals. My friend Beverly goes to a movie directly after work, refuses to turn on the television or radio and then goes to sleep. She says that once she let herself get sucked into poll-reporting and it caused so much anxiety that even when she was ready to turn off the tube, she couldn't sleep.

Barack Obama's Ohio campaign manager hasn't shaved his face in a month. We can only begin to imagine what his prickly election night ritual involves.

One food Web site urges McCain supporters to cook up one of Cindy McCain's favorite recipes. Who knew that wheat spaghetti was good for the GOP?

The Washington Post offers a more highbrow take on Election Night eating. Ingesting mini quiche or Chinese takeout is like political treason, writer Jane Black argues. She suggests that the best munchies are Marcona almonds. Why Marcona? She does not say, but analysts will surely read it as a subversive form of culinary endorsement. (Marcona is derived from Spain -- the sort of thing one might snack on while sitting down with Prime Minister Zapatero.)

Day to Day editor Jason DeRose says he prefers watching the election results on the BBC. He loves the British take on the United States political process. Tonight comedian Ricky Gervais is scheduled to offer analysis along with novelist Jay McInerney and writer Gore Vidal.

"The tone is 'Those quirky kids,' DeRose writes in an e-mail. "After one of the presidential debates this fall, anchor Matt Frei said, 'After I'll that talking, I think I'd like to spend some time in a Trappist monastery.' (Trappists are the monks who take vows of silence.) I'm hoping for more lines like that tonight."

What's your election night ritual? Do you eat or wear something special? Or perhaps you try to keep your mind at ease with something like bowling, a punk concert ... or creating your own presidential voodoo doll. Let us know.

12:12 PM ET | 11- 4-2008 | permalink

comments | | e-mail