# A poem for Election Day

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poem-for-election-day/470998>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [November 4, 2008, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poem-for-election-day/470998 "2008-11-04T04:53:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poem-for-election-day/470998/1 "2008-11-04T04:53:47Z")

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**The Poor Voter on Election Day** (1852)  
by John Greenleaf Whittier

The proudest now is but my peer,  
The highest not more high;  
Today, of all the weary year,  
A king of men am I.  
Today, alike the great and small,  
The nameless and the known;  
My palace is the people’s hall,  
The ballot-box my throne!

Who serves today upon the list  
Beside the served shall stand;  
Alike the brown and wrinkled fist,  
The gloved and dainty hand!  
The rich is level with the poor,  
The weak is strong today;  
And sleekest broadcloth counts no more  
Than homespun frock of gray.

Today let pomp and vain pretence  
My stubborn right abide;  
I set a plain man’s common sense  
Against the pedant’s pride.  
Today shall simple manhood try  
The strengthen of gold and land;  
The wide world has not wealth to buy  
The power in my right hand!

While there’s grief to set redress,  
Or balance to adjust,  
Where weighs our living manhood less  
Than Mammon’s vilest dust -  
While there’s a right to need my vote,  
A wrong to sweep away,  
Up! clouted knee and ragged coat!  
A man’s a man today!

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**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poem-for-election-day/470998/2 "2008-11-04T06:25:19Z")

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I think Whittier would have loved the long lines at the polls!

Just heard that early Election Day voting in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire resulted in a big win for Senator Obama. He defeated Senator McCain 15-6.

And we’re off!

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**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-poem-for-election-day/470998/3 "2008-11-04T13:45:00Z")

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Obama also won Hart’s Location, N.H., 17-10, with two write-in votes for Ron Paul.

Gobama!