At the Ward 2, precinct 5 voting location at 1350 31st, St, NW in Georgetown, election officials said the turnout was comparable to what they usually see in a general election. At 11:00 AM,normally a slow time, people were lined up to get their ballots. Some comments I’ve heard today: “I have a lot of respect for Hillary,” but I like the energy and excitement a Obama is bringing to this. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way about a candidate. A long, long time.”

Q.”Who did you vote for?
A. “Obama, why not?”
Q.”Well, what about this lack of experience? Does that bother you?”
A. “You mean unlike the experience the current occupant of the office brought to the job. Give me a break.”

“I voted for Hillary. She’s earned it. Obama’s time will come.”

These are Democrats speaking, of course, Republican voters do not share their respect for either of the Clintons, although some I’ve talked with find Obama intriguing. And I’ve chatted with a number of Republicans who have no use for the Clintons, are absolutely unimpressed by Obama and, by the way, don’t think John McCain is a real Republican, either. These are not happy people.  I referred one Obama voter to David Brooks” column in the NY Times today in which he suggests that in the face of the harsh realities the next president will inherit, especially with regards to Iraq, “All dreams of changing the tone in Washington would be gone. All of Obama’s unity hopes would evaporate.”

This Obama voter said, “Oh yeah. He’ll wonder what hit him in the first year. Like Jack Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs.” A man with a big Hillary sticker on his chest asked me why the press is giving Barack Obama a free ride while going over Hillary Clinton’s record with a fine tooth comb. “Well,” I said, rather lamely. “She has a much more extensive record.” “Have you read Obama’s speeches,” he said, “Very short on specifics.”

Steve Croft made the same point in last Sunday’s “60 Minutes” interview with Obama on CBS: “You talk about big ideas and often with a lack of specificity. And it’s been one of the complaints about your campaign.” Obama replied that early on in the campaign the complaint was that he was too professorial, too specific,going too much into detail. “…wondering whatever happened to that inspiring guy who spoke at the Democratic…convention.”  It’s true. Early on, you sometimes felt like it was time for a nap in the back of the classroom. Now, he says, people are demanding specifics. I guess if you want specifics you’ll have to go to his web site because the inspirational stuff is packing them in.