So there's an Election On in Oz!

For those of you who don't follow Australian politics (so most of you), there's a national election happening down under! Why is this one particularly exciting? Well, there's a woman in the contest and she's actually the current PM as well. That's right, a smart, confident, capable, unmarried, agnostic woman!!! What is this, Iceland? A friend sent the above along, which is a parody of her when she was Deputy PM under a rather unpopular leader. In case you want to know more about this powerful, awesome woman, her name is JULIA GILLARD. Google it. She's kind-of a big deal.

--

Kyle Taylor

UK Election 2010: History Made

The last few weeks have been manic. Going 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, non-stop campaigning, recruiting, organizing, and arranging. For me, it was utter bliss; a real take on Democracy in action, and the result could not have been more exciting either!

I was working for the Lb Dems as the polling day organizer/activist recruiter/proofreader/rizo operator/deliverer/branding advisor/other tasks as needed person. That last bit is the most important because as I learned, everyone sort-of does everything on a campaign. It's a big tent, many hats situation - perfect for a "jack of all trades" type!



we went into the Election the definitive "third party" and emerged as part of a coalition government - the first for Britain in a very very long time. Nick Clegg, the party leader, emerged as a genuine Political Rock Star, with thousands of traditionally reserved Britons showing up at events across the country. It was "Cleggmania!" The "Cleggcano" Erupted and we rode the wave!



Locally, we were the most successful Lib Dem party in the Greater London area, holding nearly every seat despite a massive Labour resurgence in local elections despite losing major ground nationally. Simon Hughes - the coolest MP in town - increased his majority, winning by more than 8,500 votes! He is a total Rock Star; a genuine torch-bearer of the progressive movement and just a really great guy.

This is a link to the audio of his speech, which he delivered at 7am after having been up all night with the rest of us counting more than 40,000 votes by hand! In fact, I was awake from 5am Thursday to 11pm Saturday counting ballot after endless ballot. It was Democracy in action - an amazing way to really appreciate how much every vote counts.



The last few days have been filled with retaining all the information we possibly can, and it's the Mayor's Ball on Saturday, where I'll be wearing a tuxedo that is WAY TO BIG for me! Stay tuned for photos and stories.

If you're interested in following the amazing-ness of this Election, I highly recommend The Guardian, which you can go to directly by clicking here.

Finally, a huge shout out to the entire campaigning team for all their guidance, support, and general awesomeness!!! GO TEAM!!!