presidential election remember year ronald reagan voted office daughter quillin reagan's landslide victory wrote deadpan sentiment journal yesterday ronald reagan elected president we're moving canada night crowded lively election party hosted friends stop watching girls children house clear obama knew remember collection random details night important moment keyed mood high-strung parents speaking special permission laissez faire parenting tactics wanted stay late tuesday evening kids playing games decipher running thundering packs house periodically taking stops kitchen fuel wide assortment savories sweets covering tables counter tops results started coming adults began cheering kids gradually migrated rooms time demonstrating feasible john mccain sofa room lined elementary-aged children staring intently television electoral maps coloring stayed focused mccain's concession speech obama's victory speech important civic lessons littlest citizens watching children watch obama gratifying part evening partly future brighter obama leading nation bringing people good words we're moving canada children witnessed incredibly important paradigm shift heart understand patriotism liberties freedoms country candidate color foreign-sounding overcame odds elected president competence humility intelligence honor vision hope rewarded electorate dismissed good practices attitudes upheld evidence negative efforts focused fear divisiveness distraction doubt smack-down obvious presidential race elizabeth dole's senate defeat hagan clear dole's fate sealed large part last-minute attack accusing hagan godless people raise eyebrows involvement children politics kids simply parrot back hear parents large part true brainwashing children yesterday helping decorate cookies obama logos equivalent making drink kool adults polls voting opposite party parents people persist sharing parents political views worried daughters won't rate offspring identify political party night night opportunity kids learn important civic societal lessons witness participation acceptance openness change power unity hope road ahead important lesson learn hopeful euphoric feel ignore crowd's disapproving boos phoenix john mccain obama's concession speech night ignore reports devoted racism we've ignore news morning same-sex marriage proposition passed voters california feel ready high begin teach children important lesson work 