There was also an encouragingly large and efficient corps of non-partisan poll watchers/voter advocates (including one lawyer standing directly behind the check-in workers), most of whom would, if questioned, admit to supporting/being supported by Obama for America, but who were doing a very good, and, as far as I can tell, genuinely non-partisan, job of helping people make sure they were at the right precinct, had the right i.d. (still fairly minimal in my state, but you need at least a voter card or utility bill or something along those lines), etc., and helping people who were issued provisional ballots understand what they needed to do to follow up. In my particular precinct, there were fairly good odds that they’d help more Democratic (or Green/Independent) voters than Republican ones, but it was still a cheering effort to see.

Those who stood in very long lines well past poll-closing hour, often in majority-minority districts (and often after very long days of work, in contradiction to early-in-the-day jabs about the late vote belonging to hard-working Republicans), also deserve a “thank you.”

The answer may lie partly in the state’s changing demography.

Colorado’s Latino population has grown 42 percent in 12 years, helping to transform once-reliable Republican areas into swing counties now leaning toward Democrats.

I’m also in Montreal, and spent the 6th in two US airports, including four hours watching the results coverage on CNN. Was kind of disappointed to not have been there when the result was announced, but my facebook feed was very happy, despite having a minority of US friends.

I spent the day in airplanes, and when I arrived in Montreal at the end of the day, I said something to one of the staff about being in a good mood, and he said, “Oh, your side won.” To which I said, the important one was the state race…

The bad news in the state of Colorado: one of the men who won his race for the U.S. House has said nasty, nasty things about liberal arts education. (It’s a waste of time and money to get a degree in, say, history.) And on my side of the state, we elected two wing nuts to the Colorado House.

“Of Mass. liberals, I read this week that Michael Dukakis was going door to door for Elizabeth Warren. So he obviously lives–who knew?–and how great to know that old-guard jacobins of his stripe are hiding out in the Berkshire hills, drilling and waiting for an opportunity to bring the revolution back toward Wichita, Tulsa, and Cheyenne, as soon as the leader gives the word.”

If only, huh?

Of Mass. liberals, I read this week that Michael Dukakis was going door to door for Elizabeth Warren. So he obviously lives–who knew?–and how great to know that old-guard jacobins of his stripe are hiding out in the Berkshire hills, drilling and waiting for an opportunity to bring the revolution back toward Wichita, Tulsa, and Cheyenne, as soon as the leader gives the word.

I’ve read a couple of accounts of Republicans blaming Romney for being a Mass. liberal — and the hurricanes, etc. Or just being angry at the Communists. I doubt they will change. More likely they will go the way of the California Republican Party — increasingly irrelevant in statewide elections, but holding on to their House seat in Newport Beach.

And go Colorado! Your victory parties are going to be *really* fun!