The whole point of early voting is to beat the rush on Election Day, but several younger voters in Utah this week still found themselves waiting in some fairly long lines.
 
In Davis County, the wait was reported to be an hour at times on Wednesday. It bordered on half an hour in Logan on Thursday--the last day of early voting at Utah State University.
 
The waits are indicative of record breaking turnout for early voting in Utah, which first offered it in 2006. That year, 83,000 people voted early, but Joseph Demma, chief of staff for Utah's lieutenant governor, told The Salt Lake Tribune that he expects the tally to reach 250,000 by the end of the week--which would correspond to about 20 percent of the state's 1.5 million registered voters.
 
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I believe the polls are right: Barack Obama won Tuesday's second presidential debate, and it wasn't even close.
 
While both of the candidates didn't make any major gaffes, Obama still had a better overall performance on several levels. The Illinois senator was able to more clearly explain his positions, he was more impressive stylistically, and he did a superior job in using the debate to speak directly to America's youth.
 
In a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey conducted at the conclusion of the debate, 54 percent said Obama won, compared to just 30 percent for John McCain. These numbers do not just represent a coincidence, or the fact that Obama is generally perceived as more "likable." I'd argue there are concrete reasons behind Obama's victory.
 
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When Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 1986, the vote was 98-0. But now, a president's pick for the High Court is subject to drawn-out partisan infighting during the confirmation process.

Senators will grill the judicial appointee with questions, attempting to discern how they might decide cases involving social issues such as abortion or gay rights. But Scalia says this environment for selecting and appointing justices to the Supreme Court is related to its view, which has evolved over time, that the Constitution is not a "static" document--to be interpreted based on the intent and words of the framers--but a "living" document, the interpretation of which can change as society does.

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Being on the floor of the Democratic National Convention during the roll call vote this afternoon was amazing. The states were individually reporting their votes for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, but Utah did not get its turn. In dramatic fashion, Hillary Clinton appeared and moved that the process cease after two thirds of the states had reported.

Utah superdelegate Helen Langan indicated she was a bit bummed that Utah did not get to report, but she noted that watching the roll call was the best part of the convention so far.

Apollo Pazell, 18, of Copperton, Utah, got to give the seconding speech for Clinton during the roll call.

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The excitement surrounding the Democratic National Convention is immediately apparent. Right after one steps through security, a handful of DNC volunteers--many of them youth--clap and shout, greeting the delegates, party officials, even the media. Chants of "Obama! Obama! Obama!" erupt, as the convention goers high five the volunteers or do a little dance to show their support. (Check out the video link on my profile page to see some video of the volunteers welcoming the guests).

We're a couple hours away from when Michelle Obama will address the crowd. It will be interesting to see whether she gets involved in the political fray at all, or whether she sticks to the basics of introducing herself and her husband to the world.

I'll be getting reaction from some of the youth delegates from Utah after the speech.

In a few  hours, my plane will land in Denver--home to the Democratic National Convention this year. It will be the second political convention I have attended as a journalist. Ever since covering the 2004 Republican National Convention in New York City, I have been craving to report on another. The long wait is nearly over.

It will be a busy week, with no shortage of things to cover. The celebrities, political personalities, and the delegates. Seeing the crowd react to the speeches. And there will undoubtedly be some surprises too (I'm recalling when I spotted Ralph Nader walking around inside the hall at the RNC in '04).

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As gay and lesbian Americans continue to strive for broader acceptance and greater legal rights in the United States, many of them are also seeking acknowledgment in religious circles.
 
Currently, a group that includes many gay Mormons is pushing for the Mormon Church (known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or LDS) to do more to open the dialogue with them and to more fully embrace them within the church.
 
Affirmation, an international support group for gay Mormons, has been working for months to get a meeting with church officials. It was announced this week that a meeting, which had been scheduled for this week, is now indefinitely postponed as the church fills the position of the outgoing director of LDS Family Services, who would be present at such a meeting.
 
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