Super Tuesday from Scotland

There is nothing more surreal than being in another country on Super Tuesday.

In Edinburgh, Scotland, everything is business as usual. People are coming and going from work as though nothing was happening, almost completely unaware of the magnitude of the day across the Atlantic.

Yet, here I sit at my computer, frantically checking The New York Times online to see if there are any early reports coming in, even though I know few official reports will be available until 2 a.m.

As a New Yorker, this is a particularly exciting Super Tuesday, both because it is the first one that New York is truly participating in, and because one of the front-runners is a Senator from the state.

Although, even though Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) was reelected with over 60 percent of the vote in the midterm elections last year, polls show that Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has been closing in on her lead in New York.

And as exciting as it is to see all of the candidates giving it their all down to the last minute, I have not lost sight of the fact that this year is the first year for many New Yorkers to have their vote actually matter. In a state that used to hold its primary in March and almost always goes to the Democratic candidate in the Electoral College, it has generally been difficult for New Yorkers to really feel galvanized about voting, especially since the nominees are generally unofficially decided on Super Tuesday.

This year, however, we really have a say. I wish I were able to physically participate. However, an absentee ballot from Scotland will have to do.