This election is special in many ways—and not because it’s the most important one of our lifetime. Let’s face it: like most elections, it’s probably not.  But let’s look at what is special or unique about it.  On the presidential front, Gov. Romney is the first Mormon major party candidate.  President Obama is the first non-white president to run for reelection.  For the first time in history, both candidates for vice president—Joe Biden and Paul Ryan—are Catholic (or non-protestant for that matter).  It’s also the first time a member of the House of Representatives has been on a major-party ticket since Democrat Geraldine Ferraro was Walter Mondale’s running mate in 1984.

On the congressional front, this is the first non-wave election since 2004.  A black, Republican woman, who also happens to be Mormon, has a real shot at being elected to Congress.  We have a House race where two incumbents from the same party are challenging each other in the general election.  Longtime moderate stalwarts in both parties are retiring or have been ousted from the Senate in droves, with Dick Lugar (R-IN), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), Olympia Snowe (R-ME), Ben Nelson (D-NE), and Kent Conrad (D-ND) being the prime examples.  For these and many other reasons, it has been very interesting, and a real honor for me to serve as the Guest Editor for this Election 2012 edition of the Nota Bene.

Besides working with Alex Giannattasio, the Nota Bene’s current Editor in Chief (which has always been a pleasure), I have had the privilege of interacting with a team of great writers, many of them first-time contributors to the newspaper, and many of them 1Ls.  For our 1L contributors, I know the deadline ended up coinciding with your midterms, and I can’t thank you all enough for the hard work you put into your articles despite other pressures.  I hope that you enjoyed working on them, and that the Nota Bene is lucky enough to have you working with it in the future.

I’d like to end this introduction on a personal note.  On October 11, my mother’s birthday, her father passed away suddenly in Cuernavaca, Mexico.  Eighteen days later, my grandmother died in her home in Mexico City after a four-year struggle with melanoma.  I was lucky enough to be there the moment she died.  Both my grandparents were exceptional human beings; my grandmother was one of the first women to become a medical doctor in Mexico at a time when her sex was not even afforded the right to vote.  Her struggle for women’s rights over the years was unwavering, and I deeply admire her and her generation for that. This issue is dedicated to her.

These deaths come on the heels of some minor health issues I have been dealing with since the summer.  The administration, and in particular Dean Monica Monroe, have been extremely encouraging and understanding throughout that process.  They have my enduring thanks.

Alex, thanks again for the chance to work on this issue.  I couldn’t appreciate it more.

Sincerely,

Sam Stone