A reader writes, “I’ve been reading your Marrakech Journal and I’m a little worried. Did you cast an absentee ballot before you left? Are you going to be back in time to vote?”

As that little heading, above, says, that is the spirit of the year — the intensity of it, the involvement with it, at least on the right. I will in fact be back in time to vote. Not sure I’ll make much of a difference, on the Upper West Side, in New York City, in New York State. But I’ll certainly be up early on Tuesday morning, at the polls.

Talked with a Democratic politico and business consultant who happens to be here in Marrakech. He said, “Of all the years the Republicans had to capture the governorship” — of New York — “this was it. This was the year to beat Andrew [Cuomo]. But they’ve blown it.”

He also had an interesting insight into Pennsylvania — why things have gotten tougher for Toomey. I had never heard this before. You? He said, “It’s the O’Donnell effect. All that negative stuff about Christine O’Donnell in Delaware, and stemming from Delaware? It spills over into Pennsylvania, through Philadelphia-area media and so on. Makes a difference.”

By the way, I kinda like her. Does that make me all oogedy-boogedy (or however you spell that)? I think I can live with it . . . (I saw an interview with her in which she was utterly charming — and far from dumb.)