To answer the question about the poll, hands down I would rather have what the final months of November and December 2008 with "potus" #43 until a January 20th of 2009 when "potus" #44 obviously began his term. The differences between this next December of 2009 to the final month of 2008 during the previous December before Christmas during the countdown to 1/20/09 is so distinct and defining that I would describe this next year 2009 from each seasonal shift as distinctly a short-lived next year that makes the words "leap year" come to me in a different way from what a leap year is called.