Bumper Sticker (Political Evolution) by Maureen (Humour)
This is the story of my political evolution. My progression to the point where I am actually going to do something I have never, ever, considered doing: I am going to put a bumper sticker on my car. For a formerly uninvolved, apolitical, cynical, "they are all the same", kind of person, this is a big deal.
I usually vote Democratic, the party I am registered under. There is no candidate in recent history, on either ticket that has impressed me, in recent years, it has been a "lesser of two evils" kind of thing.
I consider myself a progressive/sort of liberal Dem. I do realize that my lens is biased. I know how angry the right wing makes me feel. To me, it is difficult to withstand their rhetoric, to try to be open-minded to perspectives that are not mine. However, I know that tolerance works both ways... I want them to be tolerant, so I must respect their worldview. Do I want them running things? No more than they want "us" running things. I get that. Would I ever vote Republican? Yes, if they presented the right candidate.
I started paying attention during the primaries. I was still evaluating McCain. He seemed unlike the super-frightening Huckabee, or the rigid Romney. I respected his history as a POW, he seemed pretty middle-of-the-road, I liked that he wasn't bowing to uber-conservative pressure to align himself with a religious ideology. His past? Well, I didn't really care about his ex-wife etc etc, yes, I think Cindy McCain is a scary Barbie Doll, but I am could get past that. If Barack Obama had married a 20-year old heiress/beauty queen Michelle less than a year after his divorce was final, he would never have made it past the first round. But, double-standards notwithstanding, I was willing to let that go.
In talking to my son, who will be voting in his first election this year, I was surprised to find out that he was actually interested in the election. At the time Hillary was still in the running, and my son told me that he supported Obama, because, "all my life, it's been a Clinton or a Bush in the White House."
That got me thinking, and I started to try to follow the primaries more...learn a little about the candidates. Obama certainly had the oratory down...what was he all about? I was a little skeptical of the whole Oprah canonization thing...what was going on here? I started listening, reading up on him, starting to like what I was hearing.
Then, came Reverend Wright and all the ensuing hoo-hah. We were driving down to North Carolina, a 7 hour trip, and we were listening to NPR and other talk radio. It was dissected from every possible angle. Then, came Obama's rebuttal speech. I thought it was brilliant, and really addressed the core issue of this election, which I keep coming back to in my head: are we going to focus on stupid stuff, or what is really important? Yes, change sounds idealistic, but are we going to keep going on the path we are on? Rev. Wright, to me, is that scary relative, the one that monopolizes the conversation during Thanksgiving dinner, he is your racist boss, your politically incorrect friend who makes awkward remarks, but would be there for you no matter what. You battle your conscience over these people, but you don't kick them out of your life. And I think, after hearing Obama's speech, alot of people got that. Yes, he lost some voters over it, but I thought he made the best of a bad situation.
I wanted to know more about Obama's policies. I knew his story, but I still didn't know what his positions were. I read The Audacity of Hope, and while I found it somewhat idealistic, I agree with his message that we have to get beyond party partisanship if we are ever going to change anything, I also felt like, this is someone who understands where real people are coming from. This is not someone that has that disconnect from normal society. Alot of people say, "well, if Obama is elected, he will do everything for poor people." Well, haven't the last 8 years be about "rich" people? Being neither, rather,firmly entrenched in the middle class, I am willing to take a shot with someone not connected to big oil, who doesn't have a "vacation compound", who was raised by a single mom, whose wife frankly admits that when her husband entered politics after spending alot of years and money on law school, she wondered, "what are you doing this for?"
As I watched the primaries, I knew I couldn't support Hillary, as much as I would like to see a woman President, she just doesn't ring sincere. She never has, to me, and the final decision in my mind came during one of her state victories...I think it was New Mexico. She paraded a young Latino boy (in full ethnic dress, including sombrero) on stage. She was clapping woodenly, out of time with the victory music. The whole moment was so staged and ridiculous; it crystallized my feelings for and about her: I respect her intelligence, but I have always trusted her integrity.
McCain evoked a different response. I have nothing against him, I don't think he is an evil person. I believe he wants the best for this country. I think he is sincere in his belief that the Iraq war has to be continued, and given his background I understand that. His campaign tactics, his outright confusion when asked basic questions about his voting record, his wooden persona (that chopping motion he makes during his speeches drives me crazy),the Miss Buffalo Chip (aw c'mon, did you really expect us to believe you didn't know what kind of a beauty contest that is?), were all marks against him. But, trying to look beyond and stick to the big issues, I hadn't ruled him out entirely. I was still a tiny bit on the fence; maybe Obama had brainwashed me, maybe he doesn't know what he is doing etc etc.
I watched the Democratic convention with interest, and Obama's speech was impressive. Is he really as sincere as he presents himself? Am I being manipulated? Could it actually be true that someone really wants things to be different? Is he sincere, yet incapable of leading a country? Or is it all just smooth rhetoric packaging a same old tax and spend philosophy? What about experience? When he choose Biden as his running mate, I was kind of relieved...although Biden is not the most PC guy in the world, he kind of balances the lack-of-experience thing. I like his working class background, and the fact that he, like McCain has dealt with true personal adversity and come out on top. I also like Biden's wife. I've been to Del-Tech community college, it is a community college in every sense of the word, and the fact that she is a professor there shows me that she knows what the real world is about.
What truly sewed it up for me, though, is McCain's choice of running mate. I had never heard of her, but as soon as the talking points emerged, I knew I could never, ever vote for McCain. Yes, she is a woman, but that alone will not get my vote. It didn't get Hillary my vote, and she, despite my reservations, is far closer to a person that I would consider fair and capable of leadership should a 72-something year old president die. Then there is the whole NRA, ultra conservative, global warming isn't real, thing. I respect her decision to have has many kids as she wants, and to choose not to abort her child with Down's syndrome. But if you are going to use this as a selling point, I must ask the question, as a governor, and ultimately, a Vice-President, how much time is she realistically able to spend with any of her kids? I imagine a great deal of the down and dirty motherhood jobs are being done by others. Is it her husband? Well, then great. I am not saying a woman can't have five kids and be a good governor or VP. I am just kind of curious, since you are trotting out the whole issue ...how does it work? As for her experience... I read this blog, written by an Alaska resident, that pretty much sums up the whole thing: This is not someone, woman or not, that is even remotely qualified to lead our country, should she need to. If McCain wanted a woman running mate so badly, there are so many more qualified. It is patently obvious that he is trying to sew up as many demographics as possible with this choice. Will he be successful? I don't know.
So, here we are now. If you had told me this time last year that I would care so much about an election I would have told you that you are crazy. I still consider myself far from educated, but I am trying to learn something every day, trying to filter all this through the media kaleidascope of CNN, FOXNews, etc. Whoever wins, I will probably be disappointed, but I am hoping to be surprised. So, I'm doing it, I'm going to put the bumper sticker on the car. I hope I am not peeling it off with a heavy heart this time next year.
