O.K. for like the gazillionith time in my adult life, I am again surrounded by republicans. I can’t say that I really understand why anyone would be a republican – but for some ungodly reason, there are people out there who feel that the government shouldn’t really interfere in what they want to do (though it sure better be there to protect their rights). And in the midst of living in Kentucky – which has turned from a forever democratic state into an eternally republican one – so much so that no one even bothers to come here to campaign – I am in the closet – the democratic closet. Not because I’m ashamed of my beliefs – but I sure don’t want to hear anyone tell me that they don’t agree with me. Though I’ve discovered, that in my experience, republicans don’t say, I disagree. They say, you are wrong and stupid for believing what you are doing. Unless they are far to the right – at which point you are wrong, stupid and most likely going to hell for your heathen beliefs.
And this year, more than most election years, I can’t really figure out why someone wouldn’t like Barack Obama. I don’t see why people say they are scared of him more than anything else in the world (especially after seeing Sarah Palin stumbling pathetically through her interviews with Charles Gibson and Katie Couric – which should make them more afraid of John McCain’s death than anything else). Someone on CNN today said that Obama was TOO articulate. How can you be too articulate? Have Americans become so complacent listening to George Bush slaughter the English language these last 8 years that someone who actually speaks intelligently, doesn’t make up vocabulary and uses 3 and 4 syllable words correctly seems foreign and elitist? How does that happen? How can someone be scared of a man who seems to realize that the energy crises isn’t going to be solved by drilling for more oil – ANYWHERE. Last I checked, oil, like coal, is a fossil fuel. Fossil as in, really old, antique. You can’t make any more of it when it’s gone. Who cares if you drill every single damn crevice in the entire globe – it will run out and then what are we going to do? If someone can stick a giant pinwheel on my car and I can drive without using gasoline – then suit me up. And if they can find a giant pinwheel to heat my house, then give it to me. You all know I’m cheap. If solar panels didn’t cost more than my house, I’d already have some just to save some money.
It’s all too bizarre to me in general. This hatred of Barack. And it goes deep. Poor Elijah, my childhood champion, is suffering my pain at a 2nd grade level. I am generally impressed that kids are at all discussing anything political, but it happens. And Elijah is in the minority. A minority of one, if I’m not missing my guess. He comes home from school and says – everyone says that Barack isn’t Christian. That’s what their mom’s and dad’s say. And so we discuss that fact that he is indeed a Baptist. Or it’s “mom, no one in my class wants Barack Obama to win, do I have to want him to win.” And because I’m truly a good democrat, I must answer, “Elijah you can be whatever you want, believe what you want.” And the liberal in me must follow it with “but you know republicans don’t want to give people money to go to college. The government gave me money to go to college so that I could be a teacher and we could be in the same school. I feel that I owe it to those programs to vote for a democrat. I want to help people who can’t help themselves. That’s what I want my tax dollars to go to, helping people have a better life, like someone helped me.” And then he’s back chanting OBAMA OBAMA OBAMA. He even wore my Barack Obama button to school. It makes me proud.
And with just a few more weeks until the election, and a sure to be deliciously lopsided debate coming up on Thursday between Palin (the female, Alaskan equivalent of George W) and Joe Biden (please God don’t talk yourself into a hole) – which I am fervently hoping Palin fails miserably at and if she could do irreparable damage to McCain’s campaign at the same time I would be gleeful. I am waiting with baited breath. And I am hopeful that we will all be moving a step in the right direction. And if McCain wins – I pray that he doesn’t die, because I don’t want to move to El Salavador, and that he reverts to the man he was before he was pandering to get those “loyal conservatives” to vote for him.
