As I was getting ready for work this morning, the Today show was showing Barack Obama voting at his local polling place. He and Michelle had the girls with them, and it took me back to when my parents took me in the voting booth with them. I was born to vote Democrat, and this is the first year since I turned 18 that I debated not doing so.
I’ve come a long way from that jaded Hillary-loving moderate that toyed with the idea of voting for John McCain out of respect for his service for the country and admiration for his time in Senate. This is the first race in which I had to become a truly educated voter (because seriously, I would have voted against Bush even if I’d had a lobotomy in ’04). The more I learned about McCain, the more I realized that I could respectfully deny that he represented my beliefs.
Moreover, I was not swayed by the introduction of Sarah Palin into the mix. As soon as she was announced, I was scoping out her record on Wiki. “Feminists for Life”? Are you serious? The more I learned about her, the more I was pushed away. She might be a woman, but she does not care about health care, equality or much of anything it seems. She struggled through college like some of my friends, going through several schools with no clear aim, and I would not ever vote them into the second seat of the country. Ever.
For what it’s worth, this is only the second presidential election I am able to vote in. I hope more than anything that we escape the Bush regime. I didn’t trust Obama at all in the beginning. I found him too inexperienced; I thought he was an elitist. But I learned. I researched (mostly to fight with people on my local paper’s forums). I hope that I can be as educated in future elections. I hope I never become as apathetic as I was after the primaries. For what it’s worth, Obama accomplished one goal: I have hope.
And if anyone wants to buy me the Juicy Couture campaign t-shirt that inspired this title, email me and I’ll give you my mailing address. Nevermind, all that’s left is Extra Small. Cleary, others found it inspirational. And shiny.