My freakishly tall husband can attest to the fact that I was taken by Obama the first time I heard him speak on Oprah about a year ago. At the time, he had simply been promoting his book, "The Audacity of Hope". I had no clue who this man was, or what he was about, or why I would even care to read about his life. But, for some reason I never changed the channel. I just couldn't stop watching him. He seemed so elegant, and honest at the same time, and well...truthful. I felt like I could relate to him and engage him in a conversation- like I felt like I wouldn't be scared to start talking to him. He held my attention during his interview, and instantly I was drawn. Then Oprah started to speak to him about being a Presidential Hopeful. WOW. Where did this guy come from? Why do I really like this guy? This came out of nowhere. Hmmmmmm, perhaps I should read his book- I mean, Oprah has never gone wrong in that category.
I never did read the book. And slowly, in the last year, Obama emerged and his campaign gained momentum. Whenever he spoke on the tube, the dude just had my attention. I would say, "look honey, there's that guy I was telling you about. Isn't he soo well spoken"? I never did speak out about him to anyone else really, or tell anyone about how much I enjoyed watching him speak- because- speaking engagements aside, I knew (and know) NOTHING about politics. Zero. Zilch. How was I supposed to justify my interest in him politically if I knew nothing about politics? I didn't want to jump on the Obama Train simply because he had captured my attention in regards to the "appearance package". And what an impressive "appearance package" indeed. Handsome, tall, NO southern accent (what? a president without a southern accent? how refreshing...), well spoken, and in one word: striking. Well, that's a DUMBASS reason to back a presidential candidate. And sure, I'm slightly embarressed by that..and so, I've spent the last two weeks breaking apart his website to learn all I could about his campaign. And I like what I see.
Sadly, its a little too late. With the gang jumping up and down, screaming, "VOTEVOTEVOTE", it annoys me to no end that I CAN'T!!! Yes, you heard me, I can't. Idiot that I am. Well, I can't for the Primary Elections anyway. I hadn't voted since the Reagan administration (please don't judge me), nor had I cared to vote since. And I'm NOT embarressed by that at all. I never liked any of the candidates that I saw or read about- Republican or Democrat. I didn't trust anyone who was running for that office and all I could see was a web of lies. So I never voted since that first time- fresh out of high school...completely Republican and Catholic and conservative (that is frightening to think about). I think I even remember myself going to the polls in my rugby shirt and Tretorns, with maybe even a ribbon in my hair. I was pretty sweet and fresh faced. My- how I've changed.
Anyway, my voter registration status fell off the face of the earth. After several new addresses and one new name change- I'm not registered. I even called the Howard County Board of Elections to verify. Yup. Not registered. DAMNIT. So now, the lesson has been learned, and I will never let this happen again. I had a chance to cast a vote in the Primary, and I'm late by three weeks. And I'm sooooo frustrated that I have no right to vote because of sheer stupidity on my part.
If you're registered to vote, do it. I've never WANTED to vote before, and now I do- more than ever just because I can't, and because I actually do believe in Obama, and I do believe that he'll make a difference, and I do think that he would institute the policies and changes that that we're all ready to see.
So, during the Primary Elections next week, vote for Obama to put him on the ballot for the General Elections- so I can then vote for him like I so want to right now. I promise I won't let you, or myself, down.
In the meantime, I'm gonna go pick up that book that I meant to read one year ago.
Post script: 9:32pm
So, it appears that those of us who are slightly embarressed that we know nothing about politics, yet have an undeniable urge and connection to a candidate, and want to vote for them- are not so far off our rockers. I got my issue of Newsweek in the mail today after work.....
From Newsweek: the Monday, February 18th issue:
"The Science, and Emotions, of Voting", by Sharon Begley
Best summarized by the last paragraph:
"Explaining why voters make the decisions they do is hampered by people's poor powers of introspection. Exit polls ask people whom they voted for and why. But the explanations tend to be post hoc, and wrong, because people have such little insight into their own motivations, reasoning and emotions, says Carter Eskew. "People default to things like 'He shares my values', or 'I think he's authentic,' or 'I like his position on abortion," he says. "But those are rational reasons. The real ones, the emotional ones, are harder to articulate." But they are the ones that count, and the campaign that best harnesses the power of the heart is just about certain to see its candidate at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue one year from now."
Huh. How bout that.
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