i had planned on posting this blog on tuesday after the election results came in. but for some reason i just hadn't quite finished sorting out all of my feelings and needed a bit more time to process. i'm sure most of you know that i have been excited for this election since june of last year. i spent a lot of time researching each candidate, even before some of them had offically become candidates. i read hillary clinton's autobiography, both of barack obama's books, john mccain's biography, and even pursued bits of rudy's book (although i must admit i didn't get very far). i watched CNN, BBC, and FOX. i took stock of each party's side. eventually i landed on senator barack obama. i was encouraged by his fresh approach. i loved listening to him speak. i agreed with his plans for education and health care. i felt confident that he could lead our country. for the most part my friends respected the decision i'd made. there was of course the odd pressure here and there, but nothing ridiculous. i do feel bad for my dad though, because apparently there were quite a few members of our congregation that felt the need to explain to my dad why his newly christened "liberal" daughter was throwing her brains away. and although i don't feel that my political beliefs are anyone's buisness, i enjoyed engaging people about this election.
i know many of my friends who have hated this political season. they feel judged. they don't like how things turned out. they're angry. i understand that. i, however, have loved every second of it. it's been exciting and historical. someday my grandkids are going to ask me if i remember when president obama was elected. they'll have to interview me for some school project and i'll laugh as i think of tina fey's spot-on impression of sarah pallin. things have been heated, sure but there has never been a campign that wasn't heated. for example in 1800 james callendar (hired by thomas jefferson) wrote a slew of slanderous articles against then-president john adams. and in the late 19th century davy crockett claimed that martin van buren wore women's corsetts. i'm tired of people who claim to be "interested and involved" in polictics idealizing it. it's politics. it's dirty and often unfair. i can guarentee each side comprimises, each candidate is willing to bend a little to get what they want.
this year something amazing happened: we elected a man who inspires millions, who challenges our beliefs about what is possible. for one minute take some time to breath. forget about what makes you mad, how you think things should have gone. forget about being "righteously outraged" and get excited! john f. kennedy inspired us toward the moon, abraham lincoln shot us to a free country for all, let's give barack obama the time and space to see where his inspiration leads.
