Interesting Political Times at the Casa

Back when I first started to jump on the Barack bandwagon, Rob would watch the videos that I found so inspiring…and he seemed to ‘get’ what I found so inspiring about Barack.  He never, thank God, gave much credence…no, he never gave any credence to all the slander and lies about Barack, yet, there was just a bit of hesitancy when it came down to exactly where he was at.  I never pushed it.  I said what I felt and I didn’t ever get all militant about it. 

I knew that his military background was making him ambivalent about going all out for Barack.  We pretty much parted ways on this campaign about the time I went all in for Barack and his ambivalence kicked in.  And all I asked was that we could quietly go on with this without any snottiness.  And, for the most part, we have been able to do that…largely because I just refuse to engage in the discussion. 

So, tonight when we were watching Michelle Obama speak at the DNC, i was ready for raised eyebrows and snarky comments. 

Instead, what i got back was very positive feedback from him about Michelle in general.  Which I found encouraging.  I mean, seriously, there was nothing in that speech she gave so obviously from her heart that could be picked apart or made partisan.  She did an amazing job of painting a picture of herself and of Barack that made them both very much like the rest of us.  She reminded us, again, those of us who have paid attention anyway, that they are not folks who had silver spoons in their mouths…they are folks that worked hard to get to where they are in life.  While it might be hard not to sort of resent folks who had everything handed to them, especially when we struggle so much to send our own kids to college and to pay the bills and work hard every day, you just cannot resent Michelle and Barack.  They didn’t come to this place easily and they didn’t take the easy route once they could have. 

and beside all the other reasons i love the Obamas, I love them more because of that.  To me, they worked hard and experienced success.  I can’t find it in myself to resent anyone who has worked hard to get where they are. 

And let’s just boil this down to where I live…I have worked very, very, very hard to get to where I am and the people who know me and love me don’t resent the fact that for the first time in my life things are easier for me than they used to be.

But I do have a problem with the McCain’s having 7 houses.  Because I can’t relate to that at all.  We work too hard to keep our one house for me to relate to someone who didn’t even know how many houses he has.  And cranky Uncle John was just on Leno and he seemed just a little bit more friendly than usual, though he did manage to throw in a little bit of that fear factor there towards the end…

Bottom line is this.  I just can’t get behind the man. 

I’m just all in for Barack.  And that is where I am going to stay, regardless of the uncomfortable marital moments that are bound to come.  I am sure we will watch the coverage over the next evenings and I’m sure Rob will mumble a bit and I will sit here and watch the TV.  and in fairness, i will watch the RNC next week and I will not be snarky or snarl or mumble under my breath. 

The thing I realize is this…when people run for president, they make a lot of pronouncements that may or may not ever come to be.  I realize that these deals are just long informercials on what they hope will be.  and I’m fine with that.  I mean, seriously, does anyone think that just because we elect one person or the other that things are going to change the next day?  if you do, I have to ask you if you are new around here. 

No matter what this one or that one says, the bottom line is that it is still a process…and that is how it is.  what these folks stand up and propose are just ideas…they are things that they hope can happen…they are not promises. 

And, as for myself, I choose to hope they can happen, too.  I choose to hope that things can change.  i choose to hope that we can find a way to get out of Iraq and stop sending our little brothers and husbands and wives and sisters over there.  I choose to hope that we can find a way to turn our economy around.  i choose to hope that fear stops being our motivating factor. 

I am just ready for hope.  I think we have gone a long time without hope.  i think we have gone long enough being afraid. 

And i choose to hope that others like me choose to do the same. 

And while I am not nearly as politically astute as my friend Newscoma , who does brilliant and fact-flled posts about politics, i just know that I am going with my gut this time.  And my gut says go with Barack Obama.  

and i’m afraid that is about as political as I’m going to get.