November 4, 2008
Rooting for the Underdog
My husband has this thing he does while watching football. He roots for the underdog, the team that NFL sports announcers believe will lose the big game. I find it annoying, really, because he even does it when the Packers are playing — and, umm, hello? We live in Wisconsin, there is no good reason to root against the home team.
So, naturally I wasn’t surprised when we went to vote today and I discovered he completed the arrow selecting Ralph Nader for President.
Before you start shaking your head, you must know that the man barely voted in the ‘04 Elections (I had to drag him to the polls, which was a feat because Dawson was barely two months old and I had to lug him through the long lines in his car seat), and he didn’t vote in the Wisconsin primary this year because he was too lazy to register in our new jurisdiction. So he’s made progress. I’m so proud.
He voted for Nader because he didn’t like Obama or McCain. He thinks all politicians are corrupt and refused to be “forced into choosing between two evils.” If only my decision could have been that easy.
This morning when I woke up I really wasn’t excited about Election Day. All those months I blogged about politics (and made a few flubs along the way, it’s true, but I learned so many things, too), all the long days of reading and learning and scanning the news, trying to understand the candidates and choose the one I felt was best; it felt like a big waste of time, because honestly? I still didn’t know who I was voting for.
In all honesty, I couldn’t make up my mind. I wanted one candidate and then the other. Many, many long days were spent weighing the pros and cons. I told myself I wouldn’t be a one-issue voter, that I would be diligent about making the right choice. For most of the day, I honestly couldn’t come to a decision. I thought I’d walk into the voting booth and flip a coin. Heads John McCain. Tails Barack Obama.
It’s no secret that I was raised Republican. It’s no secret that I’m pro-life. As a Catholic voter, I did my best to be considerate of my faith while choosing a candidate. My beliefs are based on the morals and values my parents taught me, but for the first time in my life, I couldn’t discuss politics with my mother or father because I found myself thinking differently on many issues.
Over the last few months my family has sent e-mails and letters discouraging me from voting for Barack Obama. I’ve heard people call him a Muslim (and he isn’t), I’ve read e-mails accusing him of being a terrorist sympathizer (but really, he isn’t), I received a letter saying that Barack Obama is going to destroy our country because he’s in cahoots with Osama bin Laden (are you people freakin’ serious?)!
It angers me. I don’t agree with scare tactics as a way to discourage people from voting for one candidate. It isn’t logical. It’s absolutely infuriating. It’s true. I’ve been more considerate to Barack Obama than I have been to any other Democrat. To my mother’s dismay, I’ve defended the Illinois senator a time or two. But it’s not because I’ve been tainted by those “evil liberals”. It’s not because I’ve magically changed from a Republican to a Democrat.
In the Wisconsin Primary, I voted for Barack Obama. I knew John McCain would win the Republican nomination, and I wasn’t comfortable with Hillary Clinton at that time. From the pit of my stomach rose a nagging feeling. A flash-forward so-to-speak, of this very day, Election Day. I realized that no matter which candidate became our next president, I needed to feel good about the outcome.
No sooner than I made my testament via blog, hoards of e-mails flooded my inbox. Many were praising my willingness to be open-minded. Many more were negative e-mails chastising me for my alleged betrayal.
I can’t change my beliefs any more than a leopard can change his spots, but the way I felt about my political party changed. Too often I felt abandoned by the very politicians who claimed to care about my best interests. It was infuriating and disheartening.
And maybe subconsciously I voted for Barack Obama out of spite, but in my heart I knew that he could be the one to bridge the gap between Left and Right.
Although, as voting day neared, I witnessed the dirty campaign tactics and the attack ads and the fighting between parties. I watched as my neighbors staked Obama and McCain signs in their front yards and no longer smiled at each other when getting the mail because they didn’t agree with the each other’s decision.
Deep in my heart I’ll always be a Republican. It’s how I was raised. But that doesn’t mean that my beliefs must be synonymous with the Republican Party. It does not mean I must blindly agree with their platform without even thinking.
I believe in the sanctity of human life. I’m against abortion. I’m against capitol punishment. I’m against the war in Iraq, but I stood by the troops and I understand why President Bush isn’t wavering on the decision he made more than five years ago. My brother served in Kuwait. My sister was nearly deployed to Iraq. I can’t fathom the trials our military has endured, but I’m humbled by their loyalty and dedication to serving their country.
I worry about our economy. I’m angry that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac weren’t regulated by the politicians “looking out for us” and that people were loaned money to buy houses they couldn’t afford and now my tax dollars are bailing them out. Meanwhile bank CEO’s are sitting on millions of dollars, vacationing in Fiji while I struggle to make ends meet. I’m sick of paying thousands of tax dollars, every year, just to live in my own modest house. I’m concerned about national security and immigration.
I’m frustrated that women and mothers are treated so terribly in America. We’re paid less than men. We have no maternity benefits. We’re under-appreciated. We’re told we need more training. We’re told that if we have unprotected sex with a guy we’re not so crazy about, and get pregnant, we can just have an abortion because we shouldn’t be “punished” with a baby. No matter how you look at it, both parties have flaws. Both candidates have flaws.
I’m worried about health care. I’m worried about education. As one of the many Americans who lost a job because of this collapsing economy, I’m very concerned about the skyrocketing unemployment rates. My father is a small business owner, who works hard to succeed and make ends meet. I worry about all the tax breaks the big corporations receive, and yet my father pays through the nose.
My values revolve around family, children, health care, maternal rights, a thriving economy, and a beautiful and well-preserved environment. I want my children to inherit a strong country of opportunity and prosperity, not despair and tragedy. I could go on and on about all the issues that are most important to me, but this post is long enough as it is.
Ultimately, when it comes down to it, there is no perfect candidate. No matter who holds the highest office in the land, I won’t always agree with the Commander in Chief. Neither party can truly fix all that is broken.
I didn’t vote until 4:00 p.m. today. I drove past the polling place at 11:30. I still hadn’t made up my mind. The night before I thought I knew who I’d choose, and then it changed again. I didn’t sleep last night. Partly because I have a terrible cold, and also because I couldn’t settle on a candidate. Thankfully the line of cars waiting for parking places signaled it wasn’t my time to vote.
So I went later this afternoon. I said a prayer during my five minute drive to the polling station (I live less than half a mile away). I prayed for the strength to make the right choice. I prayed that I wouldn’t have to flip that coin.
(I know that my parents, who are very religious and reading this post right now, are worried about who I’ve chosen. But to them I have to say: God chose these candidates for us. He allowed them to get this far in this campaign. Yes, he’s given us the free will to choose which person we think is best — but in the end He will carry out His plan.)
I walked into that voting booth and stared at the ballot for an eternity. I closed my eyes. I filled in my arrow. I’m like that leopard that can’t change his spots.
Ultimately, it was my pro-life stance that led me to my decision. Without life, nothing else matters.
I voted for John McCain.
Maybe my conscience was nagging me. Maybe I was rooting for the underdog. Maybe my instincts knew that Barack Obama would win this election.
As I watch John McCain speaking on television, at this very moment, I feel okay. I admire the courage Senator McCain has mustered to give his concession speech. I admire his strength. It is always very difficult to admit defeat, but he did it with grace.
I cried as I watched Senator McCain speak, and if it were Obama in his shoes I would have cried for him, too. I’ve put a lot of emotion into this election and I grew to like both candidates. That’s pretty freakin’ amazing, don’t you think? For the first time in my very young voting life, I’ve had the chance to like two opposing candidates! I can’t even believe it myself.
Senator Obama, this Republican is putting a lot of faith in you. Please don’t take that for granted. Congratulations on your victory. I can’t wait to hear you speak. It’s a historic day in America. Our first African-American President! I’m so very proud.
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November 5th, 2008 at 12:41 AM, Izzy Says:
As a Democrat who also believes in the sanctity of human life…
(had to qualify that because too many Republicans think we’re all just a bunch of baby-haters who don’t care about life at all, which honestly isn’t true of any Democrat I know.)
…I just wanted to thank you for this clearly heartfelt and very moving post.
Izzys last blog post..Hope Springs Eternal
November 5th, 2008 at 1:55 AM, Maria Niles Says:
I’m so sorry you had such a tough decision. But I’m proud that you made an informed vote. Ultimately that is what matters and what makes the country great. I am looking forward to those of us on all sides coming together now and joining in to do the hard work of creating change.
Maria Niless last blog post..Generations of History
November 5th, 2008 at 8:39 AM, Denise Says:
I, a lifelong Democrat, also voted McCain/Palin.
Crazy!
Denises last blog post..Liz’s electoral map
November 5th, 2008 at 7:57 PM, Wifey's House Says:
What a well-written, open and heartfelt post. Smiles!
Wifey’s Houses last blog post..I’m Back…
November 8th, 2008 at 12:03 AM, Leslie Says:
What a post, Dana.
I’ve never been a very political person, but this election captured my heart and mind in a way no other has. Maybe it’s the mom thing. Maybe I’m just finally a grown up now.
I’ve envied the people who felt like their voting decision was clear cut. Mine was not. It took a long while and a whole lot of education and thought to come to my decision. I am a Republican, but I voted for Obama. Still, I have a great deal of respect for John McCain. I cried when I watched his concession speech. He remains a man of great character in my book.
December 1st, 2008 at 11:13 AM, The Dana Files » Say What? Says:
[...] States? I’ve put a lot of faith in this man. I voted for him in the Wisconsin primary, didn’t vote for him in the election (for personal and religious reasons — in all honesty I just couldn’t decide, [...]