Politics

Once upon a time, way back when I was interviewing ESK, I was politically inappropriate.  It was well over a year before the nominees had been decided, in fact, before most of the primaries had even been held.  I was making chit-chat before getting into the heart of the interview, when I declared that in the previous election I'd carefully read the various candidates' statements, weighed the issues I felt were most important, and decided with deliberation the candidate I would support.  Only to have that candidate not survive primary season.  So, this election, I was just going to vote for the candidate whose name it was the most fun to say . . . Barack Obama . . . O-bam-AH!

I guess I should also say that I don't think I've ever voted for a republican candidate in any race . . . not even girl republicans.  One wouldn't have to work very hard to guess my political leanings.  I'm not one of those humans who outwardly supports the "politically correct" candidate and then votes for the other guy.

So, it should come as no surprise that the only parts of the RNC convention I absorbed were through decidedly left leaning media outlets.  And, I watched both Joe Biden and Obama give their speeches.  I actually had not planned on watching any of the DNC, but I was bored.  (Speeches at this point in the game won't change my mind . . . they merely will give me ammo or a new level of smugness.)

Keeping in mind that my exposure to the RNC came solely from the media, and my experience with the DNC was brief; I was struck by the wide diversity of the attendees of the DNC.  I saw people in native dress from various peoples . . . from the Asian man in traditional chinese clothing to women in headscarves.  But, what I was most struck by was how proud everyone was to represent their peeps.  And, it seemed to me that even if in their usual lives they face marginalization or discrimination . . . in this place, at that time, they were accepted and valued for their diversity.  Too bad those opportunities only come along every 4 years.