Now I Have Hope

The latest Newsweek poll shows that Obama is ahead by 52 to 41 percentage points, and is ahead in virtually every group you can slice and dice into its little component parts (you know, transgender Baptists working as ranch hands in Montana, for example). 

I’ve been voting since I became eligible, namely about the time that Napoleon invaded Russia (I voted against Napoleon, by the way), and was registered as an an independent until early in 2001.  I have voted in every national election for umpty gillion years, and noted a disturbing trend:  if I was on your side, it was the kiss of death.  In all those years, I voted for a Republican only once…and that was George H.W. Bush, in his bid for a second term.  See what I mean?

There was one exception to me voting in every national election, and that was in 2000.  What a year to skip voting.  My lame excuse is, I moved to Florida in April of 1999 and never got around to registering.  It didn’t dawn on me how stupid that was until I moved to Tallahassee on Thanksgiving weekend of 2000, and had to thread my way through the satellite trucks on my way to work that first Monday.  On the other hand, since I was for Gore, he was doomed anyway. 

But I was sufficiently mad about the 2000 election to finally register as a Democrat.  And now…I don’t know.  Something has happened.  Instead of closing my eyes and crossing my fingers in anticipation of an election, I’m thinking maybe, just maybe…Obama will win and we will become a different country.  Every step McCain and Palin take down that abusive road seems to be backfiring.  I think maybe we already are a different country; we have George W. Bush to thank for opening our collective eyes.