Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Patriotic Privilege

At 6:20am this morning I cast my ballot in my state's Presidential Primary. After months of studying the candidates and watching cable news 24/7, I was still torn about who to vote for.

I want to vote for Ron McCamaclinkabee. I like them all!

I know, here in America we're supposed to pick one and demonize all the others. First demonize "the other party" and everyone in it, then demonize everyone in your own party except your candidate and others who support them.

So I'm feeling a little confused today, to be honest, because there are things I like and dislike about each candidate, and I think they are all good and decent people.

Mostly I'm feeling proud. Proud to live in this great country; proud to have the responsibility to vote for our leaders; proud of those who protect and defend our freedoms; and proud to have a say in who our next president will be.

I know, I'm naive; idealistic...but when did those become negative traits? I long for a day when we are united, pulling in the same direction instead of pulling apart.

"There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask, "Why?"...I dream of things that never were, and ask, "Why not?".
(Robert Francis Kennedy
, 1968 presidential campaign)

4 comments:

Brian said...

Okay... when do we get to find out who you voted for??? The suspense is killing me!! ;)

Anonymous said...

Yeah, do tell!!

And I agree with you--there is nothing that makes me feel more patriotic then voting. Occasionally a well-sung National Anthem brings a tear to my eye, but I just LOVE voting.

"pastor" Jim Thompson said...

inrepair,

As Andrea Mitchell of NBC News said, "Virginia was the first Southern state where Obama won among white men--proving that while men can jump." So that's me, jumping white man. I'm an Independent who has usually voted Republican in the past but voted for Obama on Tuesday.

Plus, I am a University of Alabama Crimson Tide fan, having grown up on the Gulf Coast, and i like the name...Oh-BAMA...Roll Tide ;)

Brian said...

Awesome! That's who I plan to vote for, too. :)

I love that McCain won all the Republican races last night. I always watch Fox News when I'm visiting my neighbor (keeping up with the enemy, I guess) and with only around 4% of the vote in for Virginia, they were going nuts saying that Huckabee might win the state and that it would "change everything." Their reporting was beyond biased, so it thrilled me when McCain's votes jumped ahead and stayed there.

Maybe I just have a mean streak??? :)