Politically Correct

I usually don't get too involved in politics, other than to maybe ruffle a few of my husband's feathers. I love that I live in the USA and anyone can have any view and vote on that view. It's kind of the laizez-faire approach to humanity.

However, I happened to catch Obama's speech at the Democratic National Convention. This is the only one I've ever seen (speech - in full, anyway - and convention coverage) and I was impressed. I think I saw something of the 1988 DNC when I was a kid, but that was only because it was raining and we were at Disney World. But I digress...

He certainly is a great speaker, isn't he? He knows how to tap into people's ideals and for me anyway, makes me want to believe every word of his speech. So what? I'm a smart, college-educated woman. I know that it's just politics and politics, for the most part, is an exercise in good PR. I take what he says with a grain of salt, just as everyone should do with every political speech. Even so, I feel like a cheesy 1960s movie or TV show with wide-eyed teenage girls clasping their hands under their chins and sighing, "Isn't he dreamy?"

I have friends of every political viewpoint. My family is all Republicans except for my step-mother. My husband is a Republican. I joke with all my liberal friends that I married him despite his politics.

I once asked my father about politics. I think I was like 9 or 10. He told me the difference between Democrats and Republicans was "one party thinks the government should help people and the other party thinks that the people should help themselves." It wasn't until I was in college did I realize which was which. I guess my dad's description was a pretty good one for a kid to understand, but this is also the man who became a Republican because his own father was a Democrat.

My mom is about as conservative as one can be. She once voted for Pat Buchanan. Nothing gets me more riled up about politics than my mother. Like I said earlier, I'm not that political and I believe everyone can have their own opinions without having to justify it others. Well, I guess to every rule there is an exception and mine lives 150 miles away.

It's not that I don't think my mom is entitled to her opinion, I just don't think she should mindlessly believe what her church tells her. This happens with books, movies, TV shows, etc. too. I just can't understand why a smart woman refuses to come up with her own ideas. I think this is the single most frustrating thing I have with my mom.

In my own mind, I believe you have to hear both sides before you can form an opinion. Maybe this stems from being a journalist. ("That liberal press!" My mother would say. Why is that so bad? Because we liberally let both sides present a case? Oh, my bad...) And in that spirit, I believe I will watch McCain's speech this week.

I fully admit I don't agree with McCain solely because he's a Republican and the Republicans are the people responsible for G.W. Bush. But I haven't given him a chance. I vow to hear him out, something other members of my family wouldn't dream of doing for the other side.

Last night I printed out a list of Presidents for Nate. Thanks Google. :) I noticed that in my life-time, there have been mostly Republican presidents. I was born under Carter, a Dem., but other than Carter it was Clinton. A time in my life I remember the country going well was when I was in high school and especially college. Those were the Clinton years. GWB was elected (or rather, appointed) my senior year. I left college, went in to the real world, and it's been tough. All under GWB. This could all just be a big coincidence, and I'm not so naive to think that it isn't. I am not blaming hard times on GWB. I take responsibility for all my own actions and decisions.

Let's see what McCain has to say this week. He's going to have a hard time matching the charisma that Obama had.