actually, neither please.
fish nor fowl will do it for me this election season. perhaps it's just middle age, focusing all of my efforts in the direction of staving off the inevitable decline that keeps me from focusing on the election one year from now. in the diner this evening, we sat in our booth, waiting for the customary onslaught of french (freedom? remember that - ugghhhh!) fries, botched coffee, frozen colombo yogurt (always makes me think of sri lanka), and other treats ... and i wondered aloud to jane 'what's the difference'?
not one to normally take a politically apathetic stance, i feel disenfranchised from the political system (not the actual process). ultimately, for me, the wind has gone out of the sails even in terms of 'beating the republicans'. true, i view the current administration as the root of all evil (not the axis of evil, though!) ... the credit crunch, skyrocketing fuel costs, rampant terrorism and war, and iraq - why haven't we done more? health care and education, the most basic fundamental rights which should be extended to all citizens, seemingly denied to many. a classic class conflict, fueled by economic disparities which control access to a brighter future.
in spite of the angst created by this situation, i don't see a star shining bright who can save us. i was very much enamoured of hillary a year ago - she is extremely smart, tenacious, and incredibly articulate (not to mention tough as nails) - barak, all gq chic with the requisite accroutrements (lovely wife, kids, etc.) ... somehow they all now just seem like talking heads. debates come and go, blah, blah, blah - ultimately, is there anyone out there who is passionate enough to effect real change?
al gore, who i had the pleasure of meeting shortly after he, um, 'lost' the election - now there's a leader. whether or not you think he puffed his feathers by proclaiming his invention of the internet or not, here is a guy who took a bad situation and made it better - not just for him and tipper (ie. big book deals, etc.) but actually took his stern and wooden persona, applied himself, learned all he could about the environment, and got the word out. not bad for an academy-award-winning-nobel-prize-toting has-been. thank you mr. (kind of) president.
so help me, help me get out of my ennui - i need a path to follow to next november. hopefully my vote won't only go to a candidate with the most money who i think will be able to 'beat' the republicans - hopefully i will believe that my vote will put someone in office who will actually stand their ground and produce positive change.
h
