I don’t remember who I voted for the first time. Local races. My second vote, in 1980, was for Jimmy Carter. I had changed my address when I went to college, and they didn’t have my page, and I was at the Board of Elections demanding my right to vote until minutes before the polls closed. The race had already been called for Reagan by the time I voted, but I was BY GOD going to exercise my franchise.
So by 1992, I’d never voted for a winner. And since I’m a pretty far-left liberal, a progressive as we’re termed now, I’d never even voted for my candidate of choice in the primary. Because, you see, I’m from New Jersey, and our primary used to be in June, and by June you’ve usually got your actual nominee, and even if you don’t, the far-left candidates have long since been defeated.
(In my life, the only time I’ve voted for my candidate of choice in a primary was Bill Bradley the day before he conceded to Al Gore in 2000. And then a couple of weeks later I found out that my voter registration had been screwed up and my vote wasn’t counted—it was my first vote in New York).
So anyway, here’s the thing. I never voted for a winner until 1992, and minutes after getting into office, Clinton signs Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and I felt betrayed. We of the far left felt we’d put him into office, just as the radical right felt they’d put Bush into office, and we felt betrayed.
At that point, I was done. Washed my hands. Fuck politics. In 1996, I didn’t vote. I’d just moved to New York, and I couldn’t trouble myself to change my registration in order to vote for Clinton, when in truth it didn’t feel better or different than politics my whole life. I thought it would be different.
Then came Bush.
Can we say “learned my lesson”? I knew we could. In 2000, I kind of believed Nader that there wasn’t a substantive difference between the candidates. I was wrong.
And here’s what I’ve learned. I will have to fight Obama. Without a doubt. He is more centrist than I am. He has already wobbled and wavered on gay rights, for one thing. It will not be Utopia; dancing in the streets was for Tuesday night, and now it’s back to work. The work of creating a more progressive society has not ended and will not end. But it is better, far, far better, to do that work with a liberal in the White House.
So I promise, here and now, not to become bitter when Obama pisses me off. I promise not to walk away again.
Yes we can.
I was angry with Clinton for DOMA at first, but I soon let it go. I believe he *knew* it was unconstitutional and a complete violation of the full faith & credit clause when he signed it.
We’re the same age (well I’m a year older), so Clnton was my first ‘win’ on a national level. On that Wednesday morning, I sat and cried, because even before he did anything specific I knew he would betray us somehow and this time it would be my fault.
I don’t recall how I actually voted in ’96 (clinton or 3rd party), but I had a campaign web page for myself, because I was old enough and growing up I always said I’d run when I was old enough. That was the entire extent of my campaigning however.
Since I live in such a safely Obama state, I was thinking I should probably vote for McKinney. I definitely did not want McCain to win, but I want them to know that some of us are further left than center, and I think I like the deniability (well I didn’t vote for that bozo) out.
But the idiotic Republican attack ads against Obama being repeated so many times on tv Monday night angered me enough to make me vote for Obama.
I didn’t cry. I just feel so much relief, that Bush will be gone, that Democrats can still win, that even with all the lies and fearmongering we were able to elect a president with a Muslim name, that Palin won’t be in a national office.
Sure he’ll do stuff I don’t like, but I don’t feel as helpless. I’m hearing this from a lot of people.
Oh, and prop 8? I’m sure it will be overturned, and that the legal arguments to do so will make a much stronger case and precedent than if it had been defeated straight out.
This was the first time I voted for a candidate that I didn’t just think was the lesser of evils, but who I truly wanted/needed to see win. And yes I wept (just a little) when they announced he had won – in part because of the relief of no more Bush and no Palin in the White House but also because he, for me, represents the hope for a better tomorrow.
President elect Obama is not perfect. He is not going do do 100% of the things I want to see done, but he is at least open to a “dialogue” with everyday Americans who want to be a part of changing the face of our country.
Today I used the contact form on Obama’s new website (http://change.gov/page/s/ofthepeople) to contact the new administration with one of my own concerns.
Will it ever get to his hands? Probably not. But for the first time I have a “direct line” to the administration that will run my country. For that alone I am glad.
Blessings