Dear President-Elect Obama,

Congratulations on being named the next president of the United States. Yours was a well-run campaign, aided by the help of countless passionate supporters. You successfully captured the heart of the American people, currently so eager for the change and hope that they believe you can bring. You have already brought about one change: you will go down in history books as our first African-American president. It is yet to be seen what other changes will come with an Obama administration.

To that end, in spite of a long campaign in which you fought hard to reach the White House, the real challenge will begin in January when you take office. You have a healthy ego right now; this is understandable given your incredible victory. But despite becoming (arguably) the most powerful man in the world, yours is a position that requires the humility of service. You will be the ultimate representative; not representing a district or a state, but representing and serving an entire nation. With great power comes great responsibility, and you have a responsibility not only to your supporters and those of like minds, but also to the (nearly) half of the country that was not convinced. There are blue skies over my home state and yours, but a great part of this nation remains bathed in red.

I have that moment of panic when the poll worker can't find my name... It happens every time and it always ignites a flash of paranoia... Could I have somehow screwed up and not registered correctly? 

OK, there it is... I'm okay... I get to cast my vote. 

I take my ballot to the cardboard booth and realize that I have a PAPER ballot. I haven't voted on a paper ballot in years and it gives me a primitive sense of control. I'm not at the mercy of any electronic malfunction or punchcards with their evil little tabs. A calm descends on me as I mark concise ovals next to my choices. 

On the way home my husband says he is relieved to have exercised his choice... even feels a reduction of rage over the last eight years.  Me too, I say.

Then I get home and read about all the other states that are having voting problems, machine glitches, cold weather, long lines.  Anxiety crashes over me and I reach for the leftover Halloween candy. It's only 7:46 am and I've already polished off a Snickers, an Almond Joy, a Jolly Roger and a Baby Ruth. Thankfully they are only miniatures, but I still think it's going to be a very long day.

When asked the seemingly benign question, "What does this election mean to you?" I have trouble giving an uplifting answer. I'm sure a lot of voters (53?) are able to use the words of Obama himself to respond, saying that it means "change we can believe in" or that it represents hope.

The fact that this election is historic is not lost on me. That our next president could be someone who in the not so distant American past would not have been able to vote demonstrates huge strides in seeing all men as truly created equal, in terms of race. That is an ideological victory not to be overlooked. And yet, when judging a man not by his race but by the content of his politics, there are so many other ideological issues that, if triumphant at today's polls, I cannot view as victorious. My lack of support for Obama does not mean that I do not want change; in fact, there are many things that I would like to see changed in this country very much. I want to even hold onto hope that the next president will bring these changes to the White House. But "change I can believe in" is not, quite frankly, what this election means to me.

In effort to get a more positive response to report on (and blogging ideas), I decided to ask my husband his thoughts on what this election means to him. This is, after all, the man who answered the question (posed by one of my seventh grade students) "Are you Republican or Democrat?" with a diplomatic, "I serve my country and my commander-in-chief, regardless of political party." He thoughtfully responded to my question by saying that for him the issue in this election has been one of who would do the least damage to the country. He says that the American people don't want to be at war anymore, and he can't say that he blames them - my husband has served two overseas tours, one in Iraq - but that in the process of desiring that change, he fears that we are crippling ourselves, robbing ourselves, blinding ourselves. His vote represents his desire to hold on to some of the rights that came with the founding of this country - earned prosperity, guns, individualism.

I too fear that we have blinded ourselves. America wants change, and it is clear that we are willing to overlook quite a bit in the name of that change. We are willing to overlook inexperience, radical ties, inconsistent positions, blatant media bias, unrealistic idealism, unprecedented campaign funds and spending, and the like (all issues independent of party platform positions themselves) for the Messiah, the One who says the things we want to hear. It is not unlike how people felt in the wake of the stock market crash of 1929; it was inevitable that Herbert Hoover and his party would not be welcome in the White House - although a recent History Channel program has given me the impression that history has given the man more of a bad rap than he deserves.

But there is still hope, even for Republicans like me. Obama will be faced with the reality of domestic and international issues currently challenging our nation when he takes the oath of office. He will have to adjust to the challenges, and not all of Obama's policies that I take issue with will come to fruition. We are fortunate to live in a democratic country where I have a voice and will again have a voice in four years, because we live free of dictators and despots. I have faith and hope that my opinion still matters.

Go figure - even for me, this election does come down to hope.

As Citizen Voices Bloggers, we agreed to appear on These Days periodically, as part of the job description. For this week's segment I was "encouraged" to go out into the community (my neighbors, co-workers, etc,) to find out how people were feeling about the presidential race, take an informal poll, and report my findings as part of the Wednesday morning show.

Asking people you know about their political beliefs is kind of like asking them about their sex life.  It can feel invasive, and being a private person myself, (at least I was before I got this blogging gig,) and since my neighbors and I have maintained a respectful avoidance of this subject... them with their McCain/Palin signs and me with my Obama/Biden signs, I didn't want to scratch the illusion of tolerance by actually talking to them.  So I did the only reasonable thing... I coped out.

In the spirit of non-scientific inquiry, I got in my car and drove as far away from my neighbors as I could, looking for random victims. I sampled opinions at the community gym, (where both TV's are usually tuned to Fox), Farmer's Market, Dog Beach, a hair salon, and a political forum.  I sent emails to friends, colleagues, and relatives.   Some of my face-to-face contacts at first declined to answer my questions, but when I said "okay", and started to walk away, they usually followed me to tell me what they thought anyway.

The first day of polling was not good news. I encountered a large number of people who had (1) not registered, (2) not paid attention, (3) said they would ask other people or their church how to vote, (4) didn't know anything about the issues. I heard excuses like "I have kids, I have to work, I don't have time to read the paper."   Seems like raising kids might be one of the premier reasons to care about who will run this country in the coming years.

Here is a real world example of a socialist policy and the difficulty that comes in making a reasoned decision between individual liberty and common good. The fire department in nearby Idyllwild, California has hired (no-bid) a San Diego company to make "forced-abatements" on private property within this small mountain community. The forested neighborhood is under the constant threat of wildfire - some overgrown properties increase the threat to the entire community. The San Diego company has the right to clear private property, to make whatever "improvements" they alone deem necessary and to charge the property owner for these "improvements." Failure to pay the "improvement" bill can lead to a lien on the property and the loss of a home. An army of strangers with chainsaws unilaterally "improving" my front lawn would not be welcome. A firestorm whipped up by my neighbor's unkempt yard would not be welcome. Self or society?

"The Tapeworm - A socialist perspective of the capitalist"

The McCain campaign, Fox "News" and other shills for the McCain campaign have joined in a collective spasm over the coming tide of socialism led by Barack Obama.

The flailing about began with Obama's "spread the wealth" comment to Joe the Plumber.  It is a testament to both the desperation of the McCain campaign and the bloodlust of the 24 hour news cycle the last major theme of this election has become a false debate over Socialism versus Capitalism.

I often overlook local election issues in favor of presidential races and state propositions - and my guess is, many people do the same. Despite receiving a "Voting Guide for Republicans" in the mail each election, I do my research on the issues rather than blindly fill out my ballot with the guide's recommendations. (I do wonder sometimes how many people use political party guides as command rather than recommendation. My recommendation is do a little research on an issue or don't vote on it at all.)

But researching local candidates is often tedious. Here in Vista, we are electing Vista Unified School District governing board members. And I do care - aside from working towards being a public school teacher myself, I may one day have children in the Vista Unified School District - but even after looking over candidate bios, I find few meaningful ways to distinguish the candidates.

Elizabeth Jaka is a "community volunteer" who seeks to "provide quality educational programs that will give our children the tools they need to succeed in the 21st century." Sounds great! Steve Lilly is a retired educator who wants to see "increased student learning" and assessments that "provide teachers and principals timely data on student performance" (what a concept - tests that indicate performance). Also noble! Angela Chunka wants to give students access to the latest technology and close the achievement gap - no argument here! Stephen Guffanti and Eileen Fernandez want to see students reading and writing English at grade level - a no-brainer, right?

Before visiting family in Ohio this week, I’d assumed this swing state—a battleground for Democrats and Republicans—would be a hothouse of political conversation. After hanging out with native and transplanted Ohioans kind enough to offer me a piece of their minds (with some coaxing and humor), only a few times did conversation turn to national politics.

Here’s what I’m coming away with:

• Nobody’s really thrilled with either candidate, and have very specific problems with voting for either party’s representative.  For instance, the word “entitlement” was offered when discussing Obama’s ideas for the country.  The gist of the conversation concerned taxpayers paying for what others hadn’t earned.  This disdain for entitlement will keep people away from Obama in November, even when voting for McCain isn’t much of a palatable option.  (This seems like a mainstream opinion to me and not one relegated to just Ohioans.  The undecided vote at this point—including in our family an Army couple of two twenty-somethings and their little boy—may not vote at all rather than hold their noses and comply with an amorphous civic duty.)

• Of those who have already decided on a major party candidate, many proudly display their choice with lawn signs and bumper stickers.  Most people who display a preference for president also have several other yard signs for local candidates. 
  

• In small towns like Xenia, Ohio neither Joe Six Packs nor Joe Plumbers are, in fact, obsessed with either their guns or their religion. In the unscientific poll I conducted of the working middle class people living here, there is a certain pride and confidence from attending both Sunday school and keeping a Smith and Wesson (or its general equivalent).  But that pride is a far cry from being small town “hicks” that can’t think or make decisions apart from prevailing community values.

• Illegal immigration is more than a fleeting thought, even in trying economic times in a state not bordering Mexico.  An ambiguous divide exists between being compassionate for people trying to improve their lots on the one hand, and understanding that Americans struggle to do the same thing without breaking the law to do it on the other hand.  (I would argue that although many would say they never break the law to make ends meet, there is still some fringe economic activity, such as pirated entertainment, helping some with tight budgets).

My biggest fear while here has been that Senator Obama’s insult about guns and God will come back to haunt him, and that his words not only struck a chord but then also grew roots.  If I had to guess, I’d say this state goes Red in a few weeks.  I hope this isn’t the case and can’t wait to be proven wrong.

When the table is running cold, a good craps player knows it, picks up his remaining chips and walks away.  If he has the stomach for it, he stops by the cage for his meager cash out. Then it's the long slog through slot machine hell, over to the elevator banks and back up to the suite in hopes that he can dream the nightmare away and start fresh tomorrow. McCain's long walk began at the end of last night's debate and a fresh tomorrow is about eighteen days away - back in the Senate.

McCain caught a little heat recently over his association with casino and gambling interests - I was glad to see the story fade away. Plenty of solid, productive, kind and resourceful people have a taste for games of chance. Fyodor Dostoevsky was a roulette man, his novella The Gambler is a great primer on the mysterious workings of the gambler's mindset.  Bill Gates and I are small stakes Texas Hold'em aficionados. Mark Twain knew his way around every diversion the riverboat casino had to offer. But John McCain is a craps man and craps players are a special breed.

Sarah Palin seems to be taking a page from the McCarthy era, mixing it with thinly veiled racism, and igniting partisan driven hatred.  Unfortunately for John McCain, surly as he is, her message is actually more testosterone driven than his.   At times, one wonders if she has confused the order of the names on the GOP ticket.

But John McCain aside, her rabble rousing tactics jeopardize the safety of all of us. This behavior, at any time is reprehensible enough, but in the current atmosphere in America, it is obscene. The  economic uncertainty, the ongoing tragedy of the War on Terror, and the threat of growing global unrest make this a fragile chapter in the life of our country, and we had better get our priorities in order.

The divisiveness that Palin has wittingly or unwittingly enflamed with her words will not disappear after November 4th. The coming months are going to test our national sense of ourselves as Americans; spending our days at war with one another is not in our best interest.  Whichever candidate is elected President, his arsenal of skills must include bipartisan team building, and I am not just referring to Congress.

As I reviewed Palin's history in Alaska, she seemed benign enough (if you were not her ex brother-in-law, an environmentalist, or a political rival.) I find it hard to believe she masked all these retrograde political beliefs...she doesn't seem to be much of a reader or deep thinker from all accounts. I wonder if she even understands the historical context of her accusations. Could it be that the Bushies who orchestrated her crash course in politics filled her with some philosophies that suited their agenda, an agenda that had more than just the election in mind?

Things are getting ugly for the McCain campaign, and the mud slinging is gearing up earlier than the McCain folks would have liked. But mud is not the only thing the McCain campaign is launching through the air; prayers of desperation are coming fast and furious. Here are McCain's top ten Hail Mary's.

10) DNA evidence surfaces that proves Osama Bin Laden and Barack Obama are 14^th cousins twice removed.

9) DNA evidence surfaces linking John McCain as a descendent of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings - McCain initiates media assault accusing Obama of playing the race card against McCain and his 1/2064 African American ancestry.

8) The Flux capacitor is finally discovered - economic and energy woes evaporate - McCain is able return to his strong on war drumbeat.

7) Obama steps out of the Presidential race, revealing that he is in fact the Messiah and that he has decided to honor the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

6) Sarah Palin steps down as VP and is replaced by Dick Cheney's gay daughter. Overnight, radically new coalitions are formed at a head spinning rate, the American Idol crowd loves it and McCain wins in a squeaker.

5) Sarah Palin steps down and John McCain names Chris Angel as his new running mate. Days before the election John McCain appears at the Bellagio in Vegas walking on water.

4) John McCain promises that if elected, he will immediately step down and make Sarah Palin president.
Just enough of the Hillary scorned are wooed by the crafty old Maverick.

3) John McCain breathes an actual fireball during the Tuesday night Presidential debate. Obama is forced to concede that McCain would make an "awesome" Commander in Chief.

2) Acting on a tip from John McCain, George Bush pulls Osama Bin Ladin out of a Pakistani cave - Fox News is there.

1) John McCain accepts defeat in the race for the US Presidency, but makes a heroic comeback as the President of Pakistan. He still has nukes, he still gets to fight terrorism and he gets to wear a uniform again.