I’m pissed off.
You see, this election season I never really got attached to a candidate. I vote based on my issues that i care about, and experience. In 2004, despite Howard Dean being my political idol in high school, I went the route of John Kerry, feeling that he was best to lead our country in the right direction. His experience and his issues roped me in and I spent many months, many weekends in frigid New Hampshire, and many nights strategizing how to get out the NU vote. He was my guy.
This year, my politics have changed. It’s easy to be a bleeding heart liberal when you don’t have to worry about student loans, taxes, health care and the like. It’s easy to be idealistic when the largest bill you have is your cell phone and your money just gets pissed away in bars. Socially, I’m still rather liberal though overall, I actually consider myself a moderate. I’ve become increasingly more and more moderate in regards to my stance on healthcare and my stance on taxes/economic issues.
So much so, that I’ve begun to have a political identity crisis of sort. You see, I’m a registered Democrat. I have been since I was 18 and I’ve been to a convention as an elected delegate (alternate but still) in 2004. But this year? The democrats aren’t really doing much for me.
I’m probably going to get slandered and hated on by all my freaders because from what I’ve been reading in the blogosphere – not just 20sb but in general, it’s hip to love on Barack Obama and it’s hip to hate on Sarah Palin.
But I can’t lie, or hold a secret anymore, despite my disagreements with her politics, I kind of like her. I kind of like her and John McCain so much so, I’m considering voting for them. (note considering, not definitely)
Because for as much as I was all about Joe Biden back in January, vice presidential candidates are not and should not be the deciding factor on a vote.
But really, what’s pissing me off most is that I’m a feminist. And for people to brush off Sarah Palin not being a feminist choice, is disconcerting. Feminism, for the record, does not JUST mean being PRO-CHOICE. It simply doesn’t. Feminism is about empowerment. It’s about having choices – not just with what to do with your body, but also having choices in your career, having the choice to go into politics or stay at home and be a Hockey Mom or Soccer Mom. It’s about having the OPTION to do all that and the choice. Feminism isn’t strictly about the ability to have an abortion (which by the way, just because I am Pro-Choice, doesn’t mean I support abortion…I support having the choice to) which is what ever single freakin’ person who has been criticizing Sarah Palin has been insinuating. So what if she had a child with Downs Syndrome? Why does that make her a bad person? Seriously…it’s disgusting that WOMEN of all people would be so critical. Just because Hillary was the first woman to run for president, does not make any successful Republican women any less respectable. Sarah Palin is the first WOMAN in Alaska elected to state office – doesn’t that mean ANYTHING???
Onward to my beefs with the Democratic party.
I supported the Democrats because they were the party “for the people.” Unfortunately, the people really mean if you belong to a labor union, if you’re a student, if you’re a pro-choice woman, or if you’re a senior. It does not mean if you support the military, if you have a shit ton of student loan debt, if you dislike labor unions, or if you’re pro-life.
What enraged me most was this statement in Barack Obama’s interview with Glamour Magazine in the 10/2008 issue -
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GLAMOUR: I have a question from a reader, 26-year-old Jennifer Peeler in Symsonia, Kentucky: “I’m in law school and will graduate with over $100,000 in loans. What will you do to help the rising number of students with such high student loan payments?”
BO: It starts with what I’m calling for, a $4,000 tuition credit [for] every student, every year, in exchange for [100 hours of] community service, or national service of some sort: working in an underserved hospital or underserved school, or joining the Peace Corps, joining the foreign service. That would make community colleges practically free for undergraduates! If they went to a four-year public college or university, it would cover about two thirds of the tuition. Now I’ll admit to your reader, I am sympathetic to somebody who went to law school and came [out] with a ton of debt. The truth, though, is we probably don’t need more lawyers. [Laughs.] So we’ll help you get your undergraduate degree. If you want to go to law school, though, you’re probably going to be able to earn enough to pay off your loans. It just won’t be any fun.“
I’m sorry but that? Is an insult. $4,000 for 100 hours of community service? Seriously?? That’s insulting considering $4,000 would have BARELY paid for my housing if I chose to live in the slummiest of NU’s dorms. But OH! You can go to a community college for FREE!!! I’m sorry but that? Is an insult. It’s an insult to college students and an insult to college graduates. It’s even more of an insult to people who have any sort of hopes to go onto pursue a higher degree – it’s as if he’s saying well…you don’t really need a higher degree but if you can afford it go ahead!
$4,000 is an INSULT. And what is he/the Democratic party going to do for college graduates? Raise our taxes to pay for this $4,000/student who wants to go into some sort of public service? I’m sorry but my taxes are high enough. It’s pretty sad when my state taxes (yes i know the government has nothing to do with this) make it so that with my last job when i was making $2,000 less than what I’m making now, I was bring home the SAME paycheck that I’m bringing home now. Granted then I lived in Virginia and now I pay DC taxes…but still…neither party really has a plan to relieve those of us who racked up a shit ton of debt except the Democrats plan essentially raises taxes and well the Republicans? Kind of lower them. Not gonna lie, I’m going to go for lower taxes here.
Regardless of his pure patronizing attitude to those who want higher degrees even if they can’t afford them and to those who want QUALITY undergraduate degrees (I should note that I have 100k in loans, despite having come from a single parent family who made less than $30k. Is there some sort of relief for need based students? Nope. They’ve tried to increase the pell grant but the pell grant? Is like $4k or something ridiculously weak in comparison to college prices these days.) This coming from a man who has not one, but TWO ivy league educations. And really? Debt from law school? Is that why you didn’t hold a full time job for SIX YEARS after law school? Huh. Funny.
I’ve always kind of had this conflict with Barack Obama, it’s so easy to rope people into your campaign with promises of hope and change, especially when so many people are so disenfranchised from the system but unfortunately as I’m slowly realizing as I watch coverage and read more and more about the candidates – hope and change? Aren’t policies.
So, there’s my rant. There’s my bone to pick. Yet somehow? I’m still left undecided and confused. I vote based on my heart, I vote based on my issues, you could go ahead and call me an educated, emotional voter. Most voters vote on emotions alone (which is precisely how Sarah Palin may rope in some of those Hillary voters regardless of the difference in politics) not based on the issues. I consider myself educated, yet the election is so close and I’m still so undecided because my politics and my logic are both going in two very different directions and both are making so much sense to me. I’ll have to wait till the debates (that Barack Obama DID NOT want to have btw) to decide but let it be known that no one is going to offend me and get away with my vote.
So to all my freaders – regardless who you’re voting for, if you disagree with me fine. If you take offense to my politics? Take it somewhere else because we are ALL entitled to our opinions and it is our DUTY to question those running for leader of our great nation and if you really think that my opinion is “uneducated” and “wrong?” Then I probably don’t care to hear about yours. If you can however, share your opinion in a respectful way (which i find is often not the case in regards to politics and the blogosphere) then I encourage you to do so. I always find other people’s opinions and reasons for voting for people interesting – especially since i’m a student of political science. That kind of stuff is always fascinating.
Some worth while reading for y’all?
Barack Obama interview with Glamour Magazine [10/2008 issue]
John McCain interview with Glamour Magazine [10/2008 issue]
What Mrs. Palin Could Learn From Mrs. T [9/5/08 oped WSJ]
Energy and Independence! [Delegate Commentary 9/4/08 Boston.com]
Wrong Woman, Wrong Message [Gloria Steinem OpEd LA Times 9/4/08]
