Last night I heard from an old friend in New York, who was on the ropes:
"It's only hours away from the polls opening, and I still don't know who I'm gonna vote for!"
Her agony is not unique. A lot of people who want to see George Bush frog-marched out of office with a bucket of tar on his head, are, today, puzzled as to who they'd like to see take his place.
For Democrat-voters, the Obama vs. Clinton contest has been a Giant Dipper of Indecisiveness.
For independents, it's tempting, for once, to get involved in the game.
For GOP voters... sorry, what a freak show. I know a couple sensible Goldwater pornographers you might want to write in as an alternative.
I told my girlfriend last night, and I'll say the same to all of you here, "I'll be your kind confidante to confess your vote to— and I'll love you no matter what."
Yes, I love everyone's who's voting today, because I can't remember the last time I saw so much excitement about enfranchisement!
My New York pal has been afraid to speak up at her Obama-crazed office, to reveal that she's been a Hillary-supporter all these months. However, she just watched Will.i.Am's music video set to Barak's New Hampshire primary speech, and was so in awe of his entertainment and speech-writing staff she just might cross over.
But it's hard. She contemplated the sexism she's seen in this race, and rallied to Gloria Steinem's argument why women are denied the front-runner throne.
Then, she thinks of Bill, and wants to puke.
Still, she wonders what Obama can get done after all the Hollywood pretty people have left the building.
And then she dreams about the awestruck impression a "President Obama" would make to the rest of the world, especially the parts of the world the U.S. has gutted over and over again. That's inspiring.
I said, "Gee, you've been through the wringer. Here I was, just fondling my old Shirley Chisholm button, thinking of all I've seen since I got my 18-year-old vote in 1976!"
Like many left-wing voters, I wish there was a feminist, antiwar, sexually-liberated, free-speech-loving, class-conscious, civil rights-marching, slow food activist who would invite me to take my shoes off in the Lincoln Bedroom. Damn!
I started out with Kucinich— Elizabeth, I mean. I wish we could run away together on a unicorn.
Next, I stood wide-eyed and puzzled by the Edwards phenom, wishing again, that his wife was running, because she sounds so real, and she doesn't have a problem with gay marriage, either. It was amazing that this candidate was the one— the white guy with the fancy hair— who brought poverty and working class issues, and corporate-abuse outrage, to the table. THAT'S what's tearing this country apart, and that's what any White House will be facing, the true David vs. Goliath.
Today, though, I had to choose between Obama and Clinton.
I wish Obama was a Trojan horse of liberal goodies as the Republicans would like to portray him— but there's no evidence that he is.
Talk about embarrassing moments— Obama, in 2004, demanded that he not have his picture taken with S.F. Mayor Gavin Newsom during a fundraiser, because Barak didn't want to be pictured next to the guy who made gay marriage legal on Valentines Day. Ugh! Politics as usual.
But the Clintons... and yes, I think it's fair to refer to the plural... have ridden their centrist, sellout, fundie-crooked-accomodationist pony right into the ground. They've controlled the Democratic agenda and enabled the most egregious GOP crap. They are emblematic of a Congress that's done little to repudiate George Bush.
Witness the latest Feinstein-led rally to appoint Michael Mukasey as Attorney General, a guy who champions moral relativism on waterboarding, and is just another in a long line of stomach-turning, REPULSIVE events. That reminds me of the former Clinton administration.
The Clintons are admitted hawks, they're prudes, and they're absolutely quaint on issues like continuing the embargo on Cuba. Someone needs to surgically remove the Cold War out of their ass. They take advantage of liberals hoping that they are more "cool" in their private lives than they are in their public ones. Who cares? I don't want to "have a beer" with them; I'd rather they show their social justice colors in their public policy.
I voted for Obama today as an anti-DLC vote, as a repudiation to the party machine. It's sort of like voting against the old Daley machine in Chicago.
I can see that Obama is a beautiful and charismatic speaker, and that he has the emblematic, generous, Aloha spirit. His wife Michelle is awesome, and I'd vote for her in a hot second.
But I would love to appear before him like a Dickensian Bart Simpson at the foot of his bed, whispering, "Don't fuck this up, man."
"Don't sell out the people who are voting for you today, because the reason they are attracted to you is revolutionary.
"We want a COMPLETE change: an end to this war, to torture, to racist imperial politics. We want an embrace of the public good, democracy, a commitment to education and the future. A repudiation of corruption! And don't forget a defiant kick in the corporate ass, which is going to be the hardest thing you'll ever do in your life. Might wanna get Edwards as your new AG..."
Plus, baby wants new shoes, too. It's a tall order.
Now get out there, and vote! And... if you'd like to reveal your thoughts, or voting choices in the comments below, feel free to post anonymously. I won't publish anything that's a loose cannon, either.
P.S. To my local girls: Yes on Prop 93! Let's make sure the best US State Representative ever, John Laird, stays in office. If only he was our president!— Wouldn't life be fine?
Photo: Viva Che!
