The last thing my husband and I spoke with my two year old about is which Sesame Street character would we vote for for president.
The two year old wanted to vote for Cookie Monster. I think Cookie Monster would just eat all the cookies. Adam thought Bert would be the right choice, while I went to sleep undecided. Bert probably would be the right choice, but I just can't bring myself to endorse him.
The endearing part though was when a little toddler voice piped up with, "I vote for Daddy. I vote for Mommy too." Nothing says love like a presidential endorsement. I am still swooning.
The family political debate was inspired by last night's republican presidential debate. It took two glasses of wine to get through it, and I still thought I might throw up a little trying to take it seriously. At one point, listening to Mitt Romney speak, I started getting a little ache in my heart.
If the polls are at all accurate, and I am choosing to believe they are NOT [chews nail while typing] , and Hillary Clinton is what the democrats have to offer, and that any republican candidate could potentially beat her.......I am scared.
I just do not see how any of those candidates could be what this country needs right now. I was just floored by the topics chosen for debate, and even more disturbed at the responses. It bothers me that I look at the line up, and start to mentally adjust my thinking to allow the possibility of a Giuliani presidency into my psyche. He may be the most liberal guy they have, but he is still an ass.
I was also paying attention to Mike Huckabee. I don't know too much about him, or really too much about any of the republicans to be honest, but I do know my grandparents like Mike.
This is important in my mind, because I feel like my grandparents represent a big demographic:
They are American Baptists. They are lifetime republicans, extremely conservative, and would never vote for a pro choice candidate. They live in the Midwest. They are frustrated by this administration. They have two grandsons fighting Iraq. They are Caucasian, though proclaimed non-racists. They back this claim by citing the African-American they befriended in the 1970's and the fact the they would vote for Colin Powell if he ran for president. They forward Anti-Muslim hate mail to my inbox regularly. They don't consume alcohol, or eat at restaurants that serve it. They don't dance, even at weddings, because dancing is sexual in nature. Food and eating are a central part of their lives, and many of the people they love have suffered greatly from the obesity epidemic, and many of those loved ones have had gastric bypass surgery, or have at least seriously considered it.
Their mindset astounds me, and I have had a hard time understanding them for most of my thinking life. Although, they do seem to be getting a little more liberal in their old age. I love them, they love me, but I just don't get it. They just don't get me.
They like Mike Huckabee. I don't like his politics at all whatsoever. I do however get, really get, his appeal to people like Granny and Papaw. He is well spoken, polite, knows his bible, exhibits humility well, and lost a hundred pounds.
I just learned about his weight loss last night from my husband, and that fact alone I think gives him an edge, possibly a bigger one than I would want to admit. I think of my grandparents, and others in my extended family, and there is something awe-inspiring to them about people who have successfully lost that much weight. Getting fat is as American as apple pie, and I think in some people's eyes, dealing with obesity is the great equalizer. Getting fat makes him one of them. Getting thin again makes him presidential material, especially since he prayed with Jesus everyday for the strength to lose that weight.
In the interest of parenting my child, I'll spare you with other presidential debate nonsense. I have no idea what I am talking about anyway. I'll just try and put it out of my head for the day so I can enjoy myself.
2 comments:
Bert is cautious and deliberative, which is a quality in a president that our country could use right now. Sure, he's a little anal, perhaps bordering on OCD, but I submit we could use a little more of that in our president right now. Our current president is so out of touch with the facts underlying the most pressing international issues of the day (besides the mess he created in Iraq, with which he is only slightly less out of touch) that the other day he had to put on reading glasses and read from a prepared statement to come off as even marginally informed about the issues in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. Bert for President, 2008! Or perhaps Kent Mesplay.
It's more the Networks responsible for these poor questions and debate formats. Read the Weekly Standards Two Hours of Humiliation
for a review of last night's. This one seems clearly to have been a collaboration between CNN and Clinton's camp to talk about Don't Ask Don't Tell.
I don't watch any of the debates.
McCain by the way would make an excellant Prez, followed by Giuliani... Clinton not all that bad either, but I have a feeling if elected she's going to feel at need to out hawk everyone else. God help the Iranians if she's elected. A Kerry docrtine of only fighting Wars of last resort could easily turn into fighting a war of anniliation....
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