Strange Day

There is definitely change in the air. It's refreshing, enchanting, but also dark and terrifying.

Today is/was election day. For all the buildup and hype and as much as I've always valued the voting process as a duty and a privelage, I had actually forgotten about it over the weekend. The frenzy over Obama and McCain took its toll on me much like the massive amounts of candy I consumed over the past three days- it's all really too much. When you become saturated in something, when you listen to the same song over and over hour after hour you become sick of it or sick in general.

I dislike both candidates. I have from the beginning, even though I'll admit Obama is alluring in a sense. People might call me a one-issue voter, as I am strongly pro-life and drawn to any decisions being made on that issue, but I'd like to think I'm more intelligent than just that. I have my reasons for making the choice I did in at the (packed) polling place this afternoon. I am a registered Independent, and I voted for a Republican. This will not make much difference at all this time around, but it puts my concious at rest. I made an educated decision and one I feel correct about morally. Anyway, that was a rabbit trail: my original point was, I am not behind a single candidate this time around. While I don't think McCain is bland, he is not strong. While I don't think he will be more of the same in any sense, he will not provide change. He will not energize our country. But I think he would have protected it. And I think he understands it, and he's unafraid to get his hands dirty. Still, I would compare him to the unexciting democrat, Kerry, of the 04 election. He is not sensational, or interesting, he makes no remarkable promises. He will be forgotten quickly. What is Kerry even doing these days? Ok, another rabbit trail, back to the point that I'm trying to make: the red and blue parties have destroyed politics and divided our country. Their mudslinging is ridiculous and grows more so the further left or right you get. Their power has risen to unbelievable levels, their spending in tow. They have each become about image, and as much as the liberals would deny it, no one paints outside of the lines. As far as I can tell, folks have been under the impression that what's going to happen is going to happen regardless, and that the power of the two parties is too great to stray into more independent territory. Americans have been chosing the lesser of two evils for as long as they can remember (except for Christians involved in Bush's initial election, or for some of the liberals dedicated to Obama this time around--- clearly, in their eyes, their respective heroes are saviors, come to transform America). Passion, for the most part, has vanished. Independent thought has vanished in the shadow of fear. What about the other candidates this time around? Were you even aware of the other candidates? Nader, hiding in the backseat as per every year in memory? Anyone else? How come every issue falls under a blue/red umbrella? We're scared! I know at least on the republican side most people seem to be saying "Well, McCain kinda sucks, I mean, he's OK, but he's not Obama, soooo..." and folk who are wary of Obama are casting their vote for him because of one issue or two that they feel is important. I'm not one to judge, I'm doing the same thing. But come ON folks, if that's the case we're in a sad state. As Dominic said to me recently in regards to the debates, "if these two men are the best of the best, handpicked by their parties as the BEST in all of AMERICA to lead us ALL--- then we are living a tragedy. We need something radical, some incredible change. We need to take some of this tremendous power away from the donkey and the elephant (and where there's power, btw, there is ALWAYS corruption), we need a third party, we need to move on from all that is outdated and make every single person's vote count. We need new campaign methods, we need honesty.

This sentiment isn't worth much at the moment- as I said, I did my duty, I cast a vote for the red, I got a sticker and I'll be quiet but respectful when everyone's partying in the name of O-bam- and furthermore I will be respectful of his person and his office- but I will be praying and looking and acting (if i can) for REAL change, for REAL hope, for all those things that Obama's reign claims to offer but which I fear will not come to pass until we the people do something. I just want to know what that something is.