age. But more than a couple second generation members have risen to keep me ideological company.  Her vote is none of my business, but Lindsey adds another recycling, organic-eating, green-thinking member to our clan.  And with the debacle that is the present administration, at least one of my siblings is re-thinking their vote.  That person will remain nameless as it really would be tough to come out as an Obama supporter in my family.  

 

The wedding was in Ohio, though, and you can sure see evidence of it being a battleground state.  A cursory walk in my sister’s neighborhood was a lawn-sign extravaganza.  The Obamas out-numbered the McBushes, but it was only one neighborhood.  The bit of politics that seeped out the edges this week was Palin-centric and not initiated by me.  But from what I can gather, the Republicans have this sports-rival mentality about this election and Palin is the secret weapon rookie just pulled off the bench.  They gloat about Palin in much the self-righteous, smart-ass tone she has in her speeches.  They seem to think we are scared we are going to lose because of her.  And with such a tight race, they are right.  We are mortified.  But my friends and I aren’t treating this like the big game between cross-town rivals.  This is no game.  This is real life.  And the stakes could not be higher.  

 

With just McBush to face, there was so much cause for concern.  The Palin choice puts 40 years of women’s rights on the chopping block as well.  I simply can’t fathom that this is the best female the Republicans could come up with.  Such a satire of herself.  I shudder to think of a country run by this self-congratulatory redneck.  And the support she’s getting astounds me.  James Carville said something like, “The problem is, the Republicans think the Democrats think they are stupid.  And the Democrats think the Republicans are stupid.”

 

I gotta say, I try not to judge.  I even spend time trying to fathom the logic of the Right.  I know we are all products of our environments, socio-economic influences, etc.  But this Palin thing is even worse proof of the Carville statement than George Bush.  Like, somewhere, the people who really run things are laughing their asses off, marveling at how the more ill-suited for the job the candidate is, the more middle America gobbles it up.

 

And, yes, many say the same about Obama.  And I can see that argument. But if they are all ill-suited, he’s the one on the side of the issues that’s going to save our asses instead of selling them down the river.