This was the first time I had heard this during the early voting/mail-in ballot period of my door-to-door canvassing. And it made me sadder than expected.
I was surprised at my reaction. I am canvassing in one of the battleground states: Colorado. If you've been keeping track you know that Colorado is one of the states that is really more purple than red. (And I would still call it purple even if it goes for Obama.) Traditionally going for Republican presidents, we have a Democratic Governor and one (so far) Senator. The Dems control the state house, too. Pockets of conservatism and liberalism give us some notorious Republicans (Tancredo, Musgrave) as well as notable Dems (DeGette, and previously, Pat Schroeder and Gary Hart). Circumstances and candidates can move us one way or the other.
So I know we have plenty of Republican supporters here, though I try to avoid the hot spots. (Colorado Springs is very nice but just too much Focus on the Family to hang around there too long.) Unless polls are wildly out of whack, they still mean about half of the electorate will vote for McCain. My area is a real mix of cultures and politics; a strong Obama supporter next to a yard with a McCain/Palin sign. Why did I go into temporary shock when I heard this?
At the beginning of my canvassing experience I ran into several Obama supporters and a few undecideds. Then as we worked through the lists to unknowns, I starting getting more undecideds and even a few McCain people - expected as I described Colorado above. Taking a break for business travel, I returned to a focus on GOTV. We were clearly in a different stage. People are getting a bit tired of the calls and canvassers. Not just Obama, of course, but from several organizations, parties, and candidates. We have the most ballot initiatives of any state this year, which is the downside to citizen involvement in government. I compare it to a marathon at the 25 mile marker - you just want to stop now, but you summon the last bit of energy to cross the line.
So this day I'm mostly getting "not at homes", but one knock is answered by the woman on my list. After introducing myself and asking if she requested a MIB, she says "I've returned my ballot . . . and I voted for McCain." I said Thank You and left. I marked her as a McCain supporter who voted then realized I felt this weight as I walked away.
I'm not demonstrative in my patriotism, probably because I tend to be reserved about subjects I take very seriously. I don't display a flag all the time, but I am bothered when I see one not treated by flag code guidelines. For example, flags attached to the car frame that are all tattered and dirty from hurtling down the highway at 70 mph in the rain. I have mixed feelings about playing the national anthem at practically every sporting event - it seems to lack a certain dignity and relevance.
The right to vote is important and I think it is too often ignored or treated lightly. It was one thing when people said they supported McCain, before voting started, but actually ticking the box for him was a different matter. It was so final - there was no more hope they would "see the light."
I proudly call myself a liberal, progressive, what ever label you want to use, so I rarely share policy viewpoints with Republican presidential candidates. I have only had 2 satisfactory elections out of the last 7 of my adult life. (I wore black the day after Reagan was first elected.) But I also call myself an American and think it is important to have differing viewpoints to come to some reasonable compromise on national policy. But I think the McCain campaign goes beyond a difference of opinion, or even the lack of desire to work with non-conservatives so evident in the Bush administration.
*Not only have they failed to reach out to people like me (culturally, politically, etc.) in even a token way, but they distort Obama's positions and imply that people like me are extremists and a danger to America.
*Or that we are susceptible fools for supporting Obama and other Democrats. We are blinded by celebrity. Whites feel guilty about slavery and segregation. Black folks can only see skin color and not a better set of policies addressing the problems we face.
*They minimize his educational and professional accomplishments, which have enough similarities to mine and that of friends and members of my family that I know how impressive they are. A fair campaign would acknowledge his talents instead of implying he has skated by using race and impressive oratory.
It is patronizing and insulting and slanderous and, yes, I'll use the "R" word - racist. There is a reason you've seen fewer and fewer brown faces at their rallies. Every time the Republican party makes small inroads into the AA community, they expose their true colors by ignoring the issues of concern to a large portion of the community or revert to racism in attacking AA opponents. It would prove us fools if we did join them. Or maybe I should say they are just "-ist" in general. Far as I can tell, their rallies look like big family reunions - they all look and act alike. Or considering many families, maybe I should call them a cult. You cannot reject the wide variety in viewpoints, concerns, culture, background, education, etc. of at least half the population and successfully lead a nation out of the mess in which we find it.
Previously, when someone voted Republican I could often assume it was a difference of policy positions. But not the way they've campaigned this time. The policies of the past administration have been so disastrous, I don't know how many can believe McCain's will make much of a difference. And their campaign has been relentlessly negative, which should repel anyone interested in bipartisanship.
So instead of her vote being a simple difference of opinion, it seems a direct support of someone who does not support me nor a big chunk of the citizenry. It has become personal, and that is not right. I guess McCain supporters would disagree with me, but though I see Senator Obama rejecting far right policies, I do not see him rejecting the concerns of conservatives. I believe he does want to listen, and find ways to address or accommodate those concerns in his decisions. In fact, I do expect he will be far more pragmatic and less progressive than I would like. But as a patriot I accept that because I believe it is good for the nation. I do not see McCain or Palin even giving lip service to having that sort of administration. The way they use "maverick" suggests running roughshod over anyone who disagrees.
I feel that she and the others I have encountered since voting started took their very precious votes, which should represent the American ideals of democracy, and the sacrifices of those who fought to extend that right to all citizens, and used it for someone who has been running using what I consider to be the antithesis of those ideals and sacrifices. Usually I would appreciate the irony, but this time it makes me sad.
On the positive side:
It is probably because I represent his campaign, but the Obama supporters seem the most relaxed in talking to me. The undecideds are maybe a little on edge: "Yes, I'm still thinking about it!" I had a few notable encounters this past week:
- A man in his 50s who registered for the first time this year, at the urging of his daughter. He seemed a gentle soft-spoken man who had become convinced that this was a very important election and he needed to support change.
- A woman who discovered after her husband had received his MIB but she did not that she had been removed from the rolls. They had her moving out of state even though she had lived in her home over 20 years. She took all available ID to the clerk's office and made them re-register her and give her a ballot. Thank goodness she was proactive with her rights. That is why voting early is good, if you can. You may need the time to reclaim your right. People fuss about "voter fraud" but disfranchisement of legitimate voters is the real problem each election.
- The toddler of a woman on my list approaches me babbling excitedly, and I'm thinking "oh dear, can I translate this?" until I hear "Obama sticker." Fortunately I had grabbed some before they ran out in the office and gave them to the little boy. He promptly gave some to his father to put on the car.
And that is why I, someone with a nearly perfect introversion score, is devoting many hours through the 4th volunteering for Change. Every vote for Obama/Biden is one for "we are all in this together" whether in a blue, red, or purple state. And I want to be happy, not sad. Thank you for reading my story.