Feb 6, 2008

Ode to election day

To the back of the line
why don't they put D-K with S-Z?
A special line for young mothers with babies;
Divide the Republicans From the Democrats?
I wonder aloud, and an appreciative murmur
radiates; another example of civil insolence.

The family in front of me;
probably homeschoolers. My guess is
Ron Paul. The man behind me is friendly
and softspoken; Romney for sure.
The man with the book comes by
and says I'm unaffiliated.
Unafilliated? I ask.
Yes. It says right here.
Well all right then.

First Woman, or first African American?
the crowd around me murmurs, first Mormon.
I smile as if I agree. We inch forward, and
I thank God that He has the toddler,
not me. A woman becomes chatty;
how much did your baby weigh? My gosh,
that must have been awful...

The octogenarian in front of me;
this must be awful for you dear.
Not too awful, I say. I could have had
the toddler. Her husband moves a chair in
front for my carrier, and slides it along
as the line moves. Good Samaritans about in this crowd.

The woman at the book squints at me, tells me D33,
Bright eyes watch as I slide my card and punch
my keys. A thrill travels through me at this
historic event; First African American. I slide
on the iced-over pavement; only twenty cars left
in the parking lot.

Back in the poop covered intrepid,
a sold five minutes of buckling.
It's time to pick up the missing pieces.
I find them in the courthouse lobby;
Worn thin, full of granola bars and fruit punch.
And Finding Nemo.

At home, it's a picture,
then papa murphy's, a late bedtime, and NPR...
He is sad and a little frustrated. In bed
it's quiet talking for longer than we should
and soft laughter. And congenial disagreement.
He'll write him in; I say I won't vote for someone
who's no longer running. The pillows are warm,
the baby asleep, the girls upstairs. Ron
and Barack are off partying, doing their civic duty
in champaigne and SuperDelegates.
We fall peacefully asleep, hoping we did ours.

8 comments:

David L said...

Good for you for voting in the primaries. I never have simply because I try not to get too concerned over it until later, especially in Utah. For the time being, this state will be Republican no matter any other views, and I'm more than happy to let others set the field for now.

I guess this is also why I've always written in Dave Barry for President.... When I leave Utah, I'll probably be a much better behaved voter. For now, GO DAVE BARRY!!! May he never win.

Lucy Stern said...

The only two that I would have voted for are both out of the race. Now, what to do?

Putz said...

i want to let you know my opin, and i don't want you to take offense since my opinion has no merit whatsoever with reality...all is over with the one who you voted for who is as you say OUT.. now when he who is not to be named, suspended, he said he did it because there was a war going on and since the two democrats if elected would stop that war, he was OUT so that war could continue...why if that war is to last another HUNDRED years, do not his five military aged boys enlist and feel as strongly about the war on terrorism as he does?????i am really interested on a mormon's opinion to me another mormon on how graceless that seems to me... to have a final shot of peaceloving people ...i am upset and am ready to listen to someone who can explain to me why that statement is not hypocritical..

Unknown said...

I"m not sure exactly what you're saying Barlow, but I will respond in this way.

1) I voted for Barack Obama. Mitt Romney is a nice guy in real life, and a slippery schemer as a politician. Sorry if that offends anyone... it's my opinion.

2) You can't judge the Mormon faith based on one Mormon's behavior, just as you can't judge the Catholic faith by priests who molest little boys or the Muslim faith by men who blow up buildings.

3) I think that Mitt really does believe in the war, and that his boys haven't enlisted because they were never inclined to a military profession... the family is business-oriented, and no-doubt belives they serve America best by becoming part of the public sector and earning an income and raising strong families. A feeling I share. :)

4) I think that most people who are pro-war have lost the jist of what we were supposed to be trying to do in iraq-- help set up a stable government and then leave. instead we're focusing on numbers of deaths and increase or decrease in violence in various regions; all while coming nowhere close to our originally stated goal. I think it's a misguided philosophy, not a self-interested, intentionally decietful one (except, perhaps, on the part of those who have orchestrated this whole Iraq policy.)

I hope I covered everything with that answer.

Putz said...

actually your answer helped me a lot, although that dosen't answer for the 90% who supported mitt, i have to calm down, isn't it funny how i went half way round the world because i was so angry??i am also for one of the democrats although i have vote republican for 66 years

Unknown said...

I think that lots of Mormons voted for him because he is conservative (or professes to be) and his turn of phrase and demeanor remind him of their ward bishops. :) And also, of course, because John McCain isn't truly conservative, Mike Huckabee has spread anti-Mormon sentiment around, and A Dem is not a voting option for a (lot of) LDS people. I actually like Mitt better than I like John or Mike or HIllary (though I do agree with a lot of what she says)... But I like Barack the best.

Liz L said...

JP, Simone, and I (all Mormons) caucused for Hillary on Super Tuesday in Kansas. It was so much fun. Although the procedure seemed a bit archaic (we basically were huddled into separate parts of room and counted by groups of 25) the energy and excitement was hard to resist - there was no bickering between Obama, Clinton, Kucinich, and Edwards supporters - just a lot of happy Democrats ready for change.

Unknown said...

Liz, I'm so glad I'm not the only Mormon Dem out there. I know there are a lot... we're just outnumbered, especially here in Utah valley. I"m glad you had fun caucusing. I'm still trying to decide who to vote for if Barack isn't the democratic nominee... in the end, it'll probably be Hillary because I want to bring our troops home and reform our health care. Even though I don't really trust her, like I said, I agree with a lot of what she believes in.