After watching endless hours of CNN and MSNBC (I'm partial to the latter) over the past month and being one of the many enthusiastic followers of the political horse race that began in Iowa, it felt almost surreal to finally cast my own ballot today.
I went to the polls in the late morning, before any rush, and I found the line short and the temperaments of the poll workers cheerful. The subdued atmosphere of voting struck me as a complete contrast to the fevered high-energy commentary of the televised political coverage. The business of news coverage demands cranking up the volume and pumping up the drama to drive ratings, but the business at the polls is necessarily the boring attention to order, procedure, and checking off names.
The pace of the process, in its slow way, helped me with the peculiarities of the New York party primary ballot - the list of named delegates supporting the candidates, people I'm supposed to vote for but do not know. I have been familiar with this New York process for a long time, but still it's odd. I heard a guy in line whispering the mystery of the delegates to another voter, but she didn't get it either.
Given the hoopla of media coverage about Super Tuesday, I wasn't too surprised to read that today in Bexar County, Texas - that would be San Antonio and pronounced like "Bear," over a thousand voters called the election commission to ask where to vote. Primary day in Texas is March 4, not today. Reading this news of the Bexar County confusion, I recalled my long-ago awakening as a young idealistic activist. During my college years my activism took me to San Antonio to participate in the state-wide convention, and I remember thinking that politics was the greatest, most glamorous, and most important aspect of my life.
That sense of myself as the young person who would change the world belongs to a different era. In the intervening years, political professionals took over the grass roots politics I loved, and I feel guilty that I let them. But this morning, in the gray light of an overcast day, a small distant voice came back to me and wanted to re-engage with the world. It made me happy.
I don't think I need to tell you who I voted for.
2 comments:
Just came across your blog, and love the way you write. Very interesting point of view.
I do say, I am jealous, and will trade Texas with you anyday :)
Patrick
Teri!
Howdy from yer old pal, Donnatella!
Now, I bet you haven't changed so much from the idealist you *say* you once were --- that just does not go away! Go to Jim Hightower's website and download his countdown clock for the Bush regime - you can put it on your blog and it'll make you feel all warm and toasty and remind you of the populist you are!
He'll be in NYC, too, promoting his new book on March 9 - that should be a very cool event.
SATX is my hometown, and the information you cited worried me a bit -- only 1,000 people called? I hope that means the rest really knew the real date and not that they didn't give a hoot! "Keep San Antonio Lame" is great but not for this.
Remember the revised history of the Alamo!
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