You're so Jaded.

It's Election Day already!? I had NO idea. Did you hear about this? Why didn't anyone tell me! I mean come on people, this is the most important, life or death, Armageddon or Utopia election the world- nay, the UNIVERSE has ever known, and will ever know until the end of recorded time.

Cynical? Yes. Unfounded cynicism? Not really. It's interesting to see all these peers suddenly so infatuated with politics. Democracy is the the "Uggs" of 2002. Except instead of having to see those damn things traipsing around in every possible venue, we now have to be bombarded by that same level of saturation confronting you at every possible opportunity to inquire into your registration status, and inevitably, whether or not you're cool enough to be voting for the next Savior of Humanity himself, Obama.
This is coming from a girl who supported Obama since his declaration of intention to run for the Presidency a year and a half ago. I'm no conciliatory Hilary convert, or Richardson idealist. Obama's been my candidate since day 1. But I think everyone needs to take a breath and put a little perspective on things.
I'm all for involvement in politics, in fact, it's one of my obsessions. I want to make it my career. And I've been involved in them to or at least followed them closely since the 2000 election. And yes, I was in 5th grade, but I remember standing up in my gym class one day to call out one of my classmates, who had mentioned that his parents were Bush supporters, in a rant that went something to the effect of, "honestly, what kind of morons WOULDN'T want nationalized healthcare."
Sounds made up, but go ahead and ask Mr. Larson, because he had to tell me to sit down and stop talking so we could get on with our explanation of the game we were playing that day.
Of course, everyone discounts political opinions at that age, because all kids are just, "saying they like whoever their parents do." Which is probably true. But that doesn't mean, that I didn't know specific statistics as to why my family and supported the candidates we did, or what social issues were deal breakers.
When Bush "won" that election, I was confused and angry. How could America choose someone that I knew was so completely wrong for the country? I remember staying up as late as I could to watch the returns come in, but I had school the next day, so eventually was forced to go to bed around 1 o'clock in the morning, not knowing who the winner was. When I woke up that day, it was like reverse Christmas. I opened eyes, and in that little catch-of-the-breath, skip-of-the-heartbeat, that always happened when you wake up to a day that has significance (we all know that feeling: christmas, your birthday, the first day of a new school year) I jumped up to ask my Dad, eating breakfast in the kitchen. "Who won!?" He just gave me this little half-hearted, 'Your youthful optimism is appreciated but ultimately useless', smile and said, "Bush won." I remember gasping out a sad, "No," and slumping into the chair across from him.
I noticed the news that was on the TV, and their discussion of Gore contesting the results in Florida, and saying, "it's not over Dad, look, they're gonna recount!" But he didn't change his stance, and told me that it wasn't going to change anything, they would lose the challenge. We all remember the next 9 days, or at least, those of us who actually know something about politics do. I of course, foolishly held out hope until the very instant the Supreme Court announced their split decision on Gore v. Bush, which would forever change how I thought about the political system.
As much as I believe in the power of the government and policies to affect change, I also understand that politics itself, is about winners and losers. It's strategy. And no matter how talented or qualified you are; no matter how many great ideas you have, none of it matters if you don't win the election. Fairness, and justice, mean nothing if you can't put that candidate in the seat.
So when the 2004 elections came around, I was ready to right the egregious wrongs of 2000. We had been robbed, but more than that, we'd had seen the error of our ways-Bush was incompetent and dangerous and now, we had a chance to stop him for good. It seemed so easy. Like all we would have to do would be to remind voters, "Remember? Bush is a idiot? He's made irreparable damage to our country?" Unfortunately, we had 9/11 and complacency to contend with. Democrats thought like I did, but to the point where the feeling of inevitability surrounding Bush's defeat kept them from getting the energy needed to motivate more active campaigning. This time I was 15, and damnit, I was going to campaign until my feet bled and my voice cracked. If Bush on again, how could our country possibly continue to persevere? We would no doubt implode into a war ravaged, Nascar-loving, misogynistic plutocracy from which we could never recover, right?
And so I did. And we lost. Again. And that was it. Now I got it. There was no nobility in running for office, no honor-code, nothing. You'd think this kind of heartbreak (and yes, I say heartbreak- I was 15 after all, drama was inevitable) would turn me off of political involvement permanently. But it didn't. Because the world continued to turn, no apocalyptic implosion, just mismanagement and detrimental policy inaction and creation. Bad, damaging, but not irreconcilable.
Which brings me to our current election. I'm still incredibly active in politics, I'm involved in campaigning for my candidates, I encourage people to vote, and when, on the off-chance, here at Smith I actually get the chance to discuss politics with people who disagree with me, I provide evidence and logic as to why I believe what I do, is the better choice. But I do so, with the kind of removal and perspective that can only come from having your first heartbreak under your belt. Even though, I do not believe that Obama will lose. If he did, it wouldn't be the end of the world. It would be politics.
And to all these folks that have jumped on the democracy bandwagon for the first time in their lives for this one- think about it this way: In 2004, we KNEW the damage that Bush did, we knew that if we lost, HE (not just another Republican) but the beast itself would be in power again, unhindered by a Democratic Congressional majority. The situation then, was seriously more desperate and grasping then this year, and we survived. Worse for the wear, but alive.
So, my hope is this: that all of the people that are so gung-ho about Obama, transfer and continue that dedication for politics as a whole in the future and don't just get wrapped up for this one election and then drop democracy like their favorite pair of Crocs, in a season or two. I know that's too grand of a request, and I have no doubt that this kind of intensity won't be sustained come midterms and don't think it has too- all I hope is that those people continue to follow the daily news, and vote.
For some of us, a lifetime of infatuation with the biggest game of strategy in the world is where our hearts and heads lead us, but for the rest, just remember this election as evidence of what electoral participation can do, and when that inevitable heartbreak happens and the bubble bursts- remember it. Keep voting, keep campaigning. Government is important, it impacts the world. But in 21st Century America, politics doesn't make or break existence.