Election Day

As my husband says, “It will all be over soon. No honey, I mean the world as we know it will all be over soon.” He’s obviously taking the disenchanted view about whomever may win. I am too, really. I kinda feel like the next four years are gonna be sh*t no matter which way this day goes. So, let’s just get it over with already.

There have been some highlights to the nearly year and a half we’ve been wading through this muck. Finding nicknames for the candidates (Justin came up with Sock Yo Mama, Zeb had us rolling with On Cocaine, and not to leave out Mitt Romney’s “Spit On Me”), we had a blast in the early months canvassing, fundraising, marching, caravaning and delegating for Ron Paul, Zeb has learned a load of political facts and has become just as opinionated as his mama…and apparently just as cynical as both his parents. And we’ve all been baffled by a lot of people who don’t give a hoot or only want to be on the winning side.

The hardest part is seeing the polarization among our loved ones. Even Zeb was taking his impassioned stance that far but has since learned that a difference of opinion is just that…a difference of opinion. And everyone deserves the right to disagree but in the end we are all more than our political party. Let me repeat that for some of you out there….we are all more than our political party.

Do I think the next president has the power to drive us into the ground single-handedly? No. I think we as citizens have much more power to do so, though. I also think we as citizens need to begin taking a more serious (and long-term) interest in our Congress and Senate and just what the hell they think they’re doing on a regular basis. We saw the public outcry with the bailout plan. Do we really believe it’s no longer our role to keep those people in check?

Therein lies our problem. Our short-term interest in electing one man to be the savior of the free world but our complete apathy in what our state and district representatives are doing with each and every vote they cast. Where is the accountability? Why are we no longer interested in those votes and only passionate about this one? We can’t sit around anymore, consumed in our daily lives and expect the world to continue turning and the country to keep limping along. As with so many other things, we have to step up and start taking responsibility. We can’t hand over the direction of our lives and country and expect it to all turn out okay. That’s apathy, folks. And it ain’t workin’.

I think that’s what I’ve learned most this year. My civic duty is not just to “get out the vote”, but to keep a keen eye on what Washington is voting along the way. I’ve learned the president doesn’t matter nearly as much as those other guys and gals we send to Washington. And I’ve learned it’s more about personal responsibility than having a savior of the free world.

But then again, isn’t that usually what it’s all about? Stepping up to the plate, demanding more of ourselves than we demand of others, living by example and not expecting someone else to do what we don’t have the passion to do alone.

Updated To Add:

Here’s *my* hope for change. *I* hope we can finally get past all the blind trust we give our President – no matter if we voted for him or how eloquent a speaker he is or how much we may like him – and actually start holding our politicians accountable for EACH AND EVERY THING they do. This was the problem with Bush and the Republicans didn’t want to call out one of their own.

Let’s hope we don’t all do the same in the next four years. Let’s hope we’ve learned our lesson from the past 8 years. Let’s hope the millions of first time voters out there continue to be involved. Let’s hope we never allow another President to steam-roll us into submission and let’s hope we all start thinking for ourselves instead of hoping Washington is doing right by us.

That’s when change will come to this nation. Not when one man steps into office but when more Americans step out of apathy.