Saturday, August 16, 2008

Wake me when it's November


So sorry about my complete lack of attention to this blog. I can only defend myself by saying that I have worked myself into a complete state of paralysis. I am now at the point where even putting my thoughts into a coherent blog post is too overwhelming a task. I just cannot seem to shake a very intense feeling of foreboding about the upcoming presidential election. And with each day this terrible sense of doom seems to be growing. I wake up each morning so sick to my stomach that I debate whether or not to read the morning paper or even turn on my computer.

I am hyper-aware of how dirty the GOP can get when it is backed into a corner and I fear that any confidence we may be feeling at this point in the game is very foolish. Each day I encounter some kind of reminder that this thing is not a done deal for Democrats. And what is most sobering to me is that dirty slimy campaign ads work. I am gobsmacked daily with reminders of just how many people so willingly buy into it all.

Maybe living in an area that is so overwhelmingly conservative is part of the problem. I just cannot escape the madness. On a daily basis I run into people, even people I admire and respect, who blow me away with statements (about Obama) like: “I just don’t trust him.” Or “You know he’s a Muslim.” Or “Well McCain has the experience to handle the terrorism and wars we are in – you know he’s a war hero – don’t you?”

But maybe worse than anything else for me is the complete selfishness that I see going into so many people’s decision-making process: “I’m a small business owner and Obama is going to tax me to death.” Or “I don’t see anything wrong with our health care system, I am very happy with my insurance and care.” Or “I don’t want to pay higher taxes and Obama will raise my taxes.” And I could go on and on, but the bottom line is that this is an area of very well-to-do people who go to gyms that have every TV turned on to CNBC and start sentences with “I” and end them with “me”.

I even dread getting together with friends anymore. I just don’t want to find out that yet another person I know and admire is approaching this election as an uninformed, selfish, Fox-news sound-bite voter. And then to top things off, when I inform them that I will be voting for Barack Obama for president, I end up a recipient of every viral email containing the latest horror the GOP has dreamed up about Obama.

So to sum up, I am in a stupefying funk that shows no signs of letting up anytime soon. I am scared to death that ignorance and selfishness is going to give us 4 more years of nightmarish Republican rule. And I am going into hermit mode. Posting may be very light for quite some time.

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4 comments:

Bruce said...

I'm even more afraid that outright racism is going to do us in. I can only hope that those people who "Just can't vote for a black man." don't have the courage to vote at all.

Jan said...

It is frightening when I had envisioned passionate positivism for change. . . .(((Seething Mom))) I'm glad I found this post on my return from WA State. Take care.

Anonymous said...

Daughter bisexual; me with a long history, dating back to 1962, of listening to and when possible comforting gays and bisexuals, and more recently, transgendered people.

A great many things brought me to Jesus' door: an automobile accident, a collapsing (secular) marriage, onset of spinal problems with pain so universal I though it would never end, Christian conversion (Episcopal), and a new life with someone who loves me, as I love her, with the heart.

I have a great deal to be thankful for.

Once & for all about the far right: Their fear is that they WON'T get a scapegoat. The underlying fear of conspiracy against THEM is their own conspiracy. They welcome a diagnosis of paranoia; the truth is, they are possessed by demons, devils, Satan, call it what you will.

Their aim is persecution--it scarcely matters to them who it is--and they intend to establish a persecutory state, deprived of civil liberties. For this reason, you must vote.

Talk more with your son and his friends--they may span a larger group than you currently know. Please blog.

It really has come down to stopping "dominionism," which spans all too easily church and state. Check it out!

Peace,

Jess

Seething Mom said...

Oh Jess, you are so right. And thank you for finally signing your name. You have been commenting for a while on this blog site and I always enjoy your thoughtful insight.

May Peace come to both of us in November. And you are right, we must not give up the fight.