Adam for Senior Class President!
I'm a political optimist--I always have been. I say that in terms of "politics" (the mess of electing people) not in terms of being a realist or idealist (I'm more of a realist). When I was in High School, I ran for office three times...and lost three times.
Junior year, I ran for Senior Class President. My date to Prom, Sara, was a shoe-in for ASB President. She was bright (4.0), popular and talented (lead in the school music etc. etc.). What she didn't see coming was the 1998 high school version of Obama; Travis. Travis was a DIFFERENT popular. He was outside the "clique" and he and his brother, Spencer, were loved by everyone, not just the "cool kids". Travis was also a member of the local CTK (Christ the King, but we only referred to it as "CTK") and thus had a built-in voting bloc for him.
Sara lost, badly, and decided to then run for Class President--her consolation prize. I was hurt, as she was my friend and knew how badly I wanted to be Class President. But, I had faith (optimism really) that people would see two things 1. they'd recognize that she didn't REALLY want to be Class President, but only wanted to be on the Student Council and 2. that I "deserved" the position. Why? Because (in my mind) I had been ridiculously involved all four years, but only because I wanted to--I wasn't applying to college so it didn't matter, I didn't need to pad my resume.
In stepped Tom, the football kid, and long story short, Sara and I split our votes and both lost.
Why do I write about this now, 12 years later? (13?) Because as I read about the President, and I read about politics, I'm still an optimist. I still think people will "see through" the bull. They'll SEE that the obstinacy of the Republicans has led to stalled government unable to accomplish anything. They'll see that he HAS compromised (so much so liberal dems don't like him any longer). They'll SEE that the Perry's and Bachmann's of the world are know-nothing blow-hards who have nary a political understanding of the PTA let alone the Presidency--and because of all this, he'll win.
The realist inside me knows that the Tom's and Travis's wait in the wings, and while I'd like to believe otherwise, the general electorate isn't that much more informed, educated or less fickle than my high school. The last few years have proved that. Buyers remorse over Bush II's second term proved as much. Renee Elmers and Sara Palin re-enforce that. And so, I hope for the best, but I'm preparing for the worst.
Junior year, I ran for Senior Class President. My date to Prom, Sara, was a shoe-in for ASB President. She was bright (4.0), popular and talented (lead in the school music etc. etc.). What she didn't see coming was the 1998 high school version of Obama; Travis. Travis was a DIFFERENT popular. He was outside the "clique" and he and his brother, Spencer, were loved by everyone, not just the "cool kids". Travis was also a member of the local CTK (Christ the King, but we only referred to it as "CTK") and thus had a built-in voting bloc for him.
Sara lost, badly, and decided to then run for Class President--her consolation prize. I was hurt, as she was my friend and knew how badly I wanted to be Class President. But, I had faith (optimism really) that people would see two things 1. they'd recognize that she didn't REALLY want to be Class President, but only wanted to be on the Student Council and 2. that I "deserved" the position. Why? Because (in my mind) I had been ridiculously involved all four years, but only because I wanted to--I wasn't applying to college so it didn't matter, I didn't need to pad my resume.
In stepped Tom, the football kid, and long story short, Sara and I split our votes and both lost.
Why do I write about this now, 12 years later? (13?) Because as I read about the President, and I read about politics, I'm still an optimist. I still think people will "see through" the bull. They'll SEE that the obstinacy of the Republicans has led to stalled government unable to accomplish anything. They'll see that he HAS compromised (so much so liberal dems don't like him any longer). They'll SEE that the Perry's and Bachmann's of the world are know-nothing blow-hards who have nary a political understanding of the PTA let alone the Presidency--and because of all this, he'll win.
The realist inside me knows that the Tom's and Travis's wait in the wings, and while I'd like to believe otherwise, the general electorate isn't that much more informed, educated or less fickle than my high school. The last few years have proved that. Buyers remorse over Bush II's second term proved as much. Renee Elmers and Sara Palin re-enforce that. And so, I hope for the best, but I'm preparing for the worst.
posted by Adam at 2:22 PM
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