Politics are scene right now

As you read this, I’ll be volunteering during Election Day. I’ll be providing backrubs, hot towels and words of encouragement to those in line to vote. I look forward to the chance to converse with my academic peers, many of whom are voting for the first time.

It’s been strange to see apathy turn into passion toward government this fall, especially as one who once decried the uninterested attitude of my generation. I sometimes think the best thing would be to reinstate the draft to finally force those with their heads in the sand to actually take an interest. Vietnam showed us nothing says “I suddenly care what policies my government enforces” like a draft card.

I used to have an elitist view that I was generally more educated in the ways of Washington. This was dangerous thinking.

David Hume once said, “When men are most sure and arrogant they are commonly most mistaken, giving views to passion without that proper deliberation which can secure them from the grossest absurdities”.

I’ve seen some take amazing strides into this world of legislation and speeches, making points and arguments I hadn’t considered before or for a long time. Just like refusing to try new flavors of jelly beans, we stifle our growth as people if we don’t consider everyone’s opinion valid and worthy of a chance to be heard.

Some of this resentment from the more politically seasoned might be due to the process of becoming jaded the more you involve yourself in government. There’s a bit of jealousy to see someone so optimistic about government and what the president will do in office. I have this same feeling towards those who think Santa is real, pining for the days I thought magic was real and someone was always watching me besides the CIA.

The feeling is strikingly similar to the music scene. Having followed Obama since his 2004 Democratic National Convention speech was like being a rabid fan of a band before MTV sweeps them under its corporate wing to be exploited and placed on Slushee drink cups. His weekly podcasts were like his first LP. His television special that aired last week was like a sold out arena concert; something Obama’s rallies are often compared to.

Obama is an excellent candidate to vote for, and based on polls of young voters, it seems a large majority agrees. The sad fact, though, is some who are so enthusiastic about Barack’s message of change will realize over these next few years that not everything on his platform will happen. The reality of bureaucracy is that Obama will spend most of his time trying to fix mistakes from the Bush administration, and knowledge of that makes us cynical when we see someone so happy about possibilities. As much as I’ve been harassed by volunteers, I applaud these people for choosing to be active on a Saturday morning going door-to-door instead of sleeping through a hangover.