I Wish I Got An "I Voted" Sticker

The recent presidential race, without contention, has been one for the history books. Not simply because an African-American and two women were in contention for the first time in our countries history, but also because of the current state of our economy. The excitement originated from who was running for office, the worry and concern from the fragile financial system, and the mixture of the two is what spawned the desire to win. Sidewalk chalk, t-shirts, rallies, debates, political pundits, and my personal favorite, endless campaign commercials, all fought for my attention throughout the days. Needless to say, my first time to the polls, and the circus that goes along with it, was quite the experience.

Since I have never cast a vote, in any kind of election, I didn’t know what to look for in a leader. My first step towards clarity was to ask my parents who they were voting for. Since I am fiscally dependent on them, it makes sense, what’s better for them is better for me. My dad was for McCain, my mom for Obama. Damn, another bi-partisan conclusion. Everyone I know had already joined a team, and there I was, still a gray state. Once the easy route closed up, I decided to pay more attention to what the candidates were saying. Finally, I was making progress, finding myself doing research on the internet and going to an Obama rally. With the acquired knowledge, I was ready to base my decision.

Throughout my election experience I never, whole-heartedly, backed either man. Although my vote was cast toward the victor, I wasn’t on the streets celebrating, or in the bars toasting the new president-elect, and that came as no surprise. I did, however, give a little fist pump and say, “ okay buddy, now lets see you back it up.”