Politically speaking….

On Saturday, 4 days ago, I walked to my polling place and voted in an early Democratic primary.

I was happy. I felt that I rode a political wave. But, as I tracked the election returns that evening I realized that I was not on the political wave that was building.

Today, 4 days later, I sat at my computer at work and snuck a look at the days headlines (I should learn not to do this, it alters the mood too greatly), I wanted to cry. My candidate, John Edwards, was dropping out.

It is not that I could not support the two candidates who remain. Barach Obama is an amazing speaker and I could always go for a woman president. Politically, I trend progressive and so my first choice was Kucinich; after he did not seem a possibility I chose Edwards. I would even love to see Mr. Gravel in the white house, but, dream on….

And that is the problem. It seems that popular culture squashes our dreams. Popular culture, defined by television and corporate media, dumbs us down so that we don’t believe in dreams anymore.

Enter Obama, who somehow makes us believe in dreams again (Yes, we can!!!!), but I was dreaming a dream that was a little more specific to broad changes in our society (health care for all, the end of poverty for all, etc), and I felt that Edwards best represented that dream.

Last night, I dreamed strange things. I had left my bedside radio on, tuned to Air America and this may have contributed…. On Saturday, I was leaving my polling place and a young man handed me a flyer for the John Edwards victory celebration to be held that evening in my home town. In my dream, I was at the celebration and I was speaking with Mr. Edwards privately and begging him not to quit….

The thing that confuses me is the nature of our reality that does not allow for free discussion and decision making. Candidates for office who are not deemed suitable are not given the opportunity to express themselves in the mass media. It seems that our candidates are being chosen for us (this is a problem on both sides, note the lack of attention given Ron Paul on the Republican side).

As a crafter, I know that some things take time. What is facing our country is far too serious to have decisions made based on money and influence. We need consensus and this will take time. But, as I look at my calendar, I realize it is still January. Why are we (the collective we) being rushed to such an important decision. Why are people so obviously being shut out. So much of the country has still to cast a vote and their choices are severely limited.
This is a campaign flyer that a nice young man left with me last Friday. He was happy when he heard I already intended to vote for Edwards. I laid a broken bracelet that I made across the flyer. It is made of green chalk turquoise (heart energy) and silver. I intended to wear the bracelet on Monday but when I was putting on my coat it caught on the bracelet and the stringing wire snapped. ….