VOTE

Although geographically displaced from the election hubbub, I feel very close to the events. I don´t remember a more contested election. Maybe it´s just because I´m older now. I got an (hundreds of) email(s) from Moveon yesterday and it was a short list of reasons to vote in Massachusetts, despite the certainty of a democratic victory there. One of the reasons was a reference to the historic importance of electing the first African-American president. I was hoping that I wouldn´t hear something so simplistic so far into the campaigns at a stage where it is clear that there are substative differences between the candidates´ideologies and desires for the country. I suppose that many still see the two as emblematic of two opposing forces, demonstrated by everything from their speech to their appearance- which I admit it is hard to get past in politics as in the rest of our lives.

It´s also clear that many see this as a social movement in itself (especially due to the way the Obama campaign has been sloganing), and feel like the work will be done once Barak is elected. I hope that if he is (as it appears he will be) he will make it clear that the work is now just beginning.