Well, dear reader, I did vote on November 4th, and it was a humbling experience. I shall leave my vote confidential, although some may be able to make educated guesses as to whom I chose for the Presidential race.
Finally, all of those campaign workers and volunteers can catch up on their sleep, spend extra time with their families, and perhaps even have time to watch that film about George W. Bush that came out recently. Students, the election is no longer a valid excuse for playing hookie, and all those political junkies out there… maybe patches?
A friend of mine recently sent me a link to a satiric video about the condition of overly-dedicated political groupies. Published by The Onion, a satirical online news source, the video hilariously depicts this sudden "problem" of among some stark Obama supporters who now have nothing to do.
But although some may be experiencing withdrawal and wander around aimlessly in a lethargic state, do we really have nothing to do? The election may be over, but as Obama, himself, stated in his inauguration speech, "...this victory alone is not the change we seek. It is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It can't happen without you, without a new spirit of service, a new spirit of sacrifice...". Obama continued saying that each of us needs to "pitch in" and "work harder." Whether you support Barack Obama or not, however you may feel about his upcoming administration, we all together must make this country more prosperous and fruitful. We have elected a leader that will hopefully point us in a good direction, but who is a leader without people to lead?
The question then becomes, how exactly we can work to better our country? The message was clear during the election what we could do to help: make phone calls, register voters, knock on doors, talk to our friends and neighbors, donate money, sport campaign buttons and t-shirts, keep candidates accountable by blogging our concerns, etc. But now, what shall we do? I believe this question must really be asked on an individual basis, as each individual has particular concerns, needs, abilities and resources. But one thing that I believe is very important with any government is transparency, and it is all of our responsibility to pay attention.
This morning on National Public Radio (NPR) I heard a short report about how the Obama administration plans to appoint a chief technology officer or "technology czar." Part of the role of this initiative is to increase transparency, for example, by promoting broadband Internet access in all areas in the U.S. and also creating an online database in which anyone on the Internet can read about federal grants and contracts, earmarks, and lobbying contracts. Obama has already appointed a technology expert to his transition team and teamed up with Republican Tom Colburn to work on this google-like database.
For all you political junkies out there--and those of you who just like the occasional buzz--this initiative by Obama should provide an intriguing outlet for your curiosities. I've always had my doubts about those patches anyway.
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Although I cared about the last presidential election, I wasn’t old enough to vote, so I didn’t bother getting too involved. Since I turned 18, I’ve voted in the smaller elections, but I didn’t know the true joys of election season until this year. I know that empty feeling. Actually, I voted almost a month early, and after that, I just didn’t know what to do. But there was still the build up for actual election day, and although I was pretty sure who was going to win (thank you Nate Silver), I was excited to see it actually happen. Now there’s just that awkward waiting time. While Obama’s inauguration is something to look forward to, there’s not the build up only competition can create, and we just have to wait Bush out.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that anyone who was working on the campaigns should be disappointed the season’s over, or feel left without anything to do. Everyone who campaigned did so because they cared about the causes and wanted to see something better for their country. Now is the time to go and act on that. People should be excited they’ll have free time now, because they can go volunteer at their local soup kitchen, or animal shelter, etc. One of my friends was so excited when Obama got elected, because as she said, he made her want to do good things for the nation. She said that she hadn’t had pride for America previously, but now that she does, she wants to go out there and do as much as she can to make the country she loves a better place. I think this should be the mentality of all those who volunteered or worked on campaigns. These are some of the most dedicated and knowledgeable people in our generation, and it’s time to put that to use.
That’s so exciting that Obama’s all for transparency in the government. I feel like it’s been a long time since the government’s been straightforward with its citizens, and in order for democracy to work, that’s so necessary. And now no one has an excuse to say they don’t know about candidates or the issues. The elections and the government are so much more accessible to the average person than they were just ten years ago. I think just the understanding of governmental affairs will help people to feel like they can make a difference or are closer to the government.
I did not vote early for a couple of reasons: (1) I wanted to draw out the election-year hype as much as possible and (2) I wanted to stand in the long lines, waiting for the opportunity to vote and feeling as though I was an integral part of the decision-making process on election day itself. The build-up to Election Day was intense and Election Day did not disappoint those who waited for it.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I was not actively involved with any direct campaigning, I agree with your assertion that there is an awkward ‘waiting period’ until Obama takes office. This waiting has been made more awkward by the formal Bush-Obama tour of the White House and the meeting between the current- and elect-Vice Presidents. The ‘free time’ that I have now is not much, but it’s more than before because I won’t be on political junkies’ websites tracking the campaign/election all the time. I wish I could devote this time to volunteering at a soup kitchen or animal shelter, but the reality is that it won’t happen (although it really should).
I am interested to see what really happens with Obama and his Cabinet assume office. I pray that the sense of hope continues and more people, like Ann’s friend, are inspired to do more for the nation. I hope that Obama continues to promote transparency and accountability in the federal government.