An Undecided Voter

 

My Secret Ballot

 

 

Pocho Saurus here. The election is looming. My ballot is in hand (I am a Permanent Absentee Voter). That’s right – Democracy through the U.S. Mail!

As a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, I am supposed to suck it up and vote for Sen. Obama. I can’t. 

At least not yet.

I’m very conflicted, with issues of loyalty, race and fairness swirling around my head. The media clearly has a bias towards one candidate and against another. It makes me angry when I see the sneers on CNN – the insta-polls, the millions of dollars, the glib and arrogant tone of *some* of Sen. Obama’s supporters.

 

Still, a little backstory is in order. I actually voted for Sen. John McCain back in 2000, in the Primary against then Governor George Bush. I enjoyed McCain’s no-bullshit style, his then “straight-talk” and his promises to cut down on defense spending. His personal story, while inspiring, didn’t move me to register (briefly) as a Republican. His call to national service did – in those pre-September 11th days, John McCain urged all people, especially young voters, to serve a cause greater than themselves. Back then, it was different, it was new, and it inspired me to drive all the way to the 24 hour Post Office by the airport and register to vote.

So now I am two weeks away from Election Day. I have read the reports and seen the polls. I have watched the debates and gotten into too many arguments about this election. But I want to start over and see if I can, with a clear and objective mind, truly decide who to vote for – without worrying about the racial, gender, or hysterical issues surrounding what is our privilege to vote.