Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Campaign quiz from a swing state voter



"Obama, McCain, Obama, McCain, McCain, McCain, Obama, Obama, McCain, Obama."


Question: Who said this and why?

a). Me keeping track of which commercial belongs to who during one commercial break.

b). Me reading campaign signs stuck in lawns while I'm driving down the street in my Arlington neighborhood.

c). Me mumbling, gone insane after having to listen to these names repeated over and over for the last two years.

d). Me trying to decide who to vote for in SIX DAYS.


Answer:

a). Correct... but I exaggerated a bit. While there are not usually 10 campaign commercials during one commercial break, they do make up a large part of it. And Obama is definitely winning on that front. He should be praising Allah ;) for all of those campaign funds.

b). Correct, again. First thing's first: Almost two years ago, I moved from the reddest state in the country to yet another historically conservative state. So I was surprised to find out that we are now a swing state, meaning Virginia is up for grabs! Nowhere is this more apparent than in my neighborhood in Northern Virginia. On my street, where the majority of lawns have campaign signs proudly planted in the grass, the race is a dead heat. And it's crazy to see how many times these candidates and their running mates have visited our area. As a lifelong Cache Valley, Utahan, I am used to seeing campaign signs for only one candidate. And don't ever expect even that candidate to visit Utah before an election. That would be a waste of time. For once in my life, my vote for a presidential contender will matter.

c). You are right again (Oh you are good)! I cannot wait for this longest election ever to be over.

d). Cha right! I know who I'm voting for. Do you?Campaign signs along the street on which I live. I love how they are planted right next to each other, on the very corner of each home's property line. I would love to see how these neighbors get along.

6 comments:

Emilie said...

That's funny. For such a red state, we hardly have any McCain signs here in Utah. It's Obama — everywhere. Weird, huh?

Jeremy said...

Politics are a strange thing. Next to religion, I don't know anything else that gets otherwise calm and collective people so riled up and disheveled.

mckenzie said...

we don't even see McCain posters anywhere in Salt Lake. seriously. i think i saw one once and i about fell over. a different side of utah. ;)

M said...

Wow. So I was totally wrong, Kenz and Emilie. It looks like the McCain supporters in Utah are so sure of his victory there that they decided not to campaign. That doesn't surprise me either.

robin said...

Jake and I got up the other morning and there was a McCain sign posted on the corner of our lot. We each thought the other had done it but noticed that the neighbor on the other corner had the same sign in the same spot. Turns out that no one knows who posted them. I kept it up but go out first thing every morning to make sure no one trashed our house. Jake is afraid his truck will get egged. It's pretty intense in this swing state and if someone didn't post it for me I wouldn't be campaigning either. Just casting my silent vote.

Nan said...

I can see how you are anxious. Those four days in Baltimore brought more political conversations my way than my whole life in Utah. Everyone wanted to talk about it. Even when I was just going in a little shop to buy a snack. Commercials are rare here which I am very thankful for!