Not at the Dinner Table Julie!!!

I once went almost an entire year without speaking to my father because of a fight over politics.  After the year had gone past, give or take a few weeks, I called him up and before he could say anything more than a cautious hello, I said, “I’ll speak to you again on two conditions.  One – we don’t talk about mom and two – we don’t discuss politics.” 

I’d love to be able to tell you what the fight was about, but I really can’t remember.  I vaguely recall saying loudly into the phone that Rush Limbaugh was a %$#&ing idiot, but beyond that detail, the memory eludes me.

Two things I do know for certain.  One, I can be pretty passionate about politics.  Two, apparently it’s genetic.

I try not to discuss politics with folks just like I try to avoid discussing religion, gay rights, abortion and whether Matt and I are going to have kids.  But that superball keeps bouncing within my head and I need to find an outlet before the energy inside me causes my freckles to fly off of me in all directions.  So, I’m going to dust off this blog and get back to writing about all the things that drive me insane.  It’s probably better for my marriage that I subject random strangers and generous friends to my ramblings anyhow.

If I was strictly a Democrat or a Republican, it’d be easier for me.  I could go to the blogs and websites full of people who easily identify as Blue or Red and I could indulge myself in those ideas, ideals, and idealistic worlds. 

But I’m not.  I’m purple.  Or according to a website quiz (www.isidewith.com) I took, I’m green, but…

Where do we go?  Those of us in between.  Who is the voice of us, the ones I dare to deem “normal”?  In only a few short months, I’ll be casting a ballot and at this point, I’m completely unsure of how to vote.  At this point, it feels like a lose/lose proposition for me and it makes me wonder if perhaps one key reason for low voter turnout is exactly what I’m facing.  Who will do the least damage to my life?  More importantly, whose victory will invigorate a population that will do the least damage to my life? 

I’m sure I’ll upset some folks who dare to read this blog as I pick apart my feelings on the different races and I’ll probably get unfriended by people on Facebook, but I can’t make everyone happy.  As I posted on Facebook a few weeks ago, “The one thing Facebook has taught me is that my family/friends have insanely different views of the world and how it should work. Therefore all the time I’m thinking half of you are wrong about something.” 

If you’re willing to dive into some dinner table-inappropriate discussions, I welcome you.  If your beliefs are so shaky that you’re unwilling to be challenged, then I think you’re better off not reading what I have to say in the next few months.

Feel free to challenge me and defend your side.  My opinion is just that, my opinion, and I’ll respect yours if you respect mine.

And I promise that even if we disagree, it won’t take me a year to speak to you again 🙂