An observation

One of the things I have been trying to do lately (if highly unsuccessfully) is to simply ignore politics. Don't get me wrong, I'll always retain my interest in them, and I think this election is an important one. I'm just to the point where getting worked up about isn't going to do anyone any good. I think Obama's a twit, and would take us in a completely wrong direction if elected (that is, if he takes us in any direction at all), and his running mate is a political liability to him. I've never been fond of McCain as a Presidential candidate, even if he is the best option at the moment. He also is a true American hero, and while I find some of his political moves disappointing, he's a braver and better man than I. Sarah Palin is an interesting addition, but she's being hamstrung by the pretty base attacks coming at her from just about every corner. At this point, Republican and Conservative leaders need to keep their lips more guarded regarding their VP candidate. We can disagree about her qualifications and aptitude for the position, but let's not do so in front of our enemies. A united front is important, and we have to keep in mind the big picture: Is having Sarah Palin in the second chair less palatable than having Barack Obama call the shots? Then let's not get caught having an internal meltdown for every hack in the mainstream media to wave before the people 24/7.

One of the amusing things I observed, however, was in walking about campus having my pipe this evening. A dangerous idea; a Friday night, after a Presidential debate in Geneseo. Not only is the place swarming with liberals, but whatever inhibitions they might have had regarding airing their political views have been removed. The canard that Palin is anti-woman was trotted out in front of me; upon asking whether or not it could be truly said that a woman is anti-woman, and whether or not the category 'woman' was wide enough to permit a conservative point of view, I was told I was really arrogant and needed to wake up and, oh Christ, I dunno, go to a Womyn's Action Coalition meeting or some such tripe. Kill me. Please.

The observation that I made in all of this, though, is this: It really seems that the liberally minded don't know when to stop. On this campus, it's not as if they're a minority. They're not being repressed in any way around here. Insofar as much of what they say is the Obama party line, none of it is particularly thought-provoking or original. And yet they can't help themselves. I can count on one hand the number of times I have self-identified as a conservative here on campus. I don't bring up politics myself; music, literature, philosophy, religion, soccer, pre-contemporary art, architecture, history, these things are the topics I discuss when I get to call the shots. But it seems that from my opposite numbers on the Left, there is a never-ending stream of political commentary constantly ebulliating from a seemingly bottomless abyss of 'social/class consciousness'. It would never occur to me to begin a conversation at random with "Oh my God, can you believe what Obama did?" in a situation in which this would not be a logical matter of business or concern.

Oi. Rant off. I've had enough of this. I need a retreat.


Post scriptum: I do notice the irony that my recent posts have been preoccupied with politics.