Africa, My Other Patria

I stumbled onto Africa accidentally, She found me. I was able to exempt out of Government 101 and 201 at W&M because I scored a 5 on my Govt. AP Test (it's rare I ever to share that tidbit!). However, my adviser had enrolled me in 201 because she said I need the statistics lab. I was like, "Um, NO!" That 5 came with two months of before school AP practice; translation- for two months I got to school at 6am, where a group of us met with our teacher to write timed essays and review course material. There was no way I was taking 201 for a statistics lab that was part of at least 4 other Govt. classes that I would eventually take. Of course my adviser warned me against this, saying it would be a good slow introduction- I did not listen.

Nothing with me can ever be easy, and because the upperclassmen has already registered for their classes the previous semester, the class I needed was already full. There were no Comparative Politics classes open, but this guy I met told me there was a professor who might let me in- if I could answer a few of his questions to his liking. The day before classes started I went to Professor Ndegwa's office, told him my story, and asked if he would let me into his class. He looked at me thoughtfully, and asked "What do you think of the World Bank?" Um, "WHAT?" I really had no idea what my position was on the World Bank, but I was a Republican. Any kind of world organization was a centralized power, taking said power away from "The State." Using this rationale, I told him that while I was definitely not an expert on the WB, I was no fan of the World Bank. Thank God I didn't tell him the logic I used to answer that question, or else I definitely wouldn't have gotten in, but I didn't, and so he gave me an override into his class.

Professor Ndegwa was from Kenya, and he had the loveliest lilt to his voice- I could listen to him lecture for hours. I happened to do very well in his class, I even got my first, and only, 100 on a midterm. I liked him so much that I wanted to take another class with him the following semester. It turned out the only other class he was teaching was Southern African Politics. I had always been intrigued by Africa, I loved Cry, the Beloved Country; The Heart of Darkness made me want to BAD things to all of those colonialists. But still, I was a Republican, Africa wasn't really on my radar and I had to convince my parents that taking this class was a good idea, and not a waste of their money. The fact that my only A that first semester was in Professor Ndegwa's class, helped tremendously.

The rest is history- I fell in love with Africa that semester. It changed the way I viewed the world, the way I thought about the United States, and even made me question my undying love for Ronald Reagan. I guess you could say it was the first real chink in my Republican armor. That class opened my eyes, it was the proverbial Pandora's Box for me. It took me years to reconcile all of this with myself, of course, but this was where it all started. I used to explain how I could love Africa so much and still be such a staunch Republican- it was hard, but somehow I found a way. One of my best friends used to tell me, in her superior liberal voice, haha, that I was the only Republican she knew that really believed the Republican way was best to really help people/Africa. I never expected to love Africa, I only took that SAP class because I thought I could get a good grade.

Eventually, I would go on to join the African Cultural Society- being their only Caucasian member, and to minor in African Studies. I often wonder whether or not I would have stumbled onto Africa had it not been for Professor Ndegwa, my World Bank Answer, or the random guy who told me about a professor who might let me into his class. Thankfully, and luckily, there were a series of fortunate events that led me to Africa.

McCain Palin

Today was the first time I saw a positive tv ad done by the McCain/Palin campaign. McCain did the speaking, and I thought he looked really sincere. Ugh! If only he hadn’t picked Palin as his running mate- then this would not be a hard decision for me.

If someone had asked me two months ago if there was anything McCain could do that would make me not vote for him, short of murder and racial epithets, I would have said an emphatic NO. That was before. I had no idea, I had no inkling that he would pick a right wing fanatic as his running mate. I guess I assumed that his advisers were smart. He would have been better off picking Hillary Clinton as his running mate. I would even like a McCain Biden ticket.

But no, the fates are conspiring against me, forcing me to evaluate everything I think I know or knew about our government. The very fact that I am even considering voting for a Democrat is astounding, shocking. I am a Republican, damnit! Well, that’s not entirely true, I am a strict constructionist, but that doesn’t mean to much these days, unless you are a judge.

I always held the belief that even if you didn’t like the person your party nominated, you still voted the Party. The elected official is always going to be controlled by those who put him into power, so even if you hated him, it didn’t matter. My slogan was “Vote the Party, Not the Man!” Obviously I am rethinking that notion- which is really what this whole election is about. Am I still a Republican? If so, no matter what crazy lady is VP, I should vote for the Republicans. Did I all of a sudden become a Democrat? I don’t think I did, but I also don’t think I’m still part of the GOP.

I’m in the worst place, the place all government majors hate, THE MIDDLE. I am now a Joe Lieberman, no party to call my own. Too bad we can’t fast forward to the day after the election.

Side Note— McCain Palin, as a name for someone, sounds kinda cool. Back in my GOP heyday, I definitely would have names my dog that!

Election Signs

The above sign is my own President Endorsement!

I live in a neighborhood that is very conservative. I also live in a county that is either the first or second most conservative county in the state. Each November the election signs come out full swing, about 95% Republican and 5% Democrat, with my neighborhood about 98% to 2%.

However, things are different this year. The splits are still the same, but the volume has decreased. In 2000, I would say that of the 300 homes, 75% of my neighborhood had some sort of political sign up in the front yard. Today I drove around trying to find the signs and I only saw three!! And these three signs weren't endorsing a President, but our local Congressman, Eric Cantor-R. Not one President sign in a neighborhood that used to be teeming with them, sometimes 2-3 to a house.


As I was driving Baby to the doctor, I noticed that this phenomenon wasn't limited to my neighborhood, it was the whole county. There were a few Obama/Biden signs, but more McCain/Palin and even more Eric Cantor signs. In an election that is this contentious and critically important to our country's future, I had expected a full on onslaught of McCain propaganda.


I can only assume that people in this county are feeling much like I do; they know they have to make a decision, but because it's such a close call, they don't want to publicly endorse or announce it. Or maybe it's because they realize that because people feel so strongly about these candidates, they don't want to offend anyone. I doubt that's the case, as they didn't have any problem offending anyone eight and four years ago, but it's still a option. If I hadn't lived here my whole life, I would likely assume that this area is politically apathetic, but I know that's NOT the case. This area is very politically active and the exact opposite of apathetic.


So I've concluded that the lack of signage is actually a good thing, a politically conscious choice rather than a forgotten afterthought. Personally, I am having such a difficult time making my decision and no sign in a front yard or business is going to sway my opinion. The pressure I feel regarding my ballot is like nothing I've ever experienced, because VA hasn't gone Democrat since 1964. My vote was largely symbolic- beyond my civic duty, it wasn't really needed. Now that it seems Obama is ahead in the VA polls, for the first time in my voting history, who I vote for might actually determine who is going to be the next President. This might sound a bit drama queeny, but it's how I feel. No one in my family wants to vote this year because they can't make up their mind and knowing how important each vote is, they don't want to make the wrong choice.


While I'm still undecided, it gives me comfort that a lot of other people are feeling the same way. I hope that they don't decide not to vote, because that's worse than making a wrong choice. I get really annoyed by people who like to be critical of the government but then say that they didn't vote. So my new political slogan is Vote! Or Get Off the Pot!

John McCain or Barack Obama

I love voting! I registered to vote 2 months before my 18th birthday, just so all the paperwork would go through in time for my first election. The first election in which I voted in was 1999, and it was on a day that I had to cheer in a boys varsity basketball game. So I wore my cheerleading outfit to the poll, voted, got my sticker, and left. I proceeded to wear this sticker throughout the game- I was SO proud! It was my civic duty to vote and I was damn proud of exercising this right, which had it been 80 years earlier, I wouldn’t have been able to do.

Since then, I have never missed any election, primary, ect. Whenever I can vote, I vote, proudly. Each time, the anticipation never abates. In college I even went home to vote, 1 hour away, because I did NOT want to vote absentee, my vote was going to count.

Things have changed this election- I don’t want to vote. I am dreading having to make this decision. I don’t have the option not to vote, it’s not in my DNA, so I have to do it. Each day, as new things come out in the press, I am more and more wishing I wasn’t registered, then it wouldn’t be a problem. But I know one day my kid is going to ask me who I voted for, and not voting is going to sound much worse than voting for (insert candidate). I feel pressure this election, I live in a swing state for the first time in 50 years, my vote might actually mean something.

Now I’m trying to look past the rhetoric, so I can make the right choice. It’s stressful and I’m so conflicted.

The View

The View is my guilty pleasure, I’m not afraid to admit it. However, today’s discussion was so tense I almost had to turn it off. Here it is, watch it, feel uneasy.
On a personal note, I really wish Elisabeth could be a tad more bipartisan. I feel bad for her, but at the same time I think she brings it on herself by refusing to acknowledge the very valid points made by the other co-hosts.