Remember the old joke that Republicans represent the top 1% of the wealthiest in our nation and the Democrats represent the top 10%? It was kind of funny the first time I heard that, which was some time during the Clinton administration. Kind of funny, but sad and I realized then, as I do now, that the Democrats do not represent me because I, like the majority of Americans, are much closer to the lowest percentile on the wealth scale.
Back in 2008, I registered as a Democrat for the first time. I have always voted D (except for that one time in 2000, I know, I know, sue me and call me a Naderite if you will) in national elections but considered myself an “independent voter” because I felt that neither party really represented my interests. But I wanted to work on the Obama campaign, and be a part of my local Democratic party, so I registered and I did all the things a good dem does during an election time: I became a precinct committee officer, attended our state's caucuses, attended a few mind-numbingly boring meetings, became a local delegate for Obama, distributed literature, phone banked, made buttons, organized fundraisers, changed my middle name on Facebook to “Hussein” and talked and talked and talked to anyone who would listen. I went to super-Tuesday parties and followed election returns obsessively.
It wasn't long before I was really and truly believing in what I was doing and what I was advocating; I was, like so many people, completely enthralled by this guy who seemingly came out of nowhere to win the hearts and minds of America. And bonus that he's half African American with a funny foreign name and was elected! I thought his election signaled a progressive shift leftward in America, a Gestalten shift, even. A mass raising of consciousness. Wow, was I ever wrong about that leftward shift! So you will pardon me if I didn't react to the “news” that Obama is going to run for re-election in 2012 with cheers and flowers and champagne.