Ron Paul Dream

I had a dream that I met Ron Paul last night. We were in this trashed up tiny dorm room just like in that YouTube video (Although I don't recall if that particular dorm room was trashed). He asked me why I didn't vote for him and I told him that I'd given him a chance, I was all ears at that rally last fall, I'd heard good things from friends, but I just thought he was full of empty rhetoric…just like the kid who runs for class president promising longer recesses and no homework. I told him that I felt he was a good earnest man, but I just couldn't believe him. I did thank him for not costing me or my country our president.

This is interesting to me, because lots of people say the same thing about Barak Obama…that he's full of idealistic ideas that he could never make reality. I think we all, myself included, only hear what we want to hear in any candidate. I used to like John McCain. I considered him Republican Lite. I remember thinking that it would be a dream election if he was the Republican candidate, because I wouldn't be too upset if he was my president…then he started to change and by the end I didn't recognize him at all.

I know Obama isn't perfect, but he's my guy. His popup book ears are endearing and his ability to communicate, not only effectively, but eloquently, is encouraging. We knew he would probably be elected, but I just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop…for the bottom to fall out just like it did in 2000. Can you imagine what our lives would be like if Gore got to actually occupy the office he was elected to? & the fact that TN didn't support him makes me want to move out of this place. I know we're a red state, but geez. There's no excuse.

I work in a very close-knit Christian University and I knew I'd be walking in to a lot of sad faces on November 6th. I tried my very hardest not to gloat, because I wouldn't want anyone to do that to me (as has happened to me in the past) had the election gone the other way. Parking here is a nightmare and the faculty and staff are relegated to the high school football field to park and we have to be shuttled in every morning. Well, that morning the bus was totally silent. When we were getting off the bus, the driver said, "Y'all have a good day no matter how much you might not want to." I swear, this is cheesy as all hell, but I stopped and told him that today, regardless of what happened with work, would be one of the best days of my life. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted. For the first time in my life, I'm a part of the majority…the moral majority, my friends. & it feels great. I've never felt patriotic a day in my life until now.

(I know I said I wasn't going to gloat, but I did have to call my grandmother Peg. I waited about an hour after the decision was called. She had promised me that she wouldn't vote. We had several lengthy discussions about it, but she did vote. She and my Papaw both. I was so pissed. I seriously considered cutting contact with her for a while. I asked her what she based her vote on and she said, "religion." "Can you elaborate on that?" to which she replied, "They say if Obama gets it, it's the death of Israel." I immediately said my "bye, love you" and hung up. Well, I called her on election night and told her to get out all her pictures and ephemera from Israel and kiss it all goodbye, because come morning, that terrorist was going to wipe it off the map. She laughed and called me a "shit ass" and our relationship was rectified.)