One thing I am terribly sorry I will be missing while I am abroad is extent of the the dirty dirty details of the 2008 presidential race that are covered on American television. I have never appreciated them more than now, as I realize I probably won't have access to them to the same extent.
I have been glued to the television all day twice in the last couple of weeks - one was in shock and horror the day that PM Bhutto was assassinated, and the other was in sheer fascination last night as Huckabee and Obama took Iowa in the first presidential primary.
The latter made for some great television. Though I don't usually get my news from television (I am far too impatient for commercial breaks and endless analysis and reanalysis), I couldn't get enough of it last night. This is the second presidential election in which I will be able to vote, and I am ENDLESSLY more excited about this election than the last.
In my opinion, there are so many incredible things about this election.
1. There are no incumbents running, so the drama is across both political parties.
2. The front runners are all fascinating people.
3. The front-runners from BOTH political parties took a hit in the first caucus.
The idea of a caucus itself fascinates me. Watching the seemed chaos of people running around in a middle school cafeteria trying to convince one another as to the merits of their favored candidate renewed in me a sense of pride over the "grass-rootedness" of our political process. Here in Idaho we don't get to see many national politicians trumping in our town halls, and I admit that I had become rather cynical about whether or not my vote "counted" or not in the last presidential election. However, watching the Iowa caucus last night reminded me that at our roots, we are essentially deciding the next leader of one of the most powerful nations in the world over the same tables that middle school students decide white or chocolate milk. There is something incredibly basal and refreshing about that.
So enjoy the Obama-drama if you are in the states, I will be watching from far away. The South African presidential election is in 2009, so I will be sure to share what that race is like from the ground, as well as how the U.S. race is perceived.
Here's to absentee ballots!
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I must add a side note - in between the over-analysis of last night's caucus, I have been watching news of the election riots in Kenya. My heart aches for the situation there. As drama-filled as the U.S. elections are, the drama is contained in newsreels and campaign ads.
How fortunate we are.
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