Rethinking my interests

I, like many people I know, am not happy about McCain’s nomination of Sarah Palin for VP. I’m scared of how fascinated I am by her—because if I, an ardent Obama supporter from the beginning who leans to the left of the Democratic party, pick up US weekly when she’s on the cover and follow her every move on CNN, then the GOP base and the centrist independents out there are sure-as-hell interested in her. It’s scary to suddenly see the possibility of a McCain presidency creeping up, in light of all that’s gone on in this country in the last eight years, but it’s even scarier to imagine her, all deer (or Moose) in the headlights as the massive Mac truck of the economy crashes into Washington. I’m scared of her, and most of all, I’m scared of her supporters: the overly religious, fear-motivated status-quo-loving zealots who elected and re-elected George Bush and who want someone “just like them” at a time when our country is worse off than I’ve seen it in my lifetime.

In light of all the news and gossip magazine coverage—in addition to all the time I now unwittingly spend pondering the woman—I think we Obamaphiles should get back to what we had going until the GOP convention: making a celebrity of our candidate. I’m coming to understand the fear that Republicans must have felt when faced with the onslaught that was Obama—the non-stop news coverage, ravenous fans, gorgeous smile—how could they beat it? I was worried at the time that celebritizing him with those Paris Hilton ads would somehow work, but now I think we should welcome the celebrity status. Because under scrutiny, he stood up. He made memorable speeches to deflect the criticism. And most of all, we were voting for someone, not against another, and I’ve been told more than a few times that that’s how you win elections. I recently spent some time on Obama’s site, and it reminded me that his policies, his persona and his confidence are worthy of all the gushing adoration. I’m moved by him, and I want that to be my focus for the rest of the campaign, not the g—damn Governor of Alaska.