So last week was an exciting week for this OTHER Washington. A brief moment in history that made many of its residents perk up, care and get a little more involved. Like many others, I had been struggling with making the decision who I was in MORE favor of (because, afterall, neither are bad choices) and this just might help. For about six months now I've been inexplicably drawn more toward Clinton, but earlier in the week had, reluctantly yet also confidently, made the decision to support Obama. So, I jumped at the chance to see the two Democratic Candidates in person, no doubt making my dominantly Republican family roll their eyes one more time at my black sheep liberal ways and audacity.
Hillary Clinton's event was first and obviously much smaller than Barack's would be... and not in the best location. We waited 2 hours for her arrival, all the while standing on concrete and desperately wishing for better airflow. I huddled with 5 other friends in the crowd and killed time by talking about pretty much everything but politics. When she did arrive and speak, I couldn't help but be surprised. I had expected a colder version of this woman that the media portrays to be so harsh and insincere. But, what I heard instead was a strong, direct, and confident woman that doubt not only knows what needs to be done, but also how to do it. She incorporated the issue most important to me, the environment, into nearly every issue she spoke about (which was smart considering where she was). At the end I felt empowered and motivated. Of course, my feelings and inspiration could, admittedly, stem from a variety of other factors including the fact that I was raised in a household where femininity and warmth did not take form in a typical supermom fashion. My mother and grandmothers are just like the woman I listened to that night; they are direct and confident and strong in the most bold "I am woman, hear me roar" sense. And they get shit done. Everytime. So what I saw up there on that platform was not a farce of a feminine being, but a true testament to what a woman should and can be. And when I walked outside into the cold wind, a closed-mouth grin spread across my face. I had been pleasantly surprised by what I saw and was secretly relieved by the creeping desire to return to the Clinton Camp.
Friday I, along with a coworker and 2 friends, got in line at Key Arena at 9:30 a.m. sharp. Apparently we were not the only ones to feel the need to get there early; I estimated about 5,000 fellow Washingtonians got there before then with rumors of the line starting as early as 7:00 am. After waiting an hour in the cold wind, we were finally moving and got inside to a seat. This was visibly going to be much different than the previous night's adventure. In front of us was a stage, platforms of media people and cameras, and huge screens above us depicting PSA-like clips aimed at strengthening our commitment to Senator Obama's candidacy. While at times it was exciting, it also possessed a commercial-like aura and something about it made me grimace at the impersonal clash with the previous night's experience. Within 30 mins the place was packed. And I soon heard the estimation that 18,000 people were in the room eagerly awaiting Barack's arrival, and another 3,000 outside disappointed but still "fired up". The biggest surprise was the number of young people in the room, some of whom did not look nearly old enough to vote in November. I couldn't decide whether I was impressed and inspired by their enthusiasm and interest, or irritated and disappointed in their juvenile and obnoxious behavior. When Senator Obama came out, it was like a Stones concert... 18,000 people screaming and camera flashes ignited from all around the room. I recognized the rush that I felt the last time I was there; however it was 3 years ago and I was there to see U2. Hmmmm. Barrack spoke eloquently (as I have heard he does) and within moments I was captivated. He touched on individual issues only briefly, spending most of his emphasis on the bigger picture of creating change and unity. I, being the romantic and persistent optimist that I am, loved what he was saying. I screamed with the crowd in all the right places and believed in his ideas and call for change. I got chills when he called for a country united by inspiration and confidence, no longer divided by politics and competition. And, when I left I was exhausted.
I had hoped that at the end of those 24 hours I would have a much clearer picture on who I should vote for based on their support of the issues that I hold closest to me. However, it didn't happen. From the in-person observations and the later direct comparisons of issues pages on each of their websites, I could draw no definitive conclusion. It reinforced my belief that Senators Obama and Clinton do not differ that much, if at all, in their opinions or plans. In fact, at times while comparing the two, I found it hard to find ANY difference on the issues or in their plans. Instead, what differentiates the two candidates is simply style and history, and thats it. Therefore, on Saturday, at my first ever caucus experience, I had to base my vote on something that I did not anticipate ever having to consider: that is, how I felt when I walked out of each candidate's events that week. And, so, for the reasons listed above, I voted for Hillary - the one who made me feel most empowered, the one who made me feel confident in the how and not just the what, and the one who boasted qualities and strengths that are deeply familiar to me.
