This Election Drove Me Insane

If you know anything about me personally, you’d know that I’m a little more involved with politics than the average bear.  That’s because I work for a Justice of the Peace here in Harris County, and he’s elected every presidential cycle.  It makes for some interesting stories because I take time off to work the polls for him and push his cards all over Houston. 

I worked at what was considered the busiest early voting precinct in all of Texas, the West Gray Multiservice Center, and I saw some strange stuff.  The AARP was pimping bi-partisanship with this tiny little girl (with that lower back tattoo) in this giant blow-up half-mutant purple donkey elephant that walked around the parking lot.  At one point, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo trail ride came by with about 30 people on horseback.  I didn’t meet any of the presidential candidates, sadly, but I heard stories of people almost literally running into them on the campaign trail.  Houston hasn’t been this interesting politically since Lyndon Johnson.

Yesterday, I electioneered at a church, and one of the people there pushing cards was the head of the Houston Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered Political Caucus.  That’s a mouthful.  Yeah, I went there.  Anyway, she was the president, and surprisingly the GLBT Caucus has some serious political pull in Houston.  We have probably the largest gay community in the South.  It was a tie vote for the presidency endorsement, and she was the deciding vote.  They went for Obama.  A very nice lady too.  It’s too bad people have to take transgenders at face value the way they do; she is a successful contractor in town who helps people get the right permits for any buildings done in town and from what I understand she makes quite a bit of money doing what she does.  She also executively produced a western TV show that has yet to air (the premise is basically BLAZING SADDLES taken seriously, but I liked the concept a lot).

I saw two older women for Hillary practically threaten about five big Obama guys to fistfights.  Those Clinton people out there were ANGRY, let me tell you.  I got along much better with the Obama people, who seemed to have a sense of optimism that was contagious.  I tried to explain my rationalization for voting for Obama to the Clinton-women but they had none of it.  It’s hard to explain, but when two candidates are so similar in policy to each other, you do go with the one that engages you more.  And Obama has something that makes me as an American to get more involved.  My apathy is at an all time low right now and I have Barack Obama to thank for that.