Yesterday I was driving to Jenn & Brian's with Owen for an afternoon visit and dinner. While waiting at the flashing yellow left-turn light at Commonwealth and Chapman, a car pulled up behind me. A break in the on-coming traffic came and I started to turn into the left lane of the two lanes going my way on Commonwealth. However, I quickly realized that the car behind me had turned right on my tail and was turning into the left lane - I had to quickly swerve into the right lane to avoid getting hit by them, even though I had the right-of-way. I looked over at their car to figure out what their problem was, and I saw a few college-age girls hanging out the window flashing McCain/Palin signs at me and giving me the finger (we have Obama stickers on our cars, I was driving the Subaru).
I was totally shocked. I am as passionate about this election as anyone I've met, and yet when I drive a car with an Obama sticker on it, I see myself as representing a larger group of individuals. I would never want to pull some jerk maneuver on the road and be "that asshole Obama supporter". Keith and I were talking about how we drive even more carefully and thoughtfully now that we put the Obama stickers on our car. I don't care if someone supports McCain/Palin - although I certainly don't understand why they do - but I would assume they would want to act respectful and in such a way that reflects well on their party.
I felt like I was driving a car with Albany High Cougar stickers all over it and they were some opposing team rah-rah'ing for their mascot at homecoming - that was the level of their ridiculous behavior. And I guess that is part of the larger distinction for me: in their behavior was so much of the machismo and disrepect towards diplomacy and earth-sharing behavior that I feel we've had to suffer for the past 8 years. Their behavior embodied so much of what I disdain about the cowboy-maverick-yeeehaw! behavior we've been subjected to from the Republican side. When are they going to wake up and realize that they're sharing the road?
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This is exactly the kind of example that makes it hard for me to NOT believe that everyone who supports McCain/Palin is a moronic douchebag. Canada is looking better every day.
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