Election Day 2008

Indoctrinating your two year old when it comes to politics is a necessary evil that comes with parenting.  I will admit my brainwashing has involved the love for Obama.  We anticipate anxiously tonight  the results.  It has been a long time coming, this election.

Between singing songs and cheering when Obama crosses the screen I think I have succeeded in getting Scarlett's vote to be for Obama.  We dutifully carried her off to the Obama rally here in St Louis.  The largest rally he had to date!  Very pleased with this.  She talked about it often after.  Whenever she sees him speaking she says "I was there" with a big smile. 

Her baby carriage for her babies sports a button "Kids for Obama" (as if she has made some informed choice ha).  Needless to say she has taken an interest in Obama.  Shamefully, I will admit, it may have started with Obama Girl. 

My girl has a clever way of coming up with new names for people.  She calls me Obama mama.  When asked who she is going to vote for she says regarding her babies Obama baby or Obaby.   She also knows that saying Mcain sends me into a fit of pretend anger rolling around like I am dying.  She giggles.  So then when asked who she was voting for she said Mcdaddoo (Daddoo being her name for Daddy).  She is funny that one.

All joking aside I do want to teach my children to have their own mind.  As she gets older I will teach her to fairly ascertain which candidate is her own choice.  I will of course not speak poorly about the one I would not choose but give solid reasons why one gets my vote of the other unless that is unless W runs for a third term and pigs fly. 

Having said this I took her to the voting booth with me.  We talked about it the day before and she knew she was going to get up early and go with mommy and daddy.  Cool enough I can look out the guest bedroom window, across the field of the community garden, and see my polling place.  I could tell there were no lines!  So off we went with S pushing her baby.  She was a bit crabby but behaved well enough.  She was actually interested in the ballot itself and I explained where I checked off for Obama. 

So tonight we will stare at the TV in hopes that Obama soon will be in office.  Fingers crossed!

Scarlett did you not read the sign?  No electioneering 25 feet within the polling place.  Shameful.  At two and a half she has already broken the law.  What am I going to do with this one?  Bad recalcitrant child.  Oh the guilt will eat me up as the mother for allowing this.

Comments

[chasmyn]

Woohoo! Barack the vote! we cast ours two weeks ago while we were in St. L. I'm on the edge of my seat waiting to hear them announce his win. In our commun house (here in Canada) there is a big sign that says "Go OBama!" and I wasn't even the one who made it :-) He has the world behind him.

[Jen]

Glad to see the indoctrination has begun! My husband was worried about getting kicked out of the polls today, with our son saying loudly, "you're voting for Obama, dad?" Keeping fingers crossed...

[Rebecca Salem]

I took Nate with me today as well and he kept saying "OoooooBAMMMA!" and throwing up his hands! We went to the rally too. I wish I would have known you were there, we could have met up. SOOOOOO excited about the future!! We'll get together soon and celebrate.