I've wanted to post a blog about the election for awhile now. See elections are a big deal to me. Presidential elections only happen every 4 years. Which means that the next presidential election you will be 5! Prior to having a baby I was a political junkie. My favorite thing to do was read everything election on all of my favorite iPad apps. I knew EVERY detail of the election, the candidates, and daily event happenings. I lived, ate, slept,and breathed the 2008 election. It was a fantastic time. Tonight as I reflect upon 2008 I realize that during that time we were completely FULL of hope and hopeful for change. Barack Obama had innovative ideas and ideas to really bring change for our country. We were coming off of the perhaps the most incompetent president in US history, George W. Bush. Here we had an intelligent, young, vibrant, and charismatic candidate who really made us all feel like he was someone we could count on. Your dad and I were completely captivated by him. Four years later I still love Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Michelle Obama, and Jill Biden. People claim he hasn't done enough. I say that he hasn't had the chance. With a do nothing congress he really hasn't been able to accomplish everything that he wanted. Although he did accomplish quite a bit.
This is mom, Mia, and dad right after Barack Obama won the presidency in 2008. Great night. Wow, 4 years really has aged us.
2008 pumpkins/Obama tribute!
This is a text I received after the 2008 win. I was signed up to receive texts from Barack Obama. Loved it! :)
Tomorrow we get the chance to vote again. I, of course, will be voting for Barack Obama and I fully intend to bring you with me. See, so much rides on this election. Mostly, I think I'm mostly concerned about women's rights. Now that I have a daughter I have some serious concerns that your future rights could be in jeopardy. Women have come so far and have so many rights. Unfortunately I feel as though if Mitt Romney were to win we would have a long, hard fight just to keep the rights we have. Not to even mention rights associated with our bodies. Now that i have a little girl I feel that so much more rides on this election.
I have been criticized often for being so political. However, I am so political because it has such an impact on all of us. Mostly, on my job as a teacher. I have always been involved in politics. I started young. My Grandpa Halter was a very big part of sparking my political interests. I used to sit at his house and read US News and World Report and Newsweekand ask him questions about what was going on. I remember we would talk for hours. I learned so much from him and I was really excited. Then enter my Catholic school education...I would hear one thing at home about Democrats. Some of that including that they are a party that supports education more, they care about taking care of people with less than them. Then, I would go to school and hear that I was a baby killer and that the candidate I supported was evil. As a kid it was so confusing. I knew my grandpa Halter didn't kill babies because he had 9 kids of his own. I also knew that my parents weren't baby killers. After all my mom had a daycare. My point is that this time was confusing. Mostly because adults found it their duty to antagonize me about what essentially was my family's belief system. I don't regret having a political family, and I don't regret having people fight with me about it. I think it actually made me strong. Now that I'm an adult myself I can't imagine being mean to a kid about their political beliefs so it really makes me question some of the teachers I had. I have no doubt that you and your Grandpa and Grandma Halter will have some amazing political discussions.
I have no doubt that you will be political and opinionated. You are already quite opinionated and i can just tell you already are a little liberal. You just need to be aware that being a democrat in South Dakota will never be easy. We are a special group of seriously tough individuals. I think being the minority has made us even stronger. Unfortunately our votes don't really count from South Dakota, but I'll save a blog about the electoral college for later!
So tomorrow, we are going to vote together. Sharing a right that women two hundred years ago did not share. We are going to celebrate that we are Americans and partake in this amazing burden and responsibility that determines who our leaders will be. Here's to your very first presidential election. And here's hoping to a Barack Obama win!!!
Love,
Mama
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