One of my earliest memories of an election is that of my parents coming home after voting in general elections. I didn’t have the slightest clue about politics but like any young kid knew win vs lose. So I asked my mom who she voted for. She said Congress; so I ask my dad who he voted for and he said BJP. Hmm…Interesting I thought. These guys agree on every other thing in life but not on this? Why? I thought it was very unfair that some unknown thing could “split the vote” if I may, but when it came to my home work or school work or grades they were in full agreement. Why I thought. I asked my dad why they didn’t vote for the same person and my dad well aware of my limited knowledge explained it in very simple terms. Something to the effect of - I like this, this and this so I went with this and your mom just didn’t see it that way. How about Democracy huh? It could be that my mom was extending her voting rights to also voice her independence but however you spin this; it was democracy that made it possible.
Democracy, I salute you!
Growing up in India and in a household greatly removed from politics and very cynical about a politician’s motives I never liked following election campaigns or anything that had to do with politics. My dad followed every bit of news and had a great way of keeping up with current affairs, as they call it. I remember going through the newspaper as kid trying to memorize names of some ministers so that I could ask about it/him at the dinner table. My sister was quick to spot the depth or the lack of it, of my knowledge though.
So why am I saying this besides my need to be nostalgic?
I have never followed an election campaign this intensely before. The 2008 US Presidential election awakened the sucker for political news in me. I read election news, followed daily polls, liberal blogs, conservative blogs (ugh), podcasts of pretty much any reasonably good shows – Olbermann, Cooper, Mathews, Meet the press (not the same anymore! ), This week in Washington, face the nation, PBS, NPR etc etc. I couldn’t help but update my ipod every morning and listen to them all during my train ride.
What made it so interesting?
Barack Obama.
This is his moment. This is America’s moment. Enough said!
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Welcome back dude!
I remember 1984 elections in India. The Rajiv "sympathy wave" Gandhi elections.
Same scene at my place. Father non-Congress, mom Congress :)
Although Democracy is not a panacea for all problems, it is certainly the second best system we know of and currently the most viable form of governance, humanity could come up with. (The system of checks and balances)
Human intelligence, IMO, has yet to develop the best system of governance.
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