Touchdown?

There is much—much, much—to think about, as we sit during one Super day, anticipating another. (Non-US blog readers: It’s Super Bowl Sunday, meaning there’s a lot of yelling in the apartment above me about American football, and Super Tuesday, when over half the nation’s primaries are held, is fast approaching.) I, myself, am extremely gratified at the voter turnout we’ve been seeing. Read the headlines for any of the recent primaries or any predictions for the upcoming one. Other than some concerns about the weather, everyone’s generally optimistic. I’m immensely pleased by that. To be honest, although I’ve given my own private endorsement, I could pretty easily live with an Obama or a Clinton presidency. I’m just ready for it, and grateful that so many people have become motivated. (There’s a great article on the real fundamental difference between the two available here.) I have noticed in myself a happy willingness to discuss politics anywhere, any time, and as often as I can. This is not necessarily a trait I share with all of humanity. But with this election, people who have never ever wanted to talk politics before are citing polls to me. I haven’t had to wait more than an hour after a primary to know the results—if I didn’t look them up, someone else had. It’s actually pretty amazing, and its doubly gratifying to feel it amongst my peers, a generation constantly accused of untoward levels of apathy.

But then, there’s often that attempt to divide us generationally, if we can’t be gotten at any other way, isn’t there? I definitely felt that way reading the New York Times article on how hard it is for feminists to find unity. The article managed to reduce Jessica Valenti, of the excellent blog Feministing.com, and Marcia Pappas, head of NOW-NY, to tired simplifications–the former to flirty flippancy and the latter to frumpery. Awesome.

Look, it’s not a big deal, certainly not given the other things we could worry about. But since I often feel these sorts of generational divides in the Jewish world as well, it’s something I think about a lot. And in an election that some claim is being fought generationally, I do think it’s relevant to worry about. My dad, a very middle-of-the road, politically reasonable fellow, is quick to remind me that if the Democrats have the slightest chance of messing something up for themselves, they probably will. So given this chance to fumble over some social scientists’ population breakdown, I’m afraid we’re go to lose possession of the ball on the first down, if you know what I’m saying.

So when you vote on Tuesday, if you’re in the half of America that will, vote your heart and your values—and don’t worry about what it signifies about you. And when Wednesday morning comes, let’s get together behind whoever we choose and say, onward into the future, young and old and everybody else together.

And, just for fun: file this under um….guwah?.

–Mel Weiss