Friday, September 05, 2008
The View from Gravette, Arkansas: concern, but not yet panic
I went to my bi-weekly writers critique group last night. Seven of us sat around the table in the reference room at the Gravette, Arkansas public library. I've only been attending this group since June, and I don't really know any of them well. This is a stick-t0-business writers group. We don't have discussions about life or children or community or church or politics. Straight to the task at hand. Pull out what you've brought to be critiqued and let's get going.
The unofficial leader of the group, the only one with significant publishing credits, had on a political button that simply said "1-20-09". I immediately took this to be an anti-Bush button, but said nothing. Before we started our business, another member asked her what the button meant. She said, "That's when we'll be rid of Bush, and I'll be ecstatic. Unless McCain wins, which I'm starting to worry about." (loose quote)
Several others at the table seemed to nod or use other body language to indicate agreement. Seeing myself in what looked like a 1:6 minority, I still thought I should state my position, so said, "And I'll be ecstatic if that does happen. I'm for the McCain-Palin ticket." The leader said I'd find that they were all in agreement. The matter dropped and we began critiquing.
Before coming out of the closet, revealing myself as a McCain supporter and a Republican, I should have asked the reason for her concern, but I didn't think of it at the time. This was before McCain's speech. The only change in the election upon which this concern was based had to be Governor Palin, whose speech was the previous night. It appears that Palin does indeed have these Obama voters worried. I didn't detect panic, at least not yet.
I suppose they see the Republican base now solidly united around the ticket, and they know that McCain will appeal to a number of moderates, and so they arepanicing worried. Good on you, John and Sarah.
And that's the view from Gravette, Arkansas.
The unofficial leader of the group, the only one with significant publishing credits, had on a political button that simply said "1-20-09". I immediately took this to be an anti-Bush button, but said nothing. Before we started our business, another member asked her what the button meant. She said, "That's when we'll be rid of Bush, and I'll be ecstatic. Unless McCain wins, which I'm starting to worry about." (loose quote)
Several others at the table seemed to nod or use other body language to indicate agreement. Seeing myself in what looked like a 1:6 minority, I still thought I should state my position, so said, "And I'll be ecstatic if that does happen. I'm for the McCain-Palin ticket." The leader said I'd find that they were all in agreement. The matter dropped and we began critiquing.
Before coming out of the closet, revealing myself as a McCain supporter and a Republican, I should have asked the reason for her concern, but I didn't think of it at the time. This was before McCain's speech. The only change in the election upon which this concern was based had to be Governor Palin, whose speech was the previous night. It appears that Palin does indeed have these Obama voters worried. I didn't detect panic, at least not yet.
I suppose they see the Republican base now solidly united around the ticket, and they know that McCain will appeal to a number of moderates, and so they are
And that's the view from Gravette, Arkansas.
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