The Sunshine Empire

There is much politics to be talked about even in the aftermath of the historic results from the 2008 Unites States Presidential election. The pictures of the parties occurring around the world gives one the understanding of what a blessing it is to live in this place and this time. Regardless of your political and racial beliefs, you have to admit something big happened last night. It took me back to 2004.

In November of 2004 I was convinced that George W. Bush would be going down to Senator John Kerry. I remember despite still being a registered Independent, I was steadfast in my support for the Democratic candidate, not so much for my belief in him but my self loathing for my vote for Bush in 2000. Not only a vote for Bush, but a vote for Bush in the state of Florida in 2000. I was raised Catholic and we are brilliant at guilt. I stayed a Republican until the Iraq War. Yet just as this year, I took the day after election day off to recover from the party. I ended up needing it to wake up to the realization that Ohio, and the Presidency had been decided for George W. Bush. While watching Fox News gleefully decide that the Democratic Party was dead as I sipped margaritas to drown my sorry that morning, I came to a decision. Despite the uniform Republican nature of my community, I was raised as a third generation Democrat. My Grandmother was raised to love Franklin Roosevelt and voted for Adlai Stevenson, and my Mother and Father had proudly voted for Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. I was a Democrat and I knew it. I dressed quickly and drove the short way to downtown Jacksonville.

As I walked into the main supervisor of elections office the day after a Federal election, the place was like 28 Days Later. I walked to the desk and a lone white haired employee walked the the other side of the wide white Formica expanse. I told her that I had an unusual task for that day. I wanted to change my party affiliation to Democrat. I really thought that it was foolhardy to think that the oldest political party in world history was dead just because a fairly unpopular President had won by a paltry 4 million votes. A girlfriend that I had dated roughly 10 years ago was famous for repeatedly badgering me with the refrain, “you’re really a Democrat you know that?” I realized that day that I was. Aside from my past or present party affiliation, the see change in the American political landscape is drastic when you look back just four years ago. The regime that was going to bring a permanent Republican majority, has resulted in the total destruction of the Republican party. We’re back to 1972-land for the party of Nixon.

But this should be a warning for all those who party in the streets and think this will result in a 40 year Democratic reign. Things change.