Politicking: August 2008 Archives
Last night I had a dream about John McCain. I don't usually dream about politicians, least of all, politicians that I don't particularly like. But after watching an interview with him on CNN and reading an unflattering interview in Time, I guess I set myself up for this.Anyway, here's how it went.
I was a reporter for a small, insignificant newspaper. (No big surprise there) and I won an opportunity to sit in on a major interview with McCain. Afterwards, I would be allowed to ask a few questions myself. I arrived at McCain's house in the suburbs where every house was new and looked identical except for landscaping. I seriously doubt McCain has a house like this, but in my dream he and his wife had moved there to make themselves look more "normal" to the American voters.
The man let me in himself and as we were walking to the dining room he stopped in the family room to show me a "couch" that he and his wife were planning to get rid of. His daughter, he said, had told him the couch had to go. It was made of very soft red leather and dark wood trim, queen anne style - Not my taste at all. In fact, as I looked at the couch I thought of drag queens and the movie Marie Antoinette. He asked if I liked it. "It's really interesting", I smiled, trying to be nice but honest. "Would you like it? I mean, if you want it, I could have it delivered to you." We had just met and he was offering me a gift, an expensive gift at that. I got the feeling this gift came with his hope that I would write about him in a flattering way, regardless of how the interview went. I didn't know what to say except, "Well, if it helps, I read your interview with Time last night and I feel some sympathy for you." "It's a start", he says.
The next scene of my dream, McCain is finished with his interview with the big-time reporter and he turns to me and says, "You have 10 minutes." He doesn't look happy at all, so I quickly spout off "Why should I vote for you? Why do you want to be MY president?" Suddenly his face turns really sad and he says, " I don't want to be President." Only he says this in such a way that it's as if I, of all people, should know this and he disappointed that I don't.
Everyone is talking about Hillary's speech last night at the DNC and I have to say, I appreciate her call for unity within the party. However, I just watched Michelle Obama's speech from the night before and I found it to be yet another example of the reasons why I trust this man to be the president we need right now.