Our upcoming Presidential Election has made it a truly THRILLING time to be an American abroad!
Before moving to the UK, I had no idea who’s the mayor of London (Boris Johnson), or even the Prime Minister (Gordon Brown)…
Like any other typical American, I didn’t care and why should I?
None of their policies or regulations affected my day to day life, at least not directly…
The same isn’t true for our American president and other elected officials. The decisions of those we put in office, in terms of both economic and military actions, carry heavy repercussions around the globe…
… and to think, WE have the power to put them there.
In general, Europeans are NOT shy about discussing politics. Even the most casual of encounters can easily lead to a “robust” debate.
It’s a bit disconcerting the first time a complete stranger takes note of your accent and asks who you plan to vote for–quizzing you on specific issues, remarking on the previous night’s debates, and reviewing the candidates’ talking points.
I’m usually all, “Dude, I’m just here to buy apples”, because I’m likely caught off guard and completely ill prepared for this line of questioning.
They don’t mean to rude or intrusive. They just want to share their opinions with someone who actually has say in the outcome- someone with the power to vote!
While I may be easily distracted by shiny fruit, the election IS on the forefront of everyone’s mind. All eyes are on us in anticipation as we decide their future. Lucky us.
If you happen to share our point of view and our candidate…
AHEM! AHEM!
… then BARACK on, my friend, but make it count. Vote!
If you don’t… hey, that great too. No. Actually, that’s awesome because that’s what makes a democracy such as ours so great.
But, umm… here’s my absentee write-in ballot– signed, sealed in an unmarked envelope, placed in an outer enveloped, and delivered last Thursday….
I fully expect YOU to cancel it out.
What I’m trying to say is, I don’t care who you vote for. JUST VOTE.
Rant over.
Now… what do you think of the new design?
American Mom In London 
Off the voting topic, but just wanted to say – love the new look page!
Love the new look!
And I totally agree – get out the vote! Don’t care who you vote for, but make your choice count! That said – Joe Biden from little old Delaware (where I work and used to live) is a great choice for VP. I wish more people would stop forgetting who he is! I swear, he’s the littlest known candidate in this election and when Obama picked him, I was sooooo happy! Not that this is the only thing to like about him, but he puts into action what he preaches. His commute to Washington DC is via Amtrak. The Wilmington, DE station he leaves from is across the street from my office.
GO OBAMA!!
LOVE your buttons – and the fact that you wore them both on your chest is priceless! 🙂
I’m not posting or discussing politics, but as religion kinda dictates how I vote. That said, I’m totally SHOCKED you didn’t know Gordon Brown was PM. With Scotland trying to get support to pull out of the UK, I posted on how funny it would be if he lost his seat.
I suppose this is just British arrogance – and she had been out of office for a good few years – but I was once quite shocked when an American friend of mine asked me who Margaret Thatcher was. What surprised me more was that she said she had asked her parents, but that “they weren’t sure.”
Love new design. I love that you are giving props to Rocking the Vote. My daughter will vote in her first presidential election this year. She is so stoked! I love this for her and I am taking advantage of early balloting.