Last week, I was at work looking at pictures online (slow day) of presidential-candidate John McCain’s life (after going through Barack Obama’s pictures).  I wondered if they’ve been planning their road to the White House for the past quarter century (or in McCain’s case, half century) or if the idea just kind of developed over their career.  Does it start in high school when you run for president of the Young Republicans (or Democrats)?  In college when you’re volunteering for political campaigns?  Certainly by law school, you must know how far you want to go.  It seems you’d have to make your plans early, for the life of a public figure has to be exceedingly private.  Especially these days, you can’t just put pictures of your drunk party ass on myspace when you’re eighteen and not expect that to bite you in the ass later.  (My political doom was sealed with my first online entry in 1997 – something about finding the “little pink donut” during pelvic exams.)

One of my new physician colleagues walked in the office, asking, “Are you a McCain fan?”

“What?” I asked concerned at how I might have given that impression (was it my tie pin?), “Oh, the pictures.  No, just looking.  Not a McCain fan.”

Now, my colleague is a very soft-spoken, kind, Indian woman.  Younger than I am, I remember her as a resident only a couple years ago.  So for whatever reason, I was surprised when she said,

“I like McCain.”

“Really?”

“Are you a Democrat?” she asked me.

“Kind of depends on the issue, but most of the time, I tend to be,” I answered.  I turned around and went back to looking at McCain’s pictures, trying to discern when his left cheek started swelling up (I think it’s a salivary gland tumor myself – check a serum amylase STAT).

I have to admit my heart is not with the Republican heart or mind set.  People say as you get older you become more Republican, especially if you’re in a higher pay grade, and I certainly keep track of my finances more than ever before.  But as Obama said last night, some of us (above the quarter million mark) can afford to pay a little more to try to make things right.  I wouldn’t want to pay more taxes (I’m not a quarter-millionaire anyways), but that’s never been a factor in my political choices either.

So I felt an opportunity to ask my gentle colleague more about her opinions as a Republican. Not necessarily on hard issues like the economy or the War on Terrorvision,  but things even more incomprehensible to me.

“What do you think of Palin?” I turned back around and asked.

“She seemed like a popular pick when they announced her,” she answered.

I just nodded.  That’s about all I could say too.

“I don’t like Obama’s views on abortion,” she said as if sensing my query, “Sure, it starts out as just DNA but when it’s a fetus, that is still a life.  My religion holds that life sacred.”

Nod.  Even as an atheist and a pro-choice person myself, I can understand how someone with strong beliefs would have to make some hard decisions there.

“It’s funny because most of my friends and family are Democrats.  They volunteer at Democrat centers.  They’re Indian immigrants and Republicans are hard on immigration,” she chuckled.

“So, how do you feel about immigration then?” I had to ask.

“Well, it took my husband five years to get his green card, so it’s not fair that people can just run across the border,” she said gently but firmly, then she smiled, “But I guess if India was right next to the United States, the same thing would happen.  The living conditions there are just horrible.”

“Plus, Obama’s plan will raise your taxes*,” she added, “You should really reconsider your vote this election.”  *(Note: this conversation was before last night’s presidential debate which stated otherwise.)

“Yeah, sure,” I replied politely.  I don’t have anything against people who are staunch Republicans and I can see how they believe their choices are good for America.  I just don’t feel I can give up certain ideals for those choices.

Then my soft-voiced Indian colleague finished with,

“If my husband and I could vote, McCain would have two more votes this November.”

Now that’s something you probably don’t hear very often.

The next day, she asked me, “Did you change your mind about McCain yet?”

“Still thinking.”  I lied.  What can I say, it’s just been that sort of campaign this year.

[part of Rice Bowl Journals October collaboration]

[amusing designs from zazzle]