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I'm a Republican.

Well...I'm a fairly liberal Republican (no, that's not an oxymoron).

Okay, maybe I'm more of a moderate than a Republican.

Why I, along with many others, feel the need to define myself politically is currently beyond me. In the wake of our historic election, not only am I a bit deflated (it feels like the day after Christmas) from the absence of election coverage, but I'm also wondering why we so zealously align ourselves along party lines. My ponderance is really rhetorical because I know that in our governmental system, we have to make choices and those choices typically place us on one side or the other. But when someone asks me who I voted for, or what party I identify as my own, I feel like someone's asking me what my favorite Metallica album is. If I answer honestly and say its the Black Album, then of course I'm labeled as a poser because that's EVERYone's favorite ('everyone' here meaning those not-die-hard Metallica fans). Should I claim that Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning is my favorite? It's such a defining question! What will people think of me?! What do I think of me!?

As a student and instructor in academia, I often received sympathetic or disgusted looks when I admitted my Republican leanings. Scrambling to clarify, I'd say that growing up in a military family leads to certain opinions about spending on defense. I'd say that local government is better for the people. I'd say a lot of things. Invariably I'd be asked about abortion. Answering that I am and always have been pro-choice, the question would then become gay rights. Well, the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy is a crock (this coming from a military brat), and I can't fathom how people can claim that a ban on gay marriage or gay adoption does not have some correlation to religion. Two people who love one another have the right to marry and live the American dream, including having children and contributing to the community. Well, what about...? The questions would continue until people were either frustrated enough to stop asking, or tired enough to move on to a new topic.

So why is it that we place so much importance on the big question: Republican or Democrat? Because, like the Metallica question, it IS a defining part of us as individuals. It's an identifier, a mark of commitment or connection. You're either with us or against us. Maybe it's the binary that I have had such trouble with...can't I be a Republican with certain Democratic leanings, or vice versa?

As a feminist who came to consciousness a bit late in life (mid-twenties), I've seen my political tendencies bend and twist. Acknowledging the privilege of growing up as a white, middle class woman has aided in my feminist journey and helped me see the the power of white, male patriarchy. Living in a town full of cultural diversity and influence, and teaching at a diverse university, my view on life, politics, and certainly education have undergone a metamorphosis. That change has been a gradual process, one that will likely (hopefully) not end.

So, I keep coming back to my initial question, one that I've been thinking about intensely since the election, if not before:

What's a Good Republican Girl (Woman) to do?

The answer - she admits that she's a Democrat.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. I was inspired by lemur to write about family and politics during the holidays. This is not about persuading parents, siblings, aunts, uncles or cousins about your political views. Honestly the holidays are crazy enough. Add politics, and if people at the Thanksgiving table don't see eye to eye, there is a recipe for disaster.

Lets rewind to Thanksgiving 1990, my first one back from college. The Gulf War was brewing. My uncle, a retired marine, fought during WWII. A family friend's son, my age, was liberal and trying to explain how the Gulf War was wrong. Silently, I agreed with him. Instead of letting it go, my uncle slammed his fist and yelled at him saying he was out of line and how he fought during WW II. It was ugly. I sat there at the table with my jaw dropped. My uncle's wife told him to calm down and if he didn't she would leave. Well, he kept up and his wife ended up leaving after my mother pleaded for her to stay. Well, my sister ended up crying and I was stunned. I remember saying out loud "I am glad I did not bring anyone home from college." It was such a gross display. My mom's friend and her son left shortly after. They refused to come to any more holiday events if my uncle was present. Its sad, but true.

My point is a lot people like my uncle are so set in their ways, they will not listen to reason. We may know if someone is being unreasonable, but people from that generation will not change. My parents too. I have learned over the years to avoid discussing politics with them. Its a no win situation and will add more distress. If people at the table choose to air political views that are opposite of yours, do not respond. Period. Unless you want to have a Jerry Springer episode, I would bite my tongue. If someone tries to bait you, don't engage in the conversation. If that person keeps pushing your buttons, calmy say "I know we have different political views, so I don't want to discuss it.". They should respect that. If all else fails, politely excuse yourself to the bathroom or help with kitchen duty. After all, there are lots of dishes to be washed!

Think of it this way, the most time spent at the table are no longer than two hours. If you are having Thanksgiving locally, leave shortly after dinner. Could always say you have to work early. If you are visiting from out of town, help with kitchen duty or make plans to meet up with friends that evening.

You will have to be subjected once a year. You are doing your public service. You can always escape to the computer and share similar political views on websites such as this one!

The night Barack Obama won will always stand out in my mind, and not simply because he won. It will stand out as the moment where I saw a true distinction between true Republican's and the rightwing. I have written about my father previously, and his irrational and illogical hatred of the Democratic party. But what he did Election night and the days afterward confirmed my belief that we will never be able to have a relationship again.

Election night he decided to blame me for the decision of over 62 million Americans. He decided that party politics were more important than his daughters feelings and education. Because of this, I spent most of election night, the most important night of this millenium, crying and mourning the loss of my relationship with my father.

Now he refuses to speak to me.

That is in sharp contrast to the gracious college Republicans I ran into that night, and it just makes me sadder to know that despite how hard President Obama will try to heal the divide between Democrat and Republican,some people will never be brought into the fold. Some wounds will never heal, and some families will forever be divided.

I know this is kind of late but today I went on Slate and found this collection of political cartoons.

They are about Obama's victory and some of them are very moving.

My sister says!!! Angela Davis has still got it:

[The advancement of black people into power] exemplifies a flawed understanding of what it means to tackle modern-day racism... "...when the inclusion of black people into the machine of oppression is designed to make that machine work more efficiently, then it does not represent progress at all.... [it's] a model of diversity as the difference that makes no difference, the change that brings about no change."

[Barack Obama]"is being consumed as the embodiment of colour blindness. It's the notion that we have moved beyond racism by not taking race into account. That's what makes him conceivable as a presidential candidate. He's become the model of diversity in this period, and what's interesting about his campaign is that it has not sought to invoke engagements with race other than those that have already existed.

"I don't even know that I would even look for black leadership now. We looked to work with that category because it gave us a sense of hope. But that category assumes a link between race and progressive politics and, as Stuart Hall says, 'There aren't any guarantees.' What's more important than the racial identification of the person is how that person thinks about race."

I never post things. But this has me so infuriated that I can't help it.

I used to be friends with this woman. She's now 23, married, and a stay-at-home mom in a small, rural, primarily Republican town. I've known her my entire life, and can safely say that she grew up absorbing her parents strong Republican opinions, and now is soaking up her husband's borderline-racist and conservative views as well. Since she stays at home, I believe she sits around and watches Fox News when she can, and believes everything negative she hears about Obama.

But today takes the cake.

My family and I did not talk much before the election, because we've had some strife lately. But the day of, I went home and was talking to my parents about who we voted for. My mom voted McCain, but that was primarily because she works in health insurance and is petrified of losing her job if they socialize it (never mind that it won't work that way...). They are both employed, in their 50's, and reasonably well off, so on most economic issues they agreed a little more with McCain than Obama. That's fine, I don't agree with it, but it's fine, people have a right to vote in their own best interest, and our state went to Obama anyway so it didn't matter in the end.

What bothered me more than that was talking to my father. I expressed my concerns about McCain and Palin taking away my rights, particularly Palin. My dad replied, "Well, Obama will take away your rights too, just different ones." "Like what?" I asked. "Gun control? I don't agree with him on gun control, except maybe in urban areas, but it's just one issue. Besides, I have to vote in the way that affects me most, and I don't own a gun, can't use one anyway, and I'm honestly more concerned about getting healthcare."

I've posted before about the mounting election tension here in Britain. I know a few people, including me, who stayed up until 4 in the morning to see the result, some in pubs, some in clubs, some stuffed into our rooms here at university. When it was announced, there was banging on doors down the corridor and announcements being made. And I just came across a video of the reaction in London, I thought I'd share it with you to remind any yanks that the rest of the world has been feeling your pain for the last eight years, and we're feeling your joy now.

Check it out here.

One American in the crowd says 'It's the first time I'm able to say I'm American and not feel ashamed.'

Sometimes I am just awed by how lucky I am to have a father like mine.  My dad and I rarely talk about politics, but when we do I am always pleasantly surprised.  I mean he instilled me with a strong civic responsibility and a deep respect for the highest ideals that America was founded on.  He grew up in Lincoln, MA whose minutemen were the first to arrive at the Battle of Lexington and Concord.  My dad always made sure that I knew what the United States was supposed to be, but when it come to current politics we just don't seem to talk much.

Talking to my dad about politics, even briefly, makes me realize where my feminism started.  When I told him that I wanted to double major in Gender Studies and Math, he was thrilled.  He went on to tell me how interesting he thought Gender Studies was, and that it was just as much of a "real science" as his degree in biology.  He even pointed out that if I majored in Math too then people would have to recognize my intelligence and take me seriously in a way that they might not otherwise.

Today I  asked him what he thought of the election; this was his response (almost exactly word perfect): "The people have spoken.  Go Mass! What the hell California?  Congrats USA!"  

I am so happy to have a feminist dad!

I would be remiss, after my celebratory last post, if I didn't mention what we as progressives failed to do.

Gay marriage bans passed this election in Arizona and California (although the final results aren't in at this time for California...yet). A ban on gay couples adopting children in Arkansas passed.

These bans are wrong; California's goes so far as to strip people of rights they already had.

I want to shake the supporters of California's Prop 8. How can you be so happy about taking somebody's rights away? How sick, sad and insecure are you?

This morning I was so proud of my country, so proud of my generation. Now I'm still proud, because we gained a lot of ground. A lot. We defeated all the anti-choice ballot measures. We elected the first Black president, the first democrat in 8 years, hopefully shifting us back in the direction of a country that takes care of its most vunerable.

But we failed an entire population of people. So this is when the work begins. If we want to work for justice, we must not rest. We can celebrate, but we cannot rest.

Our work is not done. The passage of these bans should remind us all of that.