Impolitic

It may have come to your attention that November 4th was the culmination of the American presidential race. You’d have to be slightly more culturally cognizant to notice that November 5th was Bonfire Night, a holiday the British celebrate to commemorate a guy who didn’t blow up Parliament. I’m sure you’ll never guess which one I was more looking forward to (pyro that I am), or which night ended up being the more explosive of the two. If you can’t figure it out, though, read on – I’ll try to be enlightening!

For me, both days started off grey and a bit rainy, and without much planning at all. My vote went in several weeks ago, by mail in an official white envelope. So that was all taken care of. After waiting in vain for someone to convince me clearly and in small words why I needed to choose one candidate over the other, after trawling the internet looking for “the Truth,” I stared at my yellow slip of paper for a long time before hesitantly filling in one innocuous oval. I didn’t play eenie-meenie-meiny-mo, but I also think I may have been the only American who wasn’t prepared to shed tears over one candidate or the other, a condition which lasted up to and beyond election night. As to the 5th of November (remember, remember!), I’d done my Guy Fawkes research years ago, and while I thought wistfully of bottle rockets and Catherine wheels, I had papers to write, and so headed to the library instead.

It’s strange, but I felt like more of an impartial onlooker on the night of the 4th than on the night of the 5th. I guess I feel responsible for my country, but I don’t love it. I don’t know America; I just like my home and the Americans I know. Or, most of them, at least. Maybe I’ve gotten too good at dissociating from emotional events. Maybe I’m unpatriotic.

Still, while watching the results come in at 2am on the morning of the 5th, surrounded by wine-drinking, rambunctious, hopeful students from all over the world, I continued to realize how big an event this election was perceived to be. I spoke with my family a few days ago, and Mom joked that I could play the sort of game where everyone has to drink when they hear phrases like, “historic election,” or “the voters have spoken.” Things were clearly getting reckless in the battleground state of Pennsylvania. Anyway, as cheesy and overused as those phrases are, they are also kind of true. So. I’d say I’m pleased that America – particularly “Generation Why” and our record levels of apathy – was able to get out of its collective comfy chair and take the time to get informed and vote. Or at least, to move voting into internet forums. Nevertheless…it’s also nice to see that, for the first time since I’ve been studying abroad, the world appears fully and actively behind America as a whole. Time will tell if this attitude is genuine or lasting, but I personally am tired of the us vs. them mentality (both at home and abroad), and now that the election is over, I hope we can put partisan attitudes behind us and just get on with the 21st century.

And that CNN hologram was pretty darn cool. “Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi! You’re my only hope!”

As to the president elect…I’m not convinced he’s a good man (um…who is, if they’ve decided to go into politics?), but he does look to be a good leader. Maybe exactly what we need right now is a smooth-talking guy with big dreams and an ego to match…at least it’ll be a change, that’s for sure. And I guess all of the disappointed Republicans will be using their time in the wings to shape up a nice, constructive plan for implementation in four years. And here are some more immediate changes I personally am looking forward to: no more speculation and accusation, no more cute kids under the age of 18 singing about voting, no more tensing up anytime someone mentions lipstick. Now that’s something I can believe in.

And now for something completely different.

Guy Fawkes Day! I may not be party-affiliated, nor particularly country-affiliated, but I can really get into a good national holiday. Sadly, this too is going to end up being something of a pithy story. Everyone was so exhausted by the election the night before – I think half the college stayed up until Ohio was counted at least – that Bonfire Night was more bust than bang. True, all through the night there were minor cracks and fizzes that put me in mind of France this summer, and over dinner some friends and I put together some grandiose plans to out-British the Brits, but soggy skies (okay and some apathy on my part) put a damper on the evening. One of the Americans has Pentagon connections. With “insider information” on explosives…I’ll say no more, but my weekend does look like I’ll have some time with nothing else to do. Maybe light some hand sanitizer on fire. I hope.

Speaking of the weekend, I think I can say that, to my mind at least, the States’ hegemony status is not dead: the fancy dress bop theme for Saturday evening has nothing to do with bonfires or arson and everything do to with “All-American.” Whatever that means. So I’m off to design a costume – I think I’ll (hypocritically) go as myself?