The Obama contributor
This morning I was making my usual two pieces of toast in the kitchen/lounge in Social Ecology 1 when an older man walked in holding a disposable Java City cup and a sleek green thermos. We exchanged greetings. I had never seen him before and assumed he was a visiting professor on campus for a meeting. He asked if I was using the microwave. I wasn’t (my bread was toasting away) so he warmed the coffee in the Java City cup and placed the thermos on the counter.
“I’ll be using that for the coffee when it’s warm,” he told me.
He walked down the hall and returned a minute later talking on his cell phone.
“I’d like to help you but my wife gave some money last week,” he said. I thought he was talking to a charity but was corrected when he said, “Is Senator Obama there? I’d like to speak to him.”
I was a little embarrassed by his corniness but he thought the joke was hilarious, like no one had ever thought to ask a brainwashed campaign slave if they could speak to the candidate. It’s all everybody does in Iowa during caucus time. You come home to an answering machine full of messages from prominent politicians and you jokingly gloat that Hilary Clinton, John McCain, or Steve Forbes called. Ha ha. Not funny. But this guy chuckled as the caller hemmed and hawed.
“I’m joking,” he said. “But one fifty? Is that what you’re asking for?”
The toast jumped and I buttered each piece as the man continued to talk. Obviously I was eavesdropping. I’m a natural born journalist, instinctively interested in everyone’s lives and how they live. I sometimes wonder if people know I’m listening and watching, recording and studying their every move so I can possibly write about it later, as I’m doing now. Every day life is an awesome thing to observe; there are so many metaphors and symbols right in front of us. It’s one reason why I’m never bored.
But the odd thing this time is I think the man wanted me to listen. I believe he consciously tried to make me aware he was an Obama contributor. At first I even thought he was faking it, holding the phone to his ear and acting the whole thing out. I guess it’s hip to support Obama now. As I nibbled on my toast he talked with the campaign worker, trying to figure out which of his credit cards they had on file.
“The Master,” he said. “Do you have that?”
Before starting my second piece I left the room for a moment and came back. I noticed his wallet on the round table. He had taken out a gold colored piece of plastic and placed it on the table top to read off the number.
“Now Senator Obama better win,” he said. “I have a lot of money at stake.”
I thought of horse racing and fixed heavyweight bouts.
He ended the call by wishing the caller a good day. “You’re welcome,” he said, and I could only assume he was thanked for the contribution. He put his card in his wallet and his wallet in his back pocket. He dumped his hot coffee into the thermos and threw the tall Java City cup into the garbage. Through the head height row of windows along the lounge wall I watched his white hair move down the hallway. The Obama contributor.
I hear about the money pouring into political campaigns in the news all the time, but I had never witnessed the devil of democracy in action until this morning. My parents never gave money to anyone and I can’t see myself being suckered into giving money to a politician. Politicians are the last people in this country who need money. Sure, campaigns are expensive. The cost of making t-shirts, bumper stickers, flyers, of employing an army of workers, criss-crossing the country, and saturating TV, websites, and newspapers with advertising is astronomical. Despite their individual wealth politicians plead for our money, say they need it to keep their operations afloat. If it’s so expensive to run for office why aren’t more politicians interested in campaign finance reform? Only when the funds were dwindling and the bills piling up did Hilary Clinton bite the bullet and use her own money to keep the gears and cogs of her campaign in motion. Does anyone else find that odd?
In spite of the inconsistencies and irony of the whole thing, Americans keep reaching into their pockets and forking over millions of their hard earned money to someone who kisses babies during election years but steals lollipops mid-term. It’s something I can’t understand. People want change but continue supporting the dysfunctional, corrupt system they detest. It’s like a vegan and animal rights activist driving-thru McDonalds for a double quarter-pounder after protesting cruelty at a hog confinement lot. It’s hypocritical and doesn’t make sense.
The counter was dirty with the moisture and crumbs from the toast so I cleaned it off with a paper towel. As I dropped it in the garbage I noticed the “Eco Grounds” logo on the Java City cup. Obama contributor, yes. Environmentalist, no.
“I’ll be using that for the coffee when it’s warm,” he told me.
He walked down the hall and returned a minute later talking on his cell phone.
“I’d like to help you but my wife gave some money last week,” he said. I thought he was talking to a charity but was corrected when he said, “Is Senator Obama there? I’d like to speak to him.”
I was a little embarrassed by his corniness but he thought the joke was hilarious, like no one had ever thought to ask a brainwashed campaign slave if they could speak to the candidate. It’s all everybody does in Iowa during caucus time. You come home to an answering machine full of messages from prominent politicians and you jokingly gloat that Hilary Clinton, John McCain, or Steve Forbes called. Ha ha. Not funny. But this guy chuckled as the caller hemmed and hawed.
“I’m joking,” he said. “But one fifty? Is that what you’re asking for?”
The toast jumped and I buttered each piece as the man continued to talk. Obviously I was eavesdropping. I’m a natural born journalist, instinctively interested in everyone’s lives and how they live. I sometimes wonder if people know I’m listening and watching, recording and studying their every move so I can possibly write about it later, as I’m doing now. Every day life is an awesome thing to observe; there are so many metaphors and symbols right in front of us. It’s one reason why I’m never bored.
But the odd thing this time is I think the man wanted me to listen. I believe he consciously tried to make me aware he was an Obama contributor. At first I even thought he was faking it, holding the phone to his ear and acting the whole thing out. I guess it’s hip to support Obama now. As I nibbled on my toast he talked with the campaign worker, trying to figure out which of his credit cards they had on file.
“The Master,” he said. “Do you have that?”
Before starting my second piece I left the room for a moment and came back. I noticed his wallet on the round table. He had taken out a gold colored piece of plastic and placed it on the table top to read off the number.
“Now Senator Obama better win,” he said. “I have a lot of money at stake.”
I thought of horse racing and fixed heavyweight bouts.
He ended the call by wishing the caller a good day. “You’re welcome,” he said, and I could only assume he was thanked for the contribution. He put his card in his wallet and his wallet in his back pocket. He dumped his hot coffee into the thermos and threw the tall Java City cup into the garbage. Through the head height row of windows along the lounge wall I watched his white hair move down the hallway. The Obama contributor.
I hear about the money pouring into political campaigns in the news all the time, but I had never witnessed the devil of democracy in action until this morning. My parents never gave money to anyone and I can’t see myself being suckered into giving money to a politician. Politicians are the last people in this country who need money. Sure, campaigns are expensive. The cost of making t-shirts, bumper stickers, flyers, of employing an army of workers, criss-crossing the country, and saturating TV, websites, and newspapers with advertising is astronomical. Despite their individual wealth politicians plead for our money, say they need it to keep their operations afloat. If it’s so expensive to run for office why aren’t more politicians interested in campaign finance reform? Only when the funds were dwindling and the bills piling up did Hilary Clinton bite the bullet and use her own money to keep the gears and cogs of her campaign in motion. Does anyone else find that odd?
In spite of the inconsistencies and irony of the whole thing, Americans keep reaching into their pockets and forking over millions of their hard earned money to someone who kisses babies during election years but steals lollipops mid-term. It’s something I can’t understand. People want change but continue supporting the dysfunctional, corrupt system they detest. It’s like a vegan and animal rights activist driving-thru McDonalds for a double quarter-pounder after protesting cruelty at a hog confinement lot. It’s hypocritical and doesn’t make sense.
The counter was dirty with the moisture and crumbs from the toast so I cleaned it off with a paper towel. As I dropped it in the garbage I noticed the “Eco Grounds” logo on the Java City cup. Obama contributor, yes. Environmentalist, no.
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