What follows is, I hope, my only political post of the season.

I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat.

  • Will Rogers

I’ve always thought Republicans were better at coming together as a single party than Democrats. Sure, Republicans have plenty of problems within their party, but come Election Day, the anti-tax millionaires from the big cities and the Bible thumping farmers from the county have a much easier time voting for the same candidates than the various wings of the Democratic party. They may have to hold their nose while they do it, but Republicans are much better staying on message.
For example, over the weekend somehow our girls and our friends’ kids starting talking about politics. I think it was all the signs stuck in everyone’s yards. Anyway, one of the boys said that his grandfather told him if Obama wins, he’s going to cancel Halloween. M. quickly piped up that she wanted Romney to win.
Now I haven’t said much about the election to the girls, except when they ask. And even then, I tend to explain things in the most general of terms. They barely grasp what I’m saying, anyway, so there’s no need to weigh them down with the details of fiscal policies, the candidates’ views on the Middle East, etc. When they ask, I tell them I’m voting for Obama and usually vote for Democrats. But that’s pretty much it.
However, I wasn’t thrilled as M. shouted out her desire for Romney to win over-and-over. I finally suggested that different people have different views on politics, and not everyone likes talking about those differences, so let’s stop talking about it. And no one was canceling Halloween.
That worked for awhile, but eventually the “Obama will cancel Halloween” meme spread through all five kids. C. came rushing up to me, worried, and asked in a pitiful voice, “Are they going to cancel Halloween if Obama wins?”

I’d had enough.

“M., when is Halloween?” I snapped.
“Next week.”
“When is the election?”
“Umm, after that?”
“Yes. The election is AFTER Halloween. No one is canceling Halloween. Stop talking about it.”
I think I may have been a little more forceful than I remember, because all five kids stopped and stared at me for a moment, wondering what was up with the crazy dad. But I think they got my message.
Still, you have to admire how one Republican grandfather pushed at least four kids into being advocates for Romney through one made up story about the next holiday. If he would have said Obama was canceling Christmas, I might have had a harder time setting the kids straight.