05 Nov 4703 - Announced WWE
Superstar, Ate Sandwich
The Young Democrats of America were looking for an excuse to wear matching
tee-shirts while drinking at the local pub, and decided that if they held an
event to get-out-the-vote, then that would be plenty enough justification. But
ah, how to ensure that no one could doubt the veracity of this event? How to
finish the plot? Get a guest speaker to appear. They ended up getting one, at
that, from the WWE. He appeared for them as part of a "SMACKDOWN YOUR VOTE"
campaign, which is unusually violent for simple advocacy, but still timid and
preferable compared to the "VOTE OR DIE" campaign of last year. Maybe because we
in Virginia are voting for governor and not president this year.
Now, part of any plan that youth partisan groups have around here is littering
the campus with awful looking flyers. As one passed into my hands, I saw the WWE
logo, and decided to immediately read the entire thing aloud in an intense
announcer's voice. A nearby YDA rep thought it was so good that she asked me to
come to the bar and introduce their superstar, first offering payment, then
beer, then food, all before I could accept. I accepted for the hell of it, and
later attended. They gave me a shirt so I would fit in, and sure enough, they
had a superstar, and same as before I put on the voice, this time for the usual
crowd of bargoers in Auld Shebeen. I introduced Chris Newinsky.
The YDA did not, in fact, pay me anything. They did reinforce my understanding
that lack of moderation in one place tends to spill over. Political activity
wending into bar hopping. Damn this country anyway. Moderate.
I find solace in the formation of social politics; the only validity I find in
the formation of opinions and laws is that among a group of friends. The YDA
helped me to realize this, too. After I left, I came back to the usual hangout
to find no one around. I produced from my bookbag a sandwich that Jeff had given
me before for reasons all his own. I ate that sandwich.