I had always considered running for office in my schools’ student governments, but I think I quickly grew detached from the idea of it – first, because all the candidates’ campaign promises (microwaves in the lunchroom, new playgrounds, pizza Fridays) were completely unrealistic; second, because I knew that none of the campaign “issues” were all that important anyway. I had a good head on my shoulders as a little kid. I don’t think I necessarily knew what the important issues were for an elementary school, (though I can think of a few now that could’ve improved Crow Island School – addressing bullying, too much homework, insufficient focus on the arts), but I knew that those issues put forward by my politically-ambitious classmates – much like many of those put forward by politically-ambitious adults – were pretty insignificant in the grand scheme of things. And it wasn’t until I was much older that my dad told me the story of his famous school-wide protest of the middle school cafeteria, where he successfully led a boycott demanding bagels and better hot dogs at lunch, that I learned how student-activism could make a difference. But then again, he was a child of the 60’s, me of the 90’s, and those were two different times.
However, I certainly didn’t view myself as above political activity either. Some people love to bash and criticize politics, over and over, and that’s never been me. Rather, I’ve always held an interest in politics. I grew up in a politically and socially active household. The Alters engaged in politics in several ways. It wasn’t necessarily through going to rallies or canvassing door-to-door, though we did that from time to time, but mostly through watching tv, reading newspaper, writing checks, participating in service, and belonging to our socially active synagogue.
I believe I am drawn to politics for both emotional and rational reasons. On the emotional side, I’ll admit I like the celebrity of it, the allure of the leader, but also the indescribable feeling I get from hearing the inspirational rhetoric of an eloquent, impassioned speaker, and knowing that I am one of many feeling this same thing. It makes me believe in the possibilities of myself and my community. On the rational side, I started considering which specific policies provided better results and for whom, usually aligned with my parents’ beliefs, usually with a liberal lean, though not always. I began to see how political decisions deliberated by distant political bodies affected peoples’ lives in tangible ways, and I began connecting the dots with how the electoral process could make those bodies seem just a little less distant.
Even still, I had a phase where I didn’t see how a man, even the as powerful a man as the President, could make that big a difference, given that there are so many people and events that shape the world. But then the Iraq War happened, and that really changed my opinion here. President Bush had authorized and strategized that war (and some might say invented it) and that decision of his has altered the courses of millions of American families, and millions more around the world.
Around that time, I also began to learn that these powerful leaders can and do truly come from humble beginnings. In late-2003 my family hosted a community gathering for a little-known state senator who was trying to launch a campaign for the United States Senate. He had roots in community organizing in Chicago and seemed to really connect with normal people, because he was one himself. At the time, he was a darkhorse to win the Democratic primary, let alone the general election, but as the dominos fell and momentum built people were saying, dreamy-eyed, that he could be running for president as early as 2016. The first time I had heard of this man, Barack Obama, was when I met him in my living room.
What inspired me most about Obama’s story was the idea of common people coming together to do uncommon things. I think that is the promise of politics. That lesson is embedded in his personal narrative, but also in the message he tried to make central to his campaign. It’s the theme of looking out for each other and realizing that helping fulfill other people’s best interests can also be in your best interest – whether it has the reach of the nuclear family, the local community (as seen in the ggeh), or the broader national community (expressed through federal politics).