In 2008 in this backwater of mostly well-meaning but ill-informed Republicans with more than a little fear of people who don’t go to church and who are not like them, McCain-Palin signs popped up on lawns as early as August.
Not so, this year. Hmm, I wondered.

Then came the first debate and Obama did not do well, was not assertive. Suddenly in the week following, I saw about 20 Romney-Ryan signs on our avenue. Emboldened by what seemed to them a turn-around, Republicans started identifying themselves. I’ve seen only one Obama sign down a street that I only see when I bike into “the interior”. Pretty safe.

The reason Ed and I don’t put any signs on our lawn is because conservative voters are not only rigid in their political thinking but also mean-spirited. In 2008 the few Obama signs that were displayed were vandalized or removed. Ed and I don’t want any vandalism so we stay under the radar. But the math is interesting -- 200 houses on the island, 20 Republican lawn signs, 180 unidentified households. I am thinking, like us, that these people are staying under the radar. If those were Republicans, they’d be parading their intent, all full of themselves and their “winner”.

A little history.
We watched the Al Smith dinner last night. Both Obama and Romney did well. Obama was, of course, more relaxed, more genuinely witty, but Romney did well with his prepared jokes and the room loved him. It is a tradition that this dinner invites both presidential candidates. This year, however, there was a massive effort by disaffected right-wing Catholics to get Obama uninvited. They did not succeed. I am guessing they were all outraged over Obama’s stand on women’s choice.

I was wondering why Al Smith should “get a dinner” … so I looked him up. Al Smith was an American statesman who was elected the 42nd Governor of New York three times and was the Democratic U.S. presidential candidate in 1928. He was the foremost urban leader of the efficiency-oriented Progressive Movement and was noted for achieving a wide range of reforms as governor in the 1920s. He was also linked to the notorious Tammany Hall machine that controlled Manhattan politics; was a strong opponent of prohibition and was the first Roman Catholic nominee for President.

Smith lost in his presidential bid to the Republican Herbert Hoover, who took office in time to take the blame for the great depression. A historical perspective of Hoover is that events worked against him and he was not worthy of the image that has followed him to this day of an unfeeling, ineffective president who did nothing to help citizens who were thrust into poverty.

Hoover, in turn, lost to the charismatic Franklin Roosevelt, the first president I ever knew. Roosevelt took office in 1932 and died in 1945 in the middle of an unprecedented 4th term. After Roosevelt, the presidency was confined to 2 terms only.

Despite a high-born background of incredible wealth, Roosevelt took to heart the circumstances of ordinary citizens. He was responsible for Social Security and Medicare. Wealthy Americans called him “a traitor to his class.” It is so refreshing to see a wealthy man with genuine feeling and a desire to improve the lot of the common man. I was 12 when he died. He was the only president I had ever known. He was a father figure and his fireside chats that were listened to on radio were a high point during his time in office. I was devastated at his death. It was like I had lost my own father.

To this day I can’t listen to a recording of Roosevelt’s voice without getting a lump in my throat.

Well this post has been all over the place – forgive me?

Regarding my reference above to "never got a dinner" - I am referring to Red Buttons, the comedian who had a series of "never got a dinner" remarks that will knock your socks off.
Just type in his name and "Never Got a Dinner" on YouTube for a terrific time laughing.

Xx, Teal