On the eve of the biggest election in U.S. history, I feel the same kind of queasiness I experience before a big ride. I even voted early on Saturday to try to get over it but I probably won’t feel relief, one way or another, until Wednesday morning.
In the big scheme of things, I’m politically skeptical of the two major parties. I was an independent voter up until the 2004 election (I’m currently registered as a Dem, but I’m going back to being Independent) and openly admit that I voted for Nader in 2000.
I thank the Bush administration for schooling me in politics. As the long-term failures of conservative policies (enacted by Repubs and Dems alike) combined with the utter incompetence of the Bush administration, political conversations during group rides have been a central theme since 2002.
Although it always feels comfortable to commiserate with like minded folks, long bike rides have provided a way to learn about the views of folks who think differently. I’ve looked forward to those conversations…if Obama wins how many of us are going to experience withdrawal from this political discourse?
