I dealt with the results of last year's presidential and congressional elections the same way that many other Liberals dealt with the results of the elections. Poorly.
More specifically, I sat in my room for the better part of the day following the closing of the polls in the fetal position, while listening to Johnny Cash's rendition of 'Hurt' over and over and over again.
Since that day, my stomach for all matters political has been weakening. The task of sitting down to read my roommate's edition of The Economist became comparable to expelled Bobcat Paul Newman attempting to eat fifty eggs in an hour. I had nightmares where State Sen. Joy Padgett, R-Coshocton, was President and added an anti-sodomy amendment to the Constitution. E-mails from Liberal groups and John Kerry would be deleted without being read. 'What's the point?' I would pout to myself.
To be perfectly honest, my primary source of political insight since the election has been through repeats of The West Wing. Every episode deals with complicated political issues, which Aaron Sorkin -writer and creator of the show -is kind enough to simplify and explain to allow the masses to comprehend what Chief of Staff Leo McGarry (John Spencer) is talking about. This was unintentional, it never occurred to me to go to a television drama for updates on world affairs. Instead it provided a political Neverland: gorgeous pixilated escapism. Martin Sheen plays an intelligent and eloquent president who quotes Shakespeare; can we see how a disenfranchised young voter would prefer this fantasy world to the world of 'disassembling?
