The Election Night Trap

Every election cycle, I get hyped up.  I can't describe it... it's like a trap.  I want Democrats to win.  Like, really want Democrats to win.  Why?  I'm not a Democrat, I don't generally support the Democrats, and I don't really think simply having Democrats in office will lead to monumental change.

Yet every Election Night, I'm here, refreshing CNN or whatever, looking for more results.  I get down to find that a Republican has taken this district, get excited to see that a Democrat took that district, and what's funny is these aren't even places I live!

Maybe I get caught up in all the excitement.  Maybe I just like living in a Blue area, because having a fun color-coded map that tells me where people fall on a very limited political spectrum is reassuring; it's good to be able to easily see that my neighbors are at least partially on my side.  Maybe I just love to see conservatives get angry. 

Maybe, though, I think it matters more than I'd like to think it does.  I mean honestly.  This morning, I voted.  I voted for lots of Democrats: Elaine Marshall (defeated), Don Vaughn (winner), Maggie Jeffus (projected to win), and whoever ran against BJ Barnes (dammit).  I justify it clearly enough with issues that matter to me: especially as a woman of reproductive age, living in a state represented by a Senator who thinks zygotes should get more rights than women, well, is it any wonder I suck it up and vote every two years?  I mean it's not like I'm kidding myself.  Sure it's "lesser-evilism," but a lesser-evil is better than a pure evil. 

Then the reality check sets in.  I have to come back from it all and say to myself, "Self, there are things about tonight's results that will change my country, my state, my neighborhood, my friends, and my life.  But are these results going to drastically change what I do on a day to day basis?  I mean, is any elected official going to make it effectively unnecessary for me to continue to fight for social justice on multiple levels?"

And of course the answer is no.  Then, only after this repetitive inner-dialogue, I can climb out of the Election Night trap, get a good night's sleep, and wake up ready to continue doing what I do all over again tomorrow.