The way he pulled in and parked his car and strode purposefully toward my voter registration table on a strip mall sidewalk made me think it was a Republican ready to berate me for practicing democracy in a public place.
I thought that because the day before two cops had questioned what I was doing there. They said someone had called to complain. (This is Wisconsin, where the attorney general co-chairs McVain's campaign and has filed a lawsuit that has the potential to throw thousands of votes in the questionable column). I was registering in this location as a volunteer for the League of Women Voters, strictly nonpartisan. My sign includes their motto: Democracy is not a spectator sport.
As the man, a casually but nicely dressed older Caucasian, handed me his driver's license I asked if this was a change of address. "No, he said, "this is the first time in my life that I am going to vote. I've never been registered."
Oh, I said, looking at his license, which listed his age as 69, and seeing he was born 48 years and one day before my youngest daughter. "What made you decide to do this now?"
He answered that he'd always thought one person's vote really didn't matter or make much of a difference. "We really need to make a change," he said.
Noncommittally I said that both candidates are pushing the change idea. "Everything is being run for the millionaires," he said unhappily. We chatted a bit more and away he drove.
I think the change he envisions is the Obama brand, though neither of us mentioned the name. You don't not vote for close to five decades and then decide to register to vote for McCain. Remember this: McCain already ran for president eight years ago and he's married to a woman worth more than $100 million.
I don't think that's the change my voter was believing in.