There are a number of my Canadian friends whose mood swings now ebb and flow not with the lunar cycle but with the fortunes of Obama. We definitely have to laugh at ourselves -- more than one of my friends, intelligent and well-informed, have used the words "it's a turning point for the world" or "everything depends on it".
So, would like to offer this little guide to 'How to Tell if the U.S. Election is Way Too Important in your Canadian Home' (and sad -- or funny -- to say, these are all drawn from my life and none are exaggerations!):
- Your 12-yr-old comes home talking about how he tried to explain to a classmate who favours John McCain what the polls look like in the battleground states.
- You can't believe that a few months ago you didn’t know what ‘crosstabs’ were.
- You know the reputations of the various pollsters and snort derisively at the product of the bad ones with your spouse.
- ‘Keith’ and ‘Rachel’ are known by first name in your home (like ‘Cher’), and their names come up in family conversations more than your relatives or co-workers.
- You have a user-name on DailyKos.
- Pillow talk is discussion about ‘likely voter models’, and you find it fascinating.
- You can recognize dozens of pundits and newscasters by their voices, without even seeing the TV.
- Your top ten visited sites on your ‘favourites’ list are all political sites, with mostly the same news, but you have to visit them all regularly just in case there’s a nuance you’ve missed.
- Your first topic of conversation with cab drivers on your vacation to England is, "So, are you following the U.S. election?"
- My favourite: discussing the Clinton primary win in Pennsylvania, you say in frustration, "it’s all so pointless, why is she still in? how does she think she can possibly win?" and your 15-yr-old, who had seemed to be sleeping, mumbles "Florida".