But the people have spoken, and that makes it a wrap. Common wisdom dictates the Obama administration probably wont go as great as you think, but it probably wont be as bad as I fear either. And I use the pronoun "you" because studies show nine-and-a-half out of ten people who like the Internet are Democrats. So Democrats, carry on with your champagne toasting. GOP: Please get with it, online and off.
I heard the news this afternoon in the presence of two twenty-something Canadians. We were eating lunch in the back office of the school, and I was not-so-gently hounding the guy from Ottawa to pull up a news site on the computer that wasn't in Chinese.
"Who do you think she voted for?" Ottawa asked Canadian no. 2, a tall gal from Vancouver.
"I don't know, she looks like a McCain fan to me." Vancouver said.
"Really?!" I asked, pleasantly surprised. Did I have that "Country First" glow? Did I look like the type of girl who thinks the government pretty much sucks at everything so we shouldn't vote for the one who is more likely to expand it?
"God, I was joking" Vancouver gasped in horror.
Mistake, Leslie, big mistake.
Vancouver and Ottawa continued to muse on the election results. I decided to try and change the subject before I was probed to say something more damning. Vancouver has been working at this school for two years. I've been there three days. I need her on my side, I'm undoubtedly going to require her help.
"So you two are both from Canada: I feel like I've met way more Canadians than Americans here."
That's true, Vancouver and Ottawa agreed.
"You want to know why?" Ottawa asked. Ottawa still wanted to talk politics. And from the sound of it, he will probably vote with me once we make Canada the 51st state.
"It's because Canada is so socialist it's even harder for us to get jobs back home than you guys." Ottawa said.
"What!" Vancouver was indignant.
"I hate going home, all the taxes are so high everywhere." Ottawa said, further pissing off Vancouver, "I don't want to get into it with you, Vancouver, but I think Obama will be to America what Trudeau was to Canada."
(He didn't really call her Vancouver, names withheld to protect the Canadian)
Pierre Trudeau, Ottawa explained, had a huge youth following, his wife liked to kick it with the Rolling Stones, he met with John Lennon and Yoko, he preached unity, etc. Then he stipulated all Canadians learn French and enacted economic policies that plague Canada today, Ottawa said.
"I think Obama is America's Trudeau, so get ready," Ottawa told me.
"I think Trudeau was great for Canada!" Vancouver countered without further explanation.
I'm completely ign'ant when it comes to Canadian politics, so I have no opinion on the matter. But that's how my election day went down: In a tiny school on the outskirts of Taipei with two Canadians debating the prognosis.
James and I justified a McDonalds run for dinner by checking my blog and noting it had been a full 11 days without hamburgers. Plus, it's election day: If we can't be with our people, we may as well eat like them.
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