The Button

Back in Denver (doesn't that seem like years ago?), I met a lady who had made and was selling to help defray Hillary's campaign debt,  this pin:

It was designed to send the message that Hillary supporters were NOW Barack Obama supporters.

If you have been a loyal reader, you'll remember my post of August 28 ("Everyone Makes Nice") where Hillary nominated Barack by acclimation and Bill Clinton gave a fantastic & supportive speech for Barack. It seemed everyone was "healed" or at least on their way to that promised land except John Oliver and the Daily Show people who were keen to point out that the PUMA people were NEVER -EVER-going to support Obama. 

The Convention concluded and as as we all returned to our home towns, we took our "Hillary Supports Obama" buttons with us. 

Then came the Republican Convention and the phenomenon known as Sarah Palin. I know I don't have describe what has since transpired. EXCEPT for the transformed button. 

The button has taken on a whole new meaning: That is, Hillary people ARE Obama supporters and NOT Sarah Palin supporters! 

Last weekend, my mom and I were in New York City and as we proudly wore our buttons--countless people stopped to talk to us --in the hotel, at lunch and dinner, on the street--to say they loved the button, how could they get a button of their own, and other equally cheerful things! We made a million new friends! :)

As we were checking out of our very nice hotel, the doorman (of all people!) made a snide remark about our pins: Something like: "If he wins, you won't be able to stay at a hotel like this!" And with that, my mother turns to him and says: "If he doesn't win, you won't be having a job at a hotel like this!"

And as we know, there is our great-grand-canyon-of-a-culture-divide.