October 17

I went by the Obama campaign headquarters in Winchester today. It's a very conservative area but the staff were upbeat. The district leader is a matriarchal, elderly black lady who kept telling me they were usually much busier. Go to the McCain headquarters, she said, they're even less busy.

There were a lot of young people in HOPE t-shirts. I was a bit disappointed at how dismissive they were of non-Obama supporters. They referred to them as the "dumb Americans" a few times. They probably thought that as a European I'd clap my hands and tell them how pig-stupid and ugly most Americans seemed to the espresso sippers of Paris, and how Obama supporters were so different, so worldly and urbane.

Well I basically did do that, but not because I wanted to! I was surrounded by them so I acted like a filthy lizard and said what I had to to fit in. But I take it all back! Ha! I love all Americans equally!

One misconception about Obama supporters is that they are somehow "cooler" than McCain supporters. In my view this is incorrect. Obama supporters are generally bright-eyed and slightly hyperactive. The keenest kids in class. McCain's base on the other hand is swaggery and colloquial. Cool, right?

It also occurs to me that Obama supporters campaign because they're all in love with Obama. McCain supporters campaign because they don't want Obama in the White House. John McCain could be a sock puppet for all they care.