It’s Not Michelle That Concerns Me, But the Poll Workers? Yeah, that’s Trouble.

Yes, Michelle Obama did, in fact, violate election law but I’m not all that wrought up about it. Plenty of people break this particular law (light electioneering in a polling place),and it’s usually no big deal. When an election worker notices someone politicking where they shouldn’t, they simply ask them to stop and, if necessary, point out that doing so is against the law. Normally, it’s not a big deal. I’ve done it a couple times and I’ve seen it done plenty more. What concerns me is that the poll workers gave Michelle Obama a pass because of who she is.

It’s not as if the workers were intimidated by her. On the contrary, they seemed to think her illegal electioneering was cute. Well, okay, perhaps it was. Lots of things are cute, but we really don’t want people doing them. I’m sure it’s cute if a 2 year-old draws stick figures on your wall with a permanent marker, but you wouldn’t just sit there and say “awwwwwww” while she did it. Yet that’s what the poll workers did when Michelle started spreading her stale Hopenchange around the room.

Election workers have several important jobs, not the least of which is to maintain the integrity of the polling place. Once a voter gets past that magic line where they law protects them from sloganeering, it’s just them and pure, sweet democracy. Election workers must protect that domain fiercely because once it’s breached, rebuilding the feeling of sanctuary (and, believe me, voters do consider it so) is hard to reclaim.

I do get the point of those critical of the First Lady. She does have a habit of playing the “do as I say, not as I do” game and, worse, covering up her own hypocrisies. On this one, though, I’ll give her a pass and wonder if the election workers’ attitudes will get some adjustment before Election Day. That’s a lot more important to me.

(via memeorandum)

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Tags: 2010 Election, Michelle Obama

Category: Political Pontifications