“One Little Hour”

ACORN, an advocacy group for community organizers, has become a big news item recently. They are being investigated for financial fraud as well as filing fake voter registrations for Mickey Mouse and the roster of the Dallas Cowboys.

I actually encountered an ACORN registration worker during the last presidential campaign. A young, cheerful 20-something rang my door bell and asked if I had registered to vote. I had not since moving to Pennsylvania and so I filled out the form that he provided. While filling it out Jay, the ACORN guy, asked if I wanted to see change in American politics. Apparently my grunt signaled agreement so Jay asked who I was planning to vote for come November 2nd. I told him John McCain. He asked if I really wanted to support someone who wanted to leave American troops in Iraq for “a hundred years.” I noted that the immediate context of that quote changed McCain’s intended meaning significantly. Jay promptly shook my hand and said goodbye.

Fast forward two months to two weeks before November 2nd. I still have not received my registration card. So I register in person. A week later my card comes in the mail.

Perhaps my cynicism is misplaced, but I suspect that if I had said I was voting for Obama my registration might not have gotten lost. Just a suspicion.