Campaigns and Gas Cards

I had the pleasure of absentee voting last week. It’s not as good as going to the polls, filling out the bubbles, putting it through the machine, taking a cookie, and walking away with an ‘I Voted Today’ sticker, but it has it’s advantages. I had the pleasure of knowing I got to see the ballot before many, many others. I’m not sure why that’s a pleasure but for some reason it is. I had the pleasure of knowing what the various propositions are so I could remind my friends to do their research. And I currently have the pleasure of knowing I voted, already.

So when I saw Ethan Berkowitz talk today in Barrow, I could look him in the eye and tell him I voted for him. I didn’t actually do this because for some reason I’m terrified of politicians, or more like I’m shy towards them. I don’t have a tear-jerking plight. I don’t have any tough questions to ask. Today, I just wanted to shake Ethan’s hand, wish him all the best, and tell him he literally already had my vote, so that when he is in DC, I could say that I shook his hand. That sounds so silly, doesn’t it.

I was nervous when I first met Frank Murkowski and Ted Stevens, which is odd because I don’t necessarily even respect them. As a reporter for the Wrangell Sentinel, I felt small. I was less nervous when I met Lisa Murkowski. And I was actually a bit tipsy when I met Sarah Palin in Petersburg.

Before seeing Ethan Berkowitz today, I had only spoken to him on the phone. He had called once. I don’t remember if I was at the Sentinel or KSTK, but when he called, whenever that was, I didn’t think he had much of a shot. He was funny on the phone though, very personable. I remember laughing. Maybe I’d even call him charming. In any case, he won me over in those few minutes, so that when I did see his name later, in mailings, on posters, and on the ballot, I knew who he was, kind of. Most of what I know about him is that he’s running against Don Young and he’s a Democrat.

It would’ve been so easy to have gone up to him after the talk, after they were done raffling off gas cards, after all the soda and most of the food were gone, and to have just shaken his hand, smiled, and said, “I already voted for you,” and maybe I would’ve said it seriously enough to actually convey, “I believe in you. Please do good things for Alaska in D.C.” But I didn’t do any of that. I fumbled with my gloves for a few moments, talked to the campaign assistant who was traveling with him, and walked away.