I just got back from spending quality time with my mom's side of the family during my cousin's wedding, then a week of mother-daughter bonding in Mazatlan, Mexico. My mom greeted some family members whom we haven't seen since the last family reunion in 2005, by asking the rhetorical question, "Who are you going to vote for? Obama, right?" I knew from previous experiences, that my mom's comments would open a can of worms. Case in point: during the 2004 presidential election, my Republican uncle cringed as my Democratic aunt specifically asked him to pass her favorite: "Heinz" ketchup, and we all know which 2004 presidential candidate was associated with Heinz... Four years later, while no food fights broke out during the meals before my cousin's nuptial, some comments on the candidates' stance on the issues to their physical appeal/charisma, were pricklier than the thorns on the roses at the wedding reception. At one point, I didn't know what was worse: to vote based on misguided information, or to not recognize the importance of voting...

Fast-forward to Mazatlan: My mom, the social butterfly, befriends other Americans who are also vacationing in Mazatlan. She asks, "Where are you from?" After responding in kind, she asks her follow-up, "So who are you going to vote for?" Yes, my mom has been known to be the persuasive one at GOTV events in the Bay Area, but I thought she would take a break while we were on vacation. As my mom opened her travel bag mid-sentence, my eyes widened; I thought she would have pulled out some voter registration forms. Thank goodness she was just searching for a pack of gum.

In a conversation with a fellow tourist and some of the Mexican employees at the resort at which were staying, the employees asked, in reference to the candidates, "Who should we pray for?"  While deep down, these prayerful people recognize that God is neither a Democrat nor a Republican and thus, pledges loyalty to neither party, they do understand the importance of this election. Hence, the importance of prayer for a favorable outcome. While Mexican citizens/residents might not be able to vote in the U.S. elections, they might be able to convince relatives in the U.S. who do have a say on Election Day. I thought about other plausible concerns: NAFTA/CAFTA and other free trade agreements, immigration, unemployment/job security (which relates to remittances sent home), diplomacy and national security, including border patrol, among others. I understand that whoever is selected to lead our nation for the next four years also has the potential to restore our standing as a world leader, or reaffirm our current, unofficial status as world bully.

Nevertheless, while Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin have been dinner guests for quite some time, in a little over two weeks, one of these odd couples will be shown the door (which may also be the working class' response to a failing economy... we just can't afford to have too many guests).