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Miranda July



Last Updated: 12/3/2009

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Status: Single
City: L.A.
State: California
Country: US
Signup Date: 2/1/2006

Who Gives Kudos:


Monday, February 04, 2008 


I'd like to think all the people who follow my work are radical, political firecrackers. But those of you who are don't need any encouragement from me. Instead I will focus my efforts on the demographic who, like me in 1996, feels completely disconnected from life, nevermind their country. I'm hoping that there aren't very many of you, in this day and age. You people are hard to encourage, because all the political arguments will mean nothing to you. I just spent the last hour typing up my case for Obama, but you won't even read it, you'll skip ahead to something that seems subtler or less cliche, I know you. (And those of you who will read it, who are perhaps torn between Obama and Clinton, are well tended to by better writers.) So nevermind all that.

Here's why you should vote: you are going to really love it, the whole strange procedure. You get to walk right into a building that you would never normally be allowed in, often an elementary school. You can pause in the hallway to look at all the weird school-art and feel the eerie vibe of hundreds of kids living their endless kid lives right nearby. Then you follow the arrows to the voting room and look at the faces of the volunteers - who are these people? There is a hush of secrecy, the voting booth is clunky, the whole thing seems fake somehow. You consider filling in all the bubbles, like you did on the SATs. But you don't. You vote. You walk back outside feeling like you just gave blood or something, lightheaded from citizenry. You are wearing a sticker that says "I Voted" and you wish you could continue to get stickers like this throughout the day: I Ate Dinner, I Went To Sleep, I Got Out Of Bed, I Went To Work.
But alas, it is just this one thing that we all do together, savor it.

I tried to find an easy link for you to locate your polling place, but the best thing to do is just type the name of your city + "where do I vote" into google. If you're not registered, then you might not be able to vote in the primaries, but register right now so you can vote in November.

pps: non-american myspacers: sorry. for everything. we are working on it.
mikehedge *RonPaul08*
Mike Hedge

 
yep. if you are registered democratic, please vote Obama. If you are registered Republican please look at this: http://knowbeforeyouvote.com/
 
Posted by mikehedge *RonPaul08* on Monday, February 04, 2008 - 6:22 PM
[Reply to this
(Smog)

 
Your apology at the bottom to non-Americans reminded me of a diatribe written by Chuck Klosterman (featured in his 4th book, entitled--bizarrely--"Chuck Klosterman IV") in which he argues that it's ridiculous for Americans to apologize for things like the election(s) of Bush. He's very convincing. You should read it. That is all.
 
Posted by (Smog) on Monday, February 04, 2008 - 6:26 PM
[Reply to this
Thee Milkshake

 
Ahh, once again Ms July you take an everyday experience and make it extraordinary! I am an English citizen living in LA, so I am unable to enjoy this upcoming experience with you. I am though looking forward to a better political climate in the very near future. Hopefully Obama will let us all have as many "I ate dinner" stickers as we could possibly want!

M+S=C
 
Posted by Thee Milkshake on Monday, February 04, 2008 - 6:59 PM
[Reply to this
Dr. Hart Ryan Noecker, Phd

 
Because Obama voted to ban landmines and Hillary voted to keep using land mines.
 
Posted by Dr. Hart Ryan Noecker, Phd on Monday, February 04, 2008 - 7:40 PM
[Reply to this
john

 
did not know this one.
hill is just so much more mature, isn't she?

bushclintonbushclinton- says it all.
 
Posted by john on Monday, February 04, 2008 - 8:43 PM
[Reply to this
Shannon
Shannon McCormick

 
All right!
 
Posted by Shannon on Monday, February 04, 2008 - 7:40 PM
[Reply to this
john

 
the hour is nigh, like, now.
 
Posted by john on Monday, February 04, 2008 - 8:36 PM
[Reply to this
Pamela

 
i would love a sticker that says "i read this".
 
Posted by Pamela on Monday, February 04, 2008 - 11:05 PM
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Walter Logeman

 
Miranda,

Beautifully put, but sad! Democrats, Republicans, black, female, whatever, they are staunch supporters of capitalism. Your spirit is just not a capitalist spirit... Now there must be a button that would catch all that. "I want to vote, but Miranda July is not standing!"
 
Posted by Walter Logeman on Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 12:08 AM
[Reply to this
Wednesday F Kennedy

 
oh darlings, I know you are!
and you are doing wonderfully...we're all cheering from the sidelines....or the colonies as the case may be.
You're right everyone should vote... because you're not just voting for America, you're voting for the world.
Life everywhere has been hell under Bush..I'm putting in my wish for Obama...i'm feeling rather anxious I've got to say....
 
Posted by Wednesday F Kennedy on Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 1:33 AM
[Reply to this
Martin

 
I was an Edwards man before he went out, I felt he was clearly the one candidate I can relate to being a Labour Party supporter in my country the United Kingdom. For me there isn't much in it between Clinton and Obama. Both seem to favour catch phrases over policies, and I think Obama might just be the bigger culprit. The important point is I think both will just about beat Mccain. But I was deeply disappointed that Edwards was ignored by the American left.
 
Posted by Martin on Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 3:48 AM
[Reply to this
Hilary Flamingo
Hilary Flamingo

 
I'm non-American, but I really enjoyed reading it (rather inspiring) and giggled at your last line!
Here in the UK we're really talking about the US election alot - on the tv, in the papers etc. as we realise how much of an effect on the whole world it might have and who our Prime Minister has to buddy up with now. Plus I flew to the US last year, so you people/president now have my fingerprints..... :)
 
Posted by Hilary Flamingo on Tuesday, February 05, 2008 - 2:09 PM
[Reply to this
jenne

 
ive got my porkpie hat on and its got a ribbon that says OBAMA-RAMA 2008!

and a button that says BARACK-A-PALOOZA 2008 on my coat.

and i wont shut up about it.

its a first.
 
Posted by jenne on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 5:50 AM
[Reply to this
ju
ju ju

 
i dont live inside usa.
i'm not even american... so, this should be a topic that i dont belong.

here in my country you HAVE to vote... its mandatory. otherwise you cant do wonderful things such as getting a passport or boring things like having a credit card. so, everyone votes, cause we all love to take passport pictures.

but sometimes i wish the entire planet could vote for the american presidents too, since america is a "we are everywhere" country. since im typing on a apple computer, and on my tv channel 56 i can hear Rachel and Ross, and theres a mc donalds on the corner of my place and my old car is a ford.
not only that(culture and products), you guys know, but my country's politics, economy... ECOLOGY... its all very tied up with usa...

anyway, i dont care if obama or clinton, i just wish and hope with all my faith a democrat wins this time,
cause im tired of my hate for Bush. i should not hate anyone. it feels so wrong!

x

ps: whats kudos...? im giving 2, just in case its a good thing.
 
Posted by ju on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 - 2:51 PM
[Reply to this
Tricia Warden
Tricia Warden

 
i didn't get a friggin sticker. i am pissed. plus i vote in a church and everyone looks at me like i just sacrificed a baby to a goat god.
 
Posted by Tricia Warden on Thursday, February 14, 2008 - 3:19 AM
[Reply to this
Bob

 
I voted at the caucus here in Seattle for Obama. I felt like I was I was in an episode of "Northern Exposure". Everyone had ruddy cheeks and fisherman's sweaters. It was very cool!
 
Posted by Bob on Thursday, February 14, 2008 - 8:47 AM
[Reply to this
Bob

 
an Obama-tine

http://barackobamaisyournewbicycle.com/
 
Posted by Bob on Thursday, February 14, 2008 - 10:02 PM
[Reply to this
gary

 
sigh why not ron paul miranda?
 
Posted by gary on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 - 3:47 PM
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meredith

 
Yes! (me too!)
 
Posted by meredith on Sunday, February 24, 2008 - 10:13 PM
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joey;
Joey G

 
screw the candidates,

you should run for president.
 
Posted by joey; on Thursday, March 20, 2008 - 6:12 PM
[Reply to this
Jessie,
Jessie moncrief

 
politics make me itch.
helter skelter. manson family unite.
im joking, half way. only half....
 
Posted by Jessie, on Friday, March 21, 2008 - 6:43 AM
[Reply to this
<*><*>

 
i don't get it. we have somewhat of a real chance at maybe, possibly, finally, having a woman president and every other woman i know is voting against her. what's that all about? don't you want to see what kind of universal order might be disrupted if a woman was given absolute power? or is that too scary for... well, everyone? obama seems to me like a cardboard pin-up, a handsome actor with nothing much to say. i want a woman president so bad it hurts! besides, i like hillary's mom hair.
 
Posted by <*><*> on Friday, March 21, 2008 - 7:11 AM
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Adam S. Leslie

 
I'd like to see a woman president too. Just not this one. Beware Hillary.
 
Posted by Adam S. Leslie on Saturday, May 03, 2008 - 1:41 AM
[Reply to this
Adam S. Leslie

 
That is to say, during the 1980s we had Thatcher AND The Queen, and it was still an unpleasant right-wing place to live. Not all women are good, especially not scary creepy ones.
 
Posted by Adam S. Leslie on Saturday, May 03, 2008 - 1:43 AM
[Reply to this
Pablo Sanchez

 
Its not a genre thing.. remember Thatcher and what she did in the UK during her "disruption of universal power"
 
Posted by Pablo Sanchez on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 - 12:05 PM
[Reply to this
<*><*>

 
ps: i too think you should run for president.
 
Posted by <*><*> on Friday, March 21, 2008 - 7:12 AM
[Reply to this