They Had a Dream
This year’s drawn-out primary season has been nothing short of compelling, even for non-political buffs. For the first time in years, people seem truly engaged in the process, which is why it’s no surprise that the Presidential candidates have made their way into the collective unconscious, popping up in people’s dreams like the political answer to Freddy Krueger (except instead of killing people, they inspire!) Sensing a trend, one website, The Metaphysical Poll, has invited readers to share their dreams of Barack, Hillary, and John (not to mention their spouses). The absurd results are nothing short of hilarious. When the laughter dies down, though, we’re left with a fascinating puzzle. Just what do all these dreams mean? And what, if anything, do they tell us about the political process?
To start, here’s an entry from A Librarian At A Public School In New York City:
I dreamed I met Barack in the West Village while he was campaigning. We made out all over the city and he was a very good kisser. His campaign staff, who were totally unphased by this, prevented Michelle and the media from finding out. Turns out that Obama was quite the ladies’ man. Everywhere we went, women flirted with him openly and thanked him for past good times. I was so thrilled to be with him, I didn’t even feel jealous, just lucky to have had him for a day and possibly as president in the near future.
At first, one might think this lustful Dewey Decimal enthusiast is accusing Obama of being an unfaithful playboy out for some tail (watch out, Pelosi), but a closer inspection of the dream reveals that Obama’s nothing short of the mythic dreamboat, at least to this poor woman who probably is crazy, crazy bored at the library. I mean, she’s so desperate for some lovin’ that she doesn’t even mind that the man of her dreams (literally) will only spend one meager day with her. So what does this say about the presidential campaign? For starters, Barack’s got the horny librarian vote in his pocket. More importantly, though, this ladies-man version of Barack is oddly similar to the predominant image of Bill Clinton during his heyday. Back in 1992, Clinton was the beacon for change. Now, it’s Obama who’s carrying the torch. In a way, it’s as if this librarian’s brain is telling her that Barack is the new Bill. So what does that make Hillary? Well, let’s take a look at another dream.
This one comes from a 37-Year-Old Mom Who Works In Marketing:
Hillary and I were together in a house. She said, Go and get Bill. He’s in the shower. I went to go and get him. The bathroom looked like ours at home. I knocked softly on the door and said, Bill? When he didn’t answer, I pushed open the door and stepped inside the bathroom. I pulled back the shower curtain just a little. I saw Bill’s back — white with freckles.
He turned his head to me and said, Hey! — not in a Hey, get out of here! way, but in a Hey, how ya doing? kind of way. I told him that Hillary wanted him, and I left the bathroom.
Two things are important to note about this dream. First, it’s kind of gross. I don’t think anyone needs to see Bill Clinton’s backside, even in a dream. Second, Hillary is like an afterthought. It’s all about Bill and at the end of the day, when this mom tells her buddies in the marketing department about her strange dream, the only thing that will resonate about it will be the shudder-worthy notion of Bill Clinton lathering up (and not minding the audience, either). So what does it mean? I wouldn’t go so far to say that Hillary is an afterthought because obviously she’s a very smart and capable woman, but how much of her appeal comes from her husband? And furthermore, why didn’t she get Bill out of the shower herself? LAZY.
But let’s not forget John McCain. He’s running for office, too, and yes, people do dream about him. Take, for instance, this intriguing entry from a High School Boy Who Has Never Been To Montana:
I was on a plane going to some small town in Montana. John McCain was on the flight, and when we were about to land, he remembered that he needed to go to Washington D.C. He told the pilot, and, even though all the other passengers protested, the pilot flew to D.C., dropped McCain off, and then flew the rest of us back to Montana.
Well, that’s just uncalled for. You’d think the Senator would have the decency to respect the other passengers, but obviously not. What does it mean in dream-talk? Hmmm… Well, I guess the plane is America, and Montana is the future, and D.C. is the political quagmire we’ve been living in. So… yup, that seems about right.
