Something reasonably funny happened to me today on my way home from class. In fact, I hadn’t even managed to get much farther than the Corbett Center (which is only some 1,000 feet tops from the Business Complex) before I ran into a lovely poll being conducted by a handful of students. I have absolutely no idea what their intentions were, what they were polling, or even whether they were political science graduate students. Perhaps it was even a semester project for some class–who knows?

But, the look on the young woman’s face when I offered my reply to her question “Excuse me, sir, are you an Obama supporter?” was absolutely priceless.

I sternly stated “No, I’m not” and walked off.

Perhaps my statement was a little too strong, but I thought for a moment that I must have called her mother ugly names. I was so surprised by her response that I even had to think back to what I said! Has it come down, at this point of the game, whereby indicating you don’t support a candidate makes you something–or someone–less worthy of respect? Is it possible that these students automatically assume that everyone on campus supports a left-wing candidate just because they’re there? I certainly hate to be the one to break the news to these poor students, but Republicans do attend university for many of the same reasons they do.

The other thought that hit me shortly after I had disappeared from within earshot of these students was what–rather, who–they were polling. I glanced back briefly and took note of the gentleman who was following me. He had mentioned he, just as I stated, was no supporter of the Democrat’s demigod, and continued about his merry way–just as I was. Were these pollsters polling support for Obama or were they polling exclusively Obama supporters?

Those questions may never be answered, but strictly from my own observations, I’d be inclined to believe they were only interviewing Obama supporters. Perhaps they were conducting a study to determine why someone supports Obama, but I find it a bit unusual that they didn’t waste anymore breath than necessary on someone who professed his opposition to the candidate. Wouldn’t it be a better course of action to more fully understand the political issues at large by asking both those who support and oppose a particular candidate?

I’m sure to be reading into this issue more than I should. It just struck me as rather odd that these students would be wasting their time talking with people who support Obama. I doubt they’d receive anything particularly insightful beyond the candidate’s own tired mantra of “Change!” save for the minor difference that it would have been repeated by someone who mindlessly parrots a single buzzword without any inclination or understanding of the implications of “Change.”

In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t said what I said. I wish now I had replied to the woman with “No, I don’t support communists.” The deer-in-headlights-look would have been so much more worthwhile to me instead of a few blinks of disbelief before she continued with her previous duties of opinion filtration.