It's all around you, like smog. This train isn't bound for glory.
Background by Deak Ferrand, who pwnz.
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I am forced to concede that my last post was, as the French would say, retarded. (Actually, when a suitable occasion arises, they probably just use the term "Americain".) I suppose that I had wanted this so badly that I had to protect myself from disappointment with that reliable balm, cynicism.
Yes, it is true that President Barack Obama has not explicitly taken every position that I wish that he would - especially on civil liberties - but the enormity of this moment has hit me like a case of anthrax; like others tonight, I must concede to him. Our president - and I can use the word "our" with a clean conscience because I did, in fact, vote for him - is, without a doubt, possessed of greatness, and deserving of the position at which he has arrived. President Obama ran a clean campaign, focussed on issues, and, moreover, on principles. He and Biden advocated openly for withdrawl from Iraq, abortion rights, and equal treatment of homosexuals. They spoke of the leaders of hostile nations such as Iran as persons to be taken seriously, and engaged with diplomatically. That is to say, they risked openly admitting to opinions that could - and did - alienate many. This is rather consistent with the possibility that President Obama may, hypothetically, be sincere - a hypothesis one can hardly make with a straight face about more than a scant fraction of the political leadership of any country - much less this one.
Consider the weight of these facts: President Obama (and yes, I am revelling in being able to type those words, finally) actually specifically included gay Americans in his acceptance speech; he failed utterly to descend to negativity in his campaign; he made no political use of the failed assassination plot against him; he opposed entry into Iraq; he has specifically addressed the environment and poverty throughout his campaign, and as recently as tonight. He was revealed to have associations with more radically-minded persons like Reverend Wright and Bill Ayers, was educated in part in a madrasah, admits to having got high in the past, grew up, in part, in Indonesia, and, ferfuckssake, has "Hussein" as a middle name. Oh yes, and, lest we forget, he is a black dude. According to every available scrap of conventional wisdom, he was more likely to end up in Guantanamo Bay than the White House.
And yet, somehow, he was elected. This collective act of discernment has actually accomplished another feat long considered impossible - I believe that I may actually be proud to be an American at this moment. That's right - me. (Granted, I still don't like my country very much.) For his next trick, I suppose President Obama will freeze Hell over and grant the San Diego Padres a World Series victory. And (though I liked Kerry pretty well) I have never enjoyed casting a vote so much as I did this one.
I honestly feel like I have lived through the equivalent of the first footfall on the Moon. The difference between this and any other election I have experienced goes much deeper than race or party - it is almost as if not everything has to be terrible - which, I suppose, is the audacity of hope.
acturi November 7, 2008 07:54 PM PST I hope Obama's really this idealistic. I hope he's this honest. I even think he probably is.
But even if he's not, I figured this: I'd rather vote for a guy who promises not to be the same kind of dick as Bush than one who promises, beyond a doubt, to be precisely the same kind. Because if McCain had won and acted like a dick, he could have said "Hey! This is just what you voted me in to do!"
At least with Obama, we can be justifiably pissed off if he turned out to be an asshat. We didn't hire him for that.
Cain November 7, 2008 06:51 AM PST I dunno....I found myself more agreeing with the last post. No doubt, Obama will be miles better than Bush et al. But his history suggests he will be more like Clinton than, say, FDR (three guesses as to which one I prefer, as a President. Quite ironic too, since the Neocons tend to idolize Churchill).
But yes. While Obama is indeed a good thing for the USA, not least in repairing a damaged international image and having some ideas on economics beyond looting the Treasury for all his pals, there are still elements of his policies and his connections that worry me (I am, of course, not referring to the Ayers/Wright/Rezko lunacy, and more his corporate funders and backers). It could be that he is triangulating aginst such backers and is in touch with his more progressive roots, as would befit someone that the Kossacks and Netroots crowd picked out as a possible Presidential contender back in 2004. But equally, his triangulation could end up in a huge loss of influence by the progressive crowd over his policy - and the sort of power that a President attracts tends to only support reforms to the degree that they stave off social disruption and not an inch further.
Furthermore, I suspect pleas for national unity will result in the legitimization of Bush's excesses, simply by virtue of refusing to go after the previous administration as far as possible. Not to say that he will use such powers, only that powers, once accrued by government, only seem to be removed by a lot of hardwork and pressure and this does not, right now, seem to be evident.
And I think anyone who has read my blog knows my objections re: Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Like I say, I think Obama will be like Clinton, maybe slightly more to the left early on. And that's not entirely a bad thing. I think it was Neal Stephenson who said that while 90s culture was largely insipid and annoying, its saving grace was that, on the whole it did not do a great deal of harm, when compared to other fashionable ideologies of the time. The same could be said of an Obama administration. People are probably still going to suffer from things such as "free" trade agreements undertaken by the new administration, protection of copyright, throwing deregulation favours to the banking system etc etc
But the other guys would have done that and a whole lot worse. When your choices are somewhat shitty and entirely shitty, I would tend to go for somewhat shitty all the time. Besides, I might be wrong, and I prefer to gamble on an uncertain and potentially shitty/mixed future to a certain but absolutely shitty one.
There is also the fact, as you say, that Obama's background makes his election all the more impressive. I believe his organizational model and ability for oratory, as well as ability to mobilize a younger demographic, may act as a check on him should he turn shitty. After all, there is a brilliant political machine in place there, and someone will use it, perhaps even someone pretty good as a politican, one day.
It also suggests the American public is not so cowed by arguments about terrorism, fear and security as previously thought. It may be that such Rovian tactics have reached saturation point, and thus the population will not be so easily swayed by such arguments (at least, until the next 'threat' emerges). That also cannot be a bad thing.
So yeah. Sleep-deprived musings from me, on the election.
J f Z November 4, 2008 11:47 PM PST " ... a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory."
I can only hope that a constitutional scholar can bring back some of our civil liberties, despite some in the leadership in Congress.
I spoke with several longtime republicans who voted for Obama today. They know Bush had ruined their party and McCain would be no change when clearly change from the last eight years is not only desired but necessary.
I'm happy today. I know it won't last very long, but I'm just going to enjoy it for a while.
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