Peering at hope
As readers of my blog know, I'm about as emotionally invested in the prospect of a Barack Obama presidency as anyone in this community. I've contributed more money to his campaign than to any other campaign in my lifetime. I've knocked on doors on his behalf. I've defended him on this blog. I've talked about his vision for the country with complete strangers. And, as we near the firewall states of Ohio and Texas for Hillary Clinton, with the nomination in sight, I'm as optimistic about the state of our discourse as I've been in quite a while.
And it's not just because Obama, like me, sheds ideology in lieu of pragmatic solutions to our challenges, but that we've also been given a Republican opponent in John McCain who I disagree with, but respect because he, too, sometimes says that the way campaigns have been waged in the past are wrong.
Not only do they represent completely different worldviews that deserve to be debated and discussed on the national level, but they also are two honest individuals who were our best chances in this election to hold such a debate.
This campaign will get ugly. If the nominee, Obama's going to be attacked for all sorts of foolish things, and McCain will face off-base scrutiny as well. They are, however, the only two candidates who can help raise the level of conversation in this country.
And that's a good thing.
And it's not just because Obama, like me, sheds ideology in lieu of pragmatic solutions to our challenges, but that we've also been given a Republican opponent in John McCain who I disagree with, but respect because he, too, sometimes says that the way campaigns have been waged in the past are wrong.
Not only do they represent completely different worldviews that deserve to be debated and discussed on the national level, but they also are two honest individuals who were our best chances in this election to hold such a debate.
This campaign will get ugly. If the nominee, Obama's going to be attacked for all sorts of foolish things, and McCain will face off-base scrutiny as well. They are, however, the only two candidates who can help raise the level of conversation in this country.
And that's a good thing.
posted by Jmac at 6:42 PM
3 Comments:
I just ordered 25 more Obama bumper stickers from his HQ if you or anyone you know wants one locally, I could drop a few off on your front porch. I think I spent less than $25 for the whole bunch with postage included
A desire to see political discourse done differently than it has been in the past does not equate to having a different political worldview, though. What on earth is 'different' about McCain? (I'll grant you Obama is somehow different out of deference to your graciousness as a host.)
What perspective does McCain represent that is 'different'? Sometimes "difference" and "change" or just buzzwords for the next guy who wants power so he can do all the same things the other people with power have done. Everybody's got an angle.
Plus, honestly, what is so 'different' about the political discourse these guys propose anyway? McCain said patently ludicrous things in debates directed at other candidates personally in order to score cheap and easy points. Same old, same old.
Obama is not exactly staying above the fray with Clinton. They are being fairly nasty to each other. But I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. Whatchyagunado? I just tire of all these calls for 'bipartisanship' when everyone knows that whatever Democrat wins is going to smell blood in the water. Is Obama going to ask for conservative/libertarian 'input' on his health care plan, or is he just going to forge ahead with his own ingenius solution and call on his opponents to agree with him? "Unity" can mean two very different things. Usually it means what the Catholic Church means when it uses the term: "Oh let us all become united in agreeing with the truths that I already espouse."
Sorry to be so grizzled. I'm turning 30 soon, too.
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