[politics] The guy you’d rather have a beer with
I was thinking on my walk this morning. Dangerous, that. About President-Elect Obama, and what he represents to me. A lot of things I’ve talked about before here, and many others have touched on as well. Hope, change, trust. A belief that the government can be good again, and govern with the interests of the American people and the world at heart, instead of cynical power-mongering and ideological blindness. I may be wrong, dead wrong, and if I am, I’ll fight this administration just as I’ve fought the last, but right now I feel pretty good.
One thing I never did understand about Bush the Younger was the “guy you’d want to have a beer with” meme. That was a big one in the 2000 election, and got some play in 2004. I was living in Texas when he became governor there, and there was nothing about the man I found likable. Incuriosity, petulance and smug entitlement are qualities I associate with University of Texas frat boys, and I never wanted to have a beer with them. Why would I want to have a beer with a candidate who radiates those same characteristics as if they were virtues? Besides, I don’t like beer.
Barack Obama is the first presidential candidate I would actually want to sit down with over dinner and shoot the shit. Even candidates I’ve supported in the past didn’t resonate with me personally the way Obama has. Neither Hillary Clinton nor John Edwards raised any sympatico in me during this election cycle. But Obama? Different. I’m not sure why, and I’m pretty sure it doesn’t matter in the larger scheme of things, but if he’s ever in Portland with an hour to kill, I’d be happy to buy him a basket of Cajunized tater tots and talk about life. I’ve never before been moved to say that about a political leader.
But I’m having limeade, not beer.
Tags: Personal, Politics
Posted: 6:48 am Fri November 07 2008 | Comments(5) |
[politics] One more brief outburst
slithytove talks about how his guy lost. An intelligent, melancholy reflection, wherein he speaks of the dangers complete Democratic control. In his comments section, I said the following, which I think bears repeating:
Without a supermajority in the Senate, the Democrats are not in complete control of the legislative branch. And I seriously doubt you’ll see Reid and Pelosi using the kind of tactics the Permanent Majority employed against the minority — they certainly haven’t the last two years.
Centrists and progressives are far more inclusive than conservatives, pretty much by definition. Which is my way of saying that a Democratic-dominated government is much friendlier to conservatives than a Republican-dominated government is to liberal-progressives. The political history of this country since at least 1968 would seem to bear me out on that.
Tags: Politics
Posted: 7:21 am Wed November 05 2008 | Comments(1) |
[politics] The day after yesterday
Last night I watched the returns with karindira and some of her friends and family. Even going into the evening, I didn’t trust in the outcome. I agree with statements that the election was Obama’s to lose, but there were so many ways to lose it. The Bradley effect is very real, voting manipulation (per Ohio 2004 and Florida 2000) is very real, GOP voter suppression efforts have been quite effective historically (though apparently not this time), anything like a close vote would have gone to an even more conservative than 2000 Supreme Court, Bush v. Gore style; plus, as always, the marrow-deep ability of Democrats to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory as they have time and again
Obama pulled it off. A black man won, in places like Virginia and Florida. He won big, much bigger than Bush’s “mandate” re-election of 2004. He won big enough to trump cynical legal strategies and smokescreen rhetoric about voter registration fraud. And he did it not by being black, or being clever, or being meaner, or being anything but an excellent candidate. The best candidate won.
And his acceptance speech, afterward. I’ll give big props to McCain for his concession prior to Obama coming out. It’s the first time in years I’ve seen McCain be neither smug nor angry, and he genuinely seemed to accept Obama’s victory in a gracious and patriotic manner. (Something which had quite frankly worried me a lot.) He lofted the rhetorical ball for Obama to spike it over the net with an acceptance speech which will quite likely become the defining political moment of this decade.
What does an Obama presidency mean? Hell if I know. And frankly, I don’t care so much right now. For the first time in years, America voted for hope instead of fear, for an outward face instead of a turning in, for change instead of stasis, for anticipation instead of nostalgia, for acceptance instead of rejection, for openness instead of resentment, for engagement instead of isolation.
We voted, and we voted big, for the future, instead of another encystment in the bitterness of past wars and spent ideologies.
I don’t know what Obama’s presidency means, but for the first time in my life, I trust a president.
Plus, a few bonus links in this vein:
Truman Defeats Dewey — Scrivener’s Error on the election, with a take I agree with.
Reality Check — Scalzi on the election. Better put than I would have.
What’s with all the ideology? — Freakonomics responds to an Australian reader’s question about American political extremism.
Diagnosing Sarah Palin — One last shot at a seriously unlamented political figure. Though I’m fairly certain she’ll be back in a big way. (Nicked from a locked post on my flist.)
Tags: Links, Politics
Posted: 6:47 am Wed November 05 2008 | Comments(0) |
[politics] McCain’s concession
Much like Al Gore in 2000, the best speech McCain gave in his campaign was his concession.
At the end, he finally showed some class. He might have had a chance if he’d tried that earlier.
Tags: Politics
Posted: 9:28 pm Tue November 04 2008 | Comments(3) |
[politics] MSNBC just called it for Obama
Wow.
Our long national nightmare is over.
Tags: Politics
Posted: 9:01 pm Tue November 04 2008 | Comments(3) |
[politics] The United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion
As the Government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the law, religion or tranquility of Musselmen
— Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary
A treaty written by the Founders in the time of the Founders. Not that this will affect Dominionist fantasies at all, but it’s definitely worth noting. (Thanks to AH.)
Tags: politicis, Religion
Posted: 7:28 pm Tue November 04 2008 | Comments(1) |
[politics] Vote
If you’re a US citizen (and for you smart asses, haven’t already voted), go do it now.
Whether you did it today or early, leave a comment here about why you voted. I’m curious what my non-American readers think, too. Not snark or argument — I happily host plenty of that on this blog as it is, and may moderate accordingly on this thread — just your own thoughts on voting.
Tags: Politics
Posted: 6:47 am Tue November 04 2008 | Comments(5) |
[politics] Scared of the next presidency
From this poll analysis by CBS:
A majority of McCain voters - 56 percent - are “scared” of the prospect of an Obama presidency, while 45 percent of Obama voters are scared of a McCain presidency.
Let’s consider this. Evidence for an Obama presidency being scary? Lies and innuendo by the McCain campaign and their surrogates concerning the legitimacy of Obama’s citizenship, the African and Islamic associations of his unusual name, his childhood growing up overseas, the possibility of him being a crypto-Muslim (and simultaneously a disciple of Christian preacher Jeremiah Wright) or a terrorist or a socialist, that he might raise taxes (a so-called tax increase which would lower taxes for 95% of Americans) and their whisper-meme of “do you really know him”? That One being a man whose entire adult life is in the public record, an extensive legislative history which is decidedly centrist, and whose childhood is perfectly well documented. (As opposed to, say, a certain other candidate who spent five and half years out of the public view, subject to potentially endless psychological reprogramming.)
Evidence for a McCain presidency being scary? His 95% voting record in support of the Bush administration’s disastrously unpopular and failed policies, his stated support for a century of endless war in Iraq, his health plan which would put many people (including me personally) permanently outside the healthcare umbrella, his widely demonstrated nonexistent grasp of the economy, the leadership and insightful thinking displayed in his choice of Palin as a running mate, etc., etc., etc. ad nauseam.
So one group of voters is afraid of Obama for reasons of directly counterfactual rumor spread by McCain and his people, the other group is afraid of McCain for reasons of flatly factual statements and actions by McCain himself. Yet these are presented as balanced positions. That’s false equivalency in a nutshell, courtesy of Your Liberal Media and the right wing echo chamber.
Tags: Politics
Posted: 6:53 pm Mon November 03 2008 | Comments(4) |
[politics] Vote
Vote. Whatever you believe, whoever you believe in, if you’re an American citizen, go vote tomorrow.
Tags: Politics
Posted: 11:23 am Mon November 03 2008 | Comments(0) |
[writing] Tourbillon progris riport, day 45
Today’s wordage: 3,600
Today’s writing time: 2 hours
Total wordage: 175,000
Total writing time: 97 hours, 30 minutes
WIP: Read the rest of this entry »
Tags: Books, Tourbillion, wip, Writing
Posted: 6:22 pm Tue October 28 2008 | Comments(0) |
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