One step forward, but let’s not take two steps back
Posted November 5th, 2008 under I dont know anything about politics, I'm not wrong just because I'm not like you, life liberty and the pursuit of happiness, some of the best moments of my life, sometimes I rant to hear myself rantAs I told a friend earlier today, I don’t agree with Obama’s politics, but I am aware of and happy for the historic nature of his election. He’s also my president and I want him to be successful. His success comes, however, first at understanding that just under half of the nation did not support or believe in his politics and he needs to bridge that divide. That includes understanding by his supporters that this isn’t a referendum or mandate. This is a presidency over a fairly divided nation. Hate and ignorance comes in many forms. It’s more than racially or culturally motivated.
I’ve seen a good deal of name calling and statements like “taking back my country” and “finally proud of being an American, again”. I’ve read people I respect calling Joe “the plumber” a douche-bag because he voiced his (when asked by the media) about Obama on Israel. I’m ashamed of the hatred and class warfare. Try to remember the media machines and campaigns jumped on this guy. Obama came to his neighborhood. He didn’t go searching out Obama. Calling someone a “douche-bag” because he asked questions he felt were important to him of someone running to be HIS president… Oh, I guess if it’s meant humorously, it’s ok to attack someone.
But here’s the deal, Obama is questionable on his support of Israel. You need to apply the same “question our leader” tactics people applied to Bush on Obama on topics he has not clearly voiced his opinion. Calling someone a douche for doing that is “unAmerican”. That’s not only his right, but our job as citizens.
I mean, that’s the point of America… being able to freely question our leaders and government. That’s how we became America. We didn’t want to be ruled or taxed by a government which did not have our best interests at heart. We felt it was our right to be able to question our government and demand that they represent what we care about. And we didn’t start out caring about everyone. Poor, women and people of color were nothing more than property. People fought those ideas and changed them over long, hard years (and still continues).
Calling this guy names because you don’t agree with him is just wrong. Argue with him. Argue your point, but going after him personally is just sad.
People have said:
Calling somebody a douche is one of the most American things one can do.
It’s also especially American to have zero idea as to what you’re talking about and to insist that you’re right because “Jesus says so.” <name removed>’s a pretty shitty American in that regard.
I have no doubt about how “American” I feel my acquaintance is. He came to this nation, worked his ass off to receive his citizenship and is vocal about his beliefs. But, we should debate ideas and not attack people. It’s what we mostly criticize our politicians for doing and we should lead by example. Calling someone a douche isn’t American. It’s a waste of energy, weak and takes away from the disagreement of the ideas. It allows no progress to be made in proving a point, changing opinions or closing a divide.
Criticizing someone because of their faith, race or political party is pretty much of the same level and something Americans have lost their life to stop. And I’m not talking about Iraq. I’m talking about the Revolutionary War, Civil War, the Suffrage Movement and the Civil Rights movement. Attack, the idea, not the person. That’s how change happens. Haven’t you been listening for the last year?
November 6th, 2008 at 2:09 am
I echo the sentiments in your first paragraph. Obama won - we accept it and move on. I pray he is a great president and serves our country well. (I have argued Dems would not have given McCain the same deference, but that is a separate topic). Hopefully the divided-nation stuff is less so than its been the past 16 yrs. Though I would like to point out Obama had more people vote AGAINST him than any President in history! (by my count - i havent been able to verify that yet). So as much as he has a large win (high %, high EC), there are also A LOT of people that disagree with his politics. Lets not forget that point.
As someone who very much wanted McCain to win, and someone that abhors the politics of the Left, I would like to give Obama some credit… At this moment in time, America does need a leader with his leadership style, charisma, and personality (ignoring his flights of narcisism for a moment). I thoroughly disagree with his take on many issues, but in terms of his style - it echos what I myself strive to do. In addition, the fact that many in the country and the world ‘think’ he is so damn great… well, America could use that - an opportunity to be treated as if we are the good guy. That is an opening I feel we deserve. (yeah yeah, I think our enemies will try to drive a truck thru that opening, etc… but its an opportunity no other candidate would have given us).
Even in the US, with the way he built his support from the ground up; built a web-style following and has created a following that he can mobilize. That is again an “opportunity”. On something as simple as if he said, “hey America, we need to be wiser in our water usage. dont run your shower too long before getting in, and take shorter showers.”… his followers would listen. That is a POWERFUL OPPORTUNITY. He could squander it and use it the completely wrong way (for ex, “hey America, pay more taxes b/c its patriotic”), BUT as I mentioned, its an opportunity no other candidate could have created. I pray he uses it wisely.
These opportunities do not come along very often, and right now they come at a time when our country really needs them. Now it comes down to issues, and how he uses these opportunities. Will he do all-the-above energy policy, or will he try to bankrupt coal and prevent domestic drilling? Will he listen to great generals like Petreaus and leave when the job is done, or will he snuggle up with the Pelosi types and tuck tail and run from tough situations? Will he stand up to thugs like Ahmadenajad and Chavez or will he empower them and let them walk all over us? Will he create wealth or spread the wealth? I can only pray he governs from the middle, and to roughly quote another dem (keynote speaker turned senator Mark Warner), “take the best ideas, regardless of which party they come from”.
Sadly, his track record reflects mostly liberal positions on these things. But how I am comforting myself and being able to sleep is thinking the following. a.) he talked a good Centrist game, b.) his liberal track record is so shallow, perhaps its too small a sample to predict how he’ll govern, c.) he won with such a diverse coalition, and got a large EC win… hopefully that means he feels he needs to govern for all and won’t be beholden simply to a far left coalition, d.) on his radical associations, well, hopefully the following: d1.) heck, he gets lots of supporters. Hhe just happened to have radical friends near him but that doesnt mean he likes them any more than the other millions of people he’s connected with, d2.) he has shown he has no problem walking away from them (after 20 yrs with Rev Wright, he dropped him in a heartbeat when it became necessary), d3.) that he will be so focused on leaving his messiah legacy that he will want to win as many admirers as possible and hence not go radical.
That is a lot to hope for, to pray for… but I can at least comfort myself knowing we have a huge opportunity, and the possiblilty it will be used wisely (i’d say Conservatively, but wont press my luck
[side note: it SUCKS he has such a liberal, crazy-ass Dem majority in Congress. I think combining Obama with Conservative Congress might have been a healthy combo]
Lastly, on the historic moment thing. Througout the campaign I dismissed it because I think we should be colorblind enough that it doesnt matter. But its now hit me in ways I hadnt anticipated. And it makes me smile. I have seen African-American friends of mine today and they are so proud. They should be. Most of this country loves all of us and all our diversity. African-Americans now knows this. I could be wrong, but I just feel like we are all walking a little taller today, a little more proud of all of us. Will this remove a lot of the tension? Does this level the percieved indifferences and let us all now move forward feeling less bitter, less guilty, less whatever it was that made race an issue in the first place? Do groups like NAACP become any less necessary? Do we ALL feel like we equally share America? I know there is a long way to go in leveling the success rates in schooling, hiring, wages, etc… but again, this is an Opportunity to put so much of that in our past and move together as one nation.
Thanks for your blog post Andy. I hope its ok I gave such a long comment. I just felt a lot of this and wanted to share it with someone who may understand where I am coming from on a lot of it - not just pivot the discussion somewhere completely different.
I LOVE that we have these opportunities and I pray for our new President and all of America. And I pray we dont move too far left (ok, really that we move center and maybe a little to the Right…). God bless.
November 6th, 2008 at 2:48 am
Hi, Tom! Anyone and everyone is welcome to comment. As you know, I love frank discussions and am often the cause of them flowing well off course.
Like you, I very much ignored race when I looked at Obama. It was probably one of the attacks I took personally when people would call supporters of McCain as racist. I definitely wanted to acknowledge the feelings (pride, acceptance, I’m sure I can’t describe them properly) african-americans are feeling right now. This is a major milestone for them. It will someday be felt by women, asian-americans, native-americans, muslim-americans, hispanic-americans and any other minority or previously unrepresented group. I can separate that milestone and the feeling of pride in my country for having reached it and my concern over the candidate’s qualifications.
I long for the day when people do not feel that race, religion or sexual-orientation divide us and we can focus on other issues.
I believe strongly in this great country and hope that Obama brings unity and acknowledges all of the citizens he leads. At the same time, I’m concerned that there really is no need for bipartisan politics or legislation when one party controls all aspects. There is no checks-and-balances as defined. I’m concerned about people proclaiming their joy at finally winning their country back. They never lost their country. I haven’t lost my country today.
November 6th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
What you guys should be rightly proud of is the process. I was born in Pakistan where the politics of force and intimidation rules. If you do not agree with your opponent, you literally either have him killed or intimidated into submission by force. Just wanted to give you some prospective that while your candidate might not have won, you can take pride in the fact that the winner at the end of the day was the process of democracy.
Where else but America can a skinny black boy that grew up in Indonesia rise to become the leader of the free world? THAT is why I, growing up in Karachi, Pakistan, wanted to come to the US, go to college here and get a job and work my ass off to become a US citizen… THAT is the dream and the reason why Im so happy after Obama’s victory is that I feel that the dream is alive and well. it might not have died over the last 7 years after 9/11 but I for sure felt like it did. I know you will not agree with me on that last point but I certainly did feel it everytime I arrived back into the US and they would take me into a back room for “secondary questioning.” I felt like an outsider in the US and a threat… But now, I really feel that the America I looked up is still alive and well… !!! Both sides have a tiny minority that breeds hate but now Im hopeful. I guess I look at Obama from a global prospective…
I for one hope that Obama governs from the middle… I *really* hope he invites McCain to be a member of his cabinet or at least offers him something important. We need someone that brings everyone together. Obama is at his best when he’s challenged (first vs Hillary and then McCain). He’s incredibly intelligent, but he needs a balancing force. My biggest fear is that with the Dem majority in the senate, he might not live up to the potential or expectations. But I have every faith in him at this point.
OK - so my comment has no heads nor tail - but I just wanted to chime in here with random thoughts.
f.
November 7th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Random thoughts are probably all you will ever find here. I can empathize and understand your perspective without sharing it. The idealist in me is proud that we have finally elected an african american president, just as I will be proud after the other firsts that will come. I’m hopeful, but not optimistic that Obama will be the pragmatist we need. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Even now, reports are coming out of the MSM stating “we really don’t know much about this guy”. I’m happy we have a black president. I just wish he had been qualified.