blog
Some thoughts about 2008
I'm a democrat. I believe that the market is not the answer to society's ills- it doesn't have a conscience. I believe that government should be a place where individuals can come together and craft intelligent policy. I believe in choice. I believe moral questions are best left for people to solve and not politicians in washington. I believe in active engagement internationally. So now I need to choose a candidate...
Barack Obama. He's smart, media savvy, and folksy. He talks about things like "hope" and "faith in government," I like that. I've read his book and I find it pretty convincing. But I am not sure how this junior senator from illinois is going to get it all done. He's been criticized by the pundits for lacking substance, he's responded that he doesn't want the campaign to lose sight of the big picture. All this talk of hope is exciting. For a bunch of us in our 20s we see the guy as the new messiah. He's out there talking about the big issues-energy policy, health care, race, and the war. He even talks about religion! Amazing! I want to believe the guy. I wonder if this is how our parents felt when the likes of JFK and RFK were running for office. His campaign strategy is brilliant-focused at the grass roots. His office is planning a "Walk For Change" event nationwide, where they'll send you a bunch of fliers to pass out to your friends in your neighborhood. Awesome. really.
But as much as I like the guy, he still makes me nervous. During the debate he talked about issues on which dems and republicans could come together..and while the details elude me now (bc i think there weren't any)..it all seemed so easy. All is well in washington...just change things up...focus on what we agree and we can get things done. I study politics and I intend to make a career out of it and in all the articles, papers, and books I've read...none suggest that policy making is easy. There are "talks about talks" even when people do agree on things. We all agree that no child should be left behind...the key is...who's job is it ? the government? local school boards? the state? teacher's unions? Vested interests threaten at every turn. Hilary Clinton...Billary...to be more exact seems to be the safer bet. She's equally brilliant. She's had her hand in health policy, failed miserably, and seems determined to try again. Her "lefty" lightning rod persona has been tempered by her time in the Senate. She knows the washington establishment and understands its keystone. She certainly does not inspire, but she's competent...very competent. Every day she sounds more and more "presidential" (whatever the hell that means).
Barack inspires. I buy into the audacity of hope. I think he could represent the beginning of a new washington revolution. But he could fail miserably. It could turn out to be all hype. We'd be left with a newb president running a tough war in iraq and huge huge problems domestically to solve.
But "Hope" changes people. A famous christian apologist once wrote that, "he who has the why, need not bother with the how." But she was speaking about faith...this is politics... In the political world, hope without substance is simply folly. I'd love to chat. I'll be watching the candidates very closely in the weeks to come. I am waiting for Barack to convince me he is the candidate to vote for. At least, I hope he will.
Barack Obama. He's smart, media savvy, and folksy. He talks about things like "hope" and "faith in government," I like that. I've read his book and I find it pretty convincing. But I am not sure how this junior senator from illinois is going to get it all done. He's been criticized by the pundits for lacking substance, he's responded that he doesn't want the campaign to lose sight of the big picture. All this talk of hope is exciting. For a bunch of us in our 20s we see the guy as the new messiah. He's out there talking about the big issues-energy policy, health care, race, and the war. He even talks about religion! Amazing! I want to believe the guy. I wonder if this is how our parents felt when the likes of JFK and RFK were running for office. His campaign strategy is brilliant-focused at the grass roots. His office is planning a "Walk For Change" event nationwide, where they'll send you a bunch of fliers to pass out to your friends in your neighborhood. Awesome. really.
But as much as I like the guy, he still makes me nervous. During the debate he talked about issues on which dems and republicans could come together..and while the details elude me now (bc i think there weren't any)..it all seemed so easy. All is well in washington...just change things up...focus on what we agree and we can get things done. I study politics and I intend to make a career out of it and in all the articles, papers, and books I've read...none suggest that policy making is easy. There are "talks about talks" even when people do agree on things. We all agree that no child should be left behind...the key is...who's job is it ? the government? local school boards? the state? teacher's unions? Vested interests threaten at every turn. Hilary Clinton...Billary...to be more exact seems to be the safer bet. She's equally brilliant. She's had her hand in health policy, failed miserably, and seems determined to try again. Her "lefty" lightning rod persona has been tempered by her time in the Senate. She knows the washington establishment and understands its keystone. She certainly does not inspire, but she's competent...very competent. Every day she sounds more and more "presidential" (whatever the hell that means).
Barack inspires. I buy into the audacity of hope. I think he could represent the beginning of a new washington revolution. But he could fail miserably. It could turn out to be all hype. We'd be left with a newb president running a tough war in iraq and huge huge problems domestically to solve.
But "Hope" changes people. A famous christian apologist once wrote that, "he who has the why, need not bother with the how." But she was speaking about faith...this is politics... In the political world, hope without substance is simply folly. I'd love to chat. I'll be watching the candidates very closely in the weeks to come. I am waiting for Barack to convince me he is the candidate to vote for. At least, I hope he will.
Comments
P.S. you'll probably get two emails about this comment... I re-posted due to some embarrassing typos.
Also, find out what Barack and Hilary's tastes are in music [we know all about Bill's]. THAT may make all the difference.
It's instructive to note the similarity in background between Barack and the Nightwatchman, a recently featured Fuzz artist. Maybe the passion and core sentiment for change reflected in the "One Man Revolution" can take hold in Washington as well as at the grassroot level where everything truly matters - as Morello points out in his recent solo work. We shall see.
In the meantime, I worry about the ongoing "Social Decay" which is described in Campbell Natele's recent work uploaded at Fuzz and fear that the politicians, even if they have the courage [yet to be determined] may not have the capability to do anything about it.