2008-04-17
I just watched a highlights clip of last night's ABC debate between Barack & Hillary. What passes for debate, in this instance, is pretty sorry. I have been going on to my humans, (though not my blog) about why I likes me some Obama. I also admit that he is so pretty, that is probably helping him. Jon's cousin voted for W. because she thought he was handsome. So this in and of itself is no good reason. I have troubles with Hillary, mostly because she has a well-developed sense that she is deserving of the presidency to the extent that she can chat with diner waitresses in the midwest about how the economy sucks, and then fail to tip them. Or that she can arrive late at the Rolling Stones concert Bill's "Foundation" put together in NY, because of her mom, and then act as though it is the job of the Stones to wait for them because of course, they need to wait for the royal Clintons. Arg. So she is a lady, I'd like a lady president, I just wish she was a lady who seemed vaguely human.
Anyway, last night ABC had the evidently unbiased George Stephanopoulos (uh...wasn't he a senior political advisor & communications director for Bill Clinton? WTF?) and Charlie Gibson lobbing questions that did nothing to tell me more about these candidates. It was as though Charlie & George decided to take a trip down "bad mistakes you candidates have made" lane, re-living all the dumbness that the media has already played for us over & over again. Hillary is confused about the sniper fire. Barack likes a preacher who occassionally gets fired up. Whatevs. I can handle this. How about the issues? No, wait, we need to hear from a lady in Latrobe, PA about why Obama doesn't like to wear a flag pin like all the other firemen, police officers, and politicians. That Barack had to answer this bullshit question nauseates me. Wearing a flag pin the size of a dime on your lapel, which was likely not manufactured in Latrobe, PA, no, it was likely manufactured in China and then sold to those politicians, firemen, and police officers for a big markup, whilst ladies and gents in China enjoy the pleasures of industrial revolution...wearing a flag pin does not speak to your commitment to America. Just as post 9-11, displaying a flag spoke, for me at least, to a kind of silent acceptance of a confused public who seemed to suddenly think, "Well, damn, some bad guys bombed us! What are we gonna do about it? Should we try to address the issues that led to this attack? Nah. Let's support the invasion of a country that had nothing to do about it, and let's display the American Flag!" Now, I know this is an exaggeration, but I have never felt that, in recent times at least, the display of the flag speaks to some great commitment to the principles of democracy. I sort of feel it has been co-opted by the right as a weird symbol of submission. That Obama even answered the question was more than I could have done in the situation. (This is why I will never run for elected office).
The kicker, the reason I think I will be voting for Obama, if, god willing, he wins the nomination, is that last detail the Stephanopoulos mentioned, that Obama had once attended a fundraiser at William Ayers' house (who was part of the weather underground). The connection itself is tenuous, but I enjoyed that Stephanopoulos spoke of Ayers' unwillingness to admit that the work of the underground was bad news. The only way to achieve true revolution, he thought, was serious action. And though I think Obama has shifted center in his time in office, and I've no doubt that Clinton & Obama, who both made millions last year, probably know very little about the lives of ordinary Americans at this point, I still prefer the black man. Even if he sucks at bowling.