isn't there something kind of significant about the fact that an African-American won a presidential caucus last night? And while I still am yet to be entirely sold on Obama for various (or anyone else for that matter), I do think this is something to be celebrated, no?
Update: I really enjoyed this take on Obama. Perhaps Steven Teles hits the nail on the head as to why an Obama candidacy is needed right now; to hopefully move away from the bickering/intellectual superiority style of politics that is endemic within both parties. Interestingly, it seems that Huckabee is also trying to play the same card, as someone who can transcend party affiliation:
"I think it's probably the case that Obama is, in fact, the candidate that Republicans least want to run against. In fact, I think that it's actually the case that where Obama is concerned, conservatives lack much of the gut-level animus that drives them to really hate HRC, Kerry and Gore. All of these Dems represented what conservatives most hate about liberals--they all represent a liberal style (as apart from substance) that looks down on and dismisses conservatives.
Obama, by contrast, comes from a generation of folks who, while certainly not conservative, have actually engaged seriously with them. Obama taught at U. of Chicago law school, and so he knows that conservatives are driven by a respectable set of ideas. He disagrees with those ideas, but I sense that he knows at least some conservatives who he believes are respectable interlocutors. And I think conservatives know this."
04 January 2008
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I don't want to rain on the Obama parade but he represents a state that is directly adjacent to Iowa. So the people in Cedar Rapids or Iowa City or Des Moines are already familiar with him because the people that don't read the Cedar Rapids Gannett (or whatever the local paper is called) probably read the Tribune or Sun-Times. So my question is this. Midwesterners seem to detest HRC because of Bill, so when we move away from the Midwest and start getting into the Pacific liberals in Cali, Oregon and Washington, how will he hold up. But yes it is interesting I just don't know that I would say it is a water-shed event.
Oh I definitely agree, from a purely process-oriented standpoint I don't believe Iowa really means much for either side. If anything it will be interesting to see how each of these candidates now handle NOT playing the underdog role. More importantly though, from a historical standpoint, I can't help but be somewhat awed that a country that still had legalized racism 50 some odd years ago, now has a legitimate African-American presidential candidate. That is definitely something to be celebrated of its own merit.
Something else just occurred to me about getting too excited over Obama's victory. What if this is a Carrie sort of situation. Remember in Carrie when they voted her the Prom Queen and then they spilled all the blood on her, a reference to the first seen in the movie? What if that is happening now, except that Republicans are voting for Obama to put him into a position to win the Democratic ticket knowing that, and I am mortified that I am saying this, a black man has a harder time getting elected than white woman.
I know how idealism tends to jade things, but it is known that Republicans can and did vote for Obama in the Iowa Caucus and that in Massachusetts you can register to vote in the Democratic primary (and that I know people who are Republicans and intend to vote in the Democratic primary to get the candidate they want on the Presidential ballot because they think it will help the GOP).
My point is that all things being equal, if you want to get in the gym, fine go ahead. But I saw the movie. I am not getting into the gym. They pour the blood and then Carrie wigs out and kills everybody. I don't want to be there when Obama wigs out and kills everybody.
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