Political Hope

[rowyn]

So I read this speech a few days ago, after prester_scott linked to it.

It's a beautiful speech; I thought it said a lot of things about racism in America that needed to be said.

I was talking to takhleet on the phone Tuesday night, and I told her, "I hope Senator Obama wins the Democratic nomination. Because then maybe -- just maybe -- it means that our next president, whether it's McCain or Obama, will be someone most people will respect. Not agree with, or believe is right. But someone that people will think is ethical, honest, sincere, intelligent, and trying to do his best. And I'm not saying we haven't had someone who is that way for the last sixteen years or more -- but most people haven't believed it."

There is something poisonous about the belief that everyone on the other side of the political aisle is malign or stupid or ignorant. That they couldn't possibly believe what they do as an honest, informed opinion based on their best judgement of the facts available to them.

What's even worse is the belief that all politicians are this way.

Because that's a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we say, "Holding political office is something only greedy, manipulative, self-serving egotists would do: no intelligent, honest person could do it" then we create a job that no honest, intelligent person will pursue. Why should he? We just told him he can't succeed.

There is a call in Senator Obama's speech to talk about substance and not spectacle. To make the election discussion one about how we are going to address the problems of education, healthcare, unemployment, and the war in Iraq. I admit now that I doubt I'll agree with any of his solutions to those problems. But I'd still rather talk about what will solve them than whose fault it is that we have problems in the first place.

Or about how bad our politicians are.

You get the government you deserve.

Comments

[shockwave77598.livejournal.com]

No, I don't get the govt. I deserve. I get the govt. that the political parties decide they want to implement, and those are beholden to the special interests which hold their pursestrings. Until you make it so that no special interest group may spend more than 1000$ on any political action on behalf of any candidate per calendar year, you'll always be outbid by them in the great Ebay of politics. Leveling the playing field so that most of the money for campaigns come from citizens again is the only way you'll restore faith in of the people, by the people, and for the people.

When that happens, let me know because I'll be able to sell my snowshovels in Hell.

[rowyn]

Special interest groups are made up of people, too. Like corporations and PACs and governments and soylent green, they're all made of people.

Campaign contributions are donations to help a candidate get elected by promoting his cause. They're not (in theory) bribes that the candidate can use to furnish his private yacht.

As such, restrictions on campaign donations lead to really weird distortions, like election laws that make it theoretically illegal to blog about your candidate withing 30 days of the election. Because that's advertising, you know. You're donating it. Not everyone has a blog, or an audience. It's unfair for you to use that advantage. Isn't it?

I don't know what the solution to the perceived influence of money on elections, but I'm pretty sure it's not donation caps.

Then again, a huge part of why I don't agree with Obama's solutions is that he wants to solve a lot of problems with government intervention that I don't think any kind of government intervention can actually solve.

[detroitfather.livejournal.com]

I agree with you.

It hit me recently, when President Bush was not willing to say the "R" word ... Recession.

I respect people who tell the truth, even when it is not pretty. For too long, it has been: Well, he's a liar, but he is our liar.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Well, it's a good speech.

But a greedy, self-serving person won't do anything that will destroy the country, since that would destroy his own fortunes too.

A manipulate egotist isn't likely to do anything that I really, really hate, because they don't want to be really really hated.

An idealist, on the other hand...

[wildcard-47.livejournal.com]

I'm actually going to read Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope"; a friend of mine recommended it for many of the same reasons that you mentioned -- if nothing else, we can respect him for being of good character, and for at least attempting to talk about the issues and be honest with the public.

Even though he might be too much of an idealist, I honestly think we need that kind of hope in politics again.

[wingywoof.livejournal.com]

My dad gave up on politics after Nixon won re-election. Now he complains about taxes and the state of the country and thinks that all politicians are greedy, unethical bastards. I can only shake my head at him. I fear you have described him very well.

[sebkha.livejournal.com]

I don't know where people get the idea that they deserve good governments. Given how little deep thought most of us put into voting or political activity, I thinks we have governments far better than we deserve.