I've been trying to come up with something positive if Obama were to get into the White House. So far, the only thing I can come up with is that if we've elected a black guy (ok, he's only half, but still) as president, then we should be ready ahead of the 25 year schedule set out by our genius Supreme Court to toss out affirmative action.
Or, if you believe Gerard Ferraro, maybe that's why he got the job in the first place.
10 comments:
Matt -- I don't believe that a person as smart as you are could write that post and actually mean it. Even if one does not support the Obama candidacy, one can easily find positives including:
1. He inspires people -- especially people at the lower end of the socioeconomic range within this country -- to believe that the American government, and the American economic/political system, can work for them. That belief is a GOOD thing.
2. He inspires people to get involved in public affairs. Voting figures in the Democratic primary are at historic, never-before-seen levels in many states across this country. For instance, New Jersey almost doubled turnout from a previous record of 654,000 votes cast, to more than 1.1 million votes cast; Missouri and Illinois shattered previous records by over 250,000 and 300,000 votes cast; Massachusetts shattered its old record by almost 400,000 votes. You may not like that Democrats are jazzed about voting -- but greater participation by the people of our republic in our political processes is a GOOD thing.
3. As evidence of #1 and #2, the African-American and youth votes, as a component of overall voter turnout, are up at historic levels. For decades, political pundits have talked about the important role played by those two segments of our society, but they've always disappointed when it came to actual turnout.
This time, they're busting through previously recorded voting turnout numbers.
It is a GOOD thing that two segments of our society who are usually too disillusioned or apathetic to participate in the political process believe strongly enough in the potential of that process to take part in it.
4. Finally, he's awfully Reaganesque. The latest Newsweek poll has the President's job approval level at 30%. And, the latest AP poll on our population's view of the direction the country's heading in says that 73% say we're heading in the wrong direction. Our country is disillusioned with our boys still being blown up by IEDs, our investments bouncing up and down, rising foreclosure rates, and rising inflation and job loss numbers. From a public/political psychology perspective, it's looking an AWFUL LOT like 1979.
But Obama is filling stadiums with people and making them believe that America can work, but only with their participation -- Yes, WE can, he says. It might not be "It's Morning in America," but it's awfully close.
All Reagan disciples should recognize his spirit in Obama, and even if you don't support him, you should recognize that the inspiration that trails behind him is a GOOD thing.
Ummmmmm...
If Obama gets it...
Spitzer won't?
Chapin, I was (mostly) with you until #4. To say that Obama and Reagan are alike because they're inspiring speakers who have big ideas is like saying Teddy Kennedy and the Pope are alike because they're both Catholic.
Like other libs, Obama's big idea is that we need him and his smarts to take care of us because (a) the current group who's "taking care of us" isn't doing a good job, (b) because we can't take care of ourselves, and (c) he knows what's good for us. (Regarding point (a), see my next post.)
Reagan thought we ought to be allowed to take care of ourselves without being told what to do.
HOW TO CATCH WILD PIGS
A friend e-mailed this to me--libs are pig-catchers. You don't want to be a pig....
You catch wild pigs by finding a suitable place in the woods and putting corn on the ground. The pigs find it and begin to come everyday to eat the free corn. When they are used to coming every day, you put a fence down one side of the place where they are used to coming. When they get used to the fence, they begin to eat the
corn again, and you put up another side of the fence. They get
used to that and start to eat again. You continue, until you have all four sides of the fence up with a gate in the last side.
The pigs, which are used to the free corn, start to come through
the gate to eat that free corn again. You then slam the gate on
them, and catch the whole herd.
Suddenly the wild pigs have lost their freedom. They run around
and around inside the fence, but they are caught. Soon, they will
go back to eating the free corn. They are so used to it that they
have forgotten how to forage in the woods for themselves, so they
accept their captivity.
Paul:
I'm not suggesting that Obama and Reagan share a common fundamental political philosophy -- far from it. I was merely suggesting that in his capacity to inspire people and make them feel positive and hopeful about the future of the country during a dark period, he shares a certain trait with Reagan.
Brian - I can only imagine that your disbelief has one of two causes: 1) Your moderate streak is more serious than any of us thought. 2) You've been among New Yorkers for too long. But here's my response:
1. He inspires *black* people at the lower end of the socioeconomic range. The poor white trash of the Democratic party has been voting for Hillary. In any case, now that they're voting, they'll all be as cynical as the rest of us soon enough.
2. We'll see. In general, all other things being equal, I'd agree with you that greater participation is good. But all things aren't equal. Bread and circuses, and all that.
3. Refer to #2.
4. The Reagan comparison is very superficial. It's true that they both are inspiring. But Reagan was inspiring because he thought we could do better, and he had fresh ideas (for Washington, anyway) about how to improve things. Please find a fresh idea from Obama.
I'll grant you that he gives a good speech. But why are we hearing them in the first place? Because he was able to give one at the 2004 convention. How many white first time candidates get to give prime time speeches like that? He's the first nationally prominent black politician that doesn't remind everyone of Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton.
Anyone who believes that Obama will unite everyone should lay off of whatever it is that they're smoking. He's got about as boilerplate of a liberal platform as anyone. He's never shown an inclination to work with the other side (this is one area where, like him or not--and I basically don't--McCain actually has a pretty impressive record).
So, I'll grant you a possible on the greater participation. But getting rid of affirmative action would still be better than that.
Brian's post is the kind of feel-good liberal nonsense that makes me either ill or violent.
Inspiring people with false hope and tired liberal promises of free handouts is NOT a good thing.
Paul has covered the Reagan point.
I also think Matt might be on to something with his observation that Chapin's "moderate" streak may be more serious than long thought. I'm worried our friend could be suffering from degressive moderate dementia, also known as becoming a looney-tunes liberal.
All:
I will answer Matt and Todd's comments over the weekend -- I have a deliverable due to a client today, so my arguing time is limited until that's submitted....
And I'm not a looney tunes liberal.
Brian, I wait with bated breath to find out what kind of liberal you are.
Maybe Chapin's just a compassionate conservative.
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