With every Primary and Caucus to date, the pundits immediately act like the results from a single state have set the direction and momentum for the rest of the nation. The most recent event was South Carolina and South Carolina is not like that many other states demographically. It's folly to imply that the South Carolina race has much predictive value.
Still, being a witness to the race was disturbing even for us folks up here in New York.
The behavior of the Clintons and their surrogates was perceived as a betrayal of a constituency they have not been to subtle with regard to claiming as their own.
If the Clintons could play the race card against an actual black candidate for president, what other political betrayals are they capable of?
If character is destiny, then perhaps the Clintons are due for a change.
Some change that's been a long time coming.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Dreamers and Deniers
The New York Times has endorsed Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy choice or even a calm debate within the paper to arrive at that endorsement. Despite the nasty fighting between the two campaigns and their surrogates on the surface there continues to be very little difference between the two candidates. Both Clinton and Obama are centrists and incrementalists.
The real differences are to be found amongst their would be supporters, whom I see falling into two categories: the Dreamers and the Deniers. Generation and temperament as much as anything else divide the two groups.
The Dreamers comprising the Obama camp bring the same sense of awe to Obama’s spoken and written words that a rock fan brings to music lyrics. That every word is speaking directly to him or her confirming what he or she already knows to be true is a powerful drug. Surely the author of such heartfelt words that resonate so deeply will govern in a way that pleases as much as the words do. But there are clues that the light at the end of the tunnel may not be what we hope it to be. “You are the wave and I am riding it”, Obama proudly declared deepening the rock-the-vote analogy. If rock and roll has any lessons to offer they are along the lines of a cautionary tale. The synchronicity of rock and roll is often followed by disillusionment. Where exactly is this pied piper leading us? Will he ascend to power as we decline in health?
The Deniers have little to cheer about either. To take Hillary Clinton at her word is to forget the lessons of the first Clinton presidency. For the average American the Clinton years were a series of betrayals, disappointments and lost opportunities. Labor was shown the back of the campaign bus as the Democratic Party retooled itself to take in big business dollars. The real agenda for the party Democratic Party was now to compete for the same corporate dollars as the Republican Party. It meant the Democrats now had two sets of constituents: corporations and the public. The party had become a blatant scam pandering to the public while delivering results to the corporations. The Clinton presidency gave us NAFTA and welfare reform under the cover of economic good times that ended in a fallacious stock market bubble. We spent the decade in denial about the economic betrayals and tried to avert our eyes with regard to the personal betrayals on display.
At the time and for the sake of stability in government, the Monica Lewinsky scandal should have been swept under the table and forgotten about as quickly as possible. The fact that it was pursued to the extent of impeaching the president was an outrage that the Republicans will not be able to live down for quite some time. In retrospect however, the scandal serves as a reminder as to the character of president Clinton. He displayed contempt for the truth, contempt for his marriage and a reckless disregard for the consequences of his behavior on his presidency.
It is a reminder that to be the spouse of a narcissist is often to be a willing victim and in perpetual denial. Or as in the case of Hillary, it is to make a deal with the devil because you hope to get something material out of it in return. Or even worse, to be trapped but unable figure out how to escape.
As a nation we may be collectively confronting such a situation with the Clinton's again. Will we choose to be the battered and betrayed spouse once more?
It is enough to drive one to distraction and dreams.
The real differences are to be found amongst their would be supporters, whom I see falling into two categories: the Dreamers and the Deniers. Generation and temperament as much as anything else divide the two groups.
The Dreamers comprising the Obama camp bring the same sense of awe to Obama’s spoken and written words that a rock fan brings to music lyrics. That every word is speaking directly to him or her confirming what he or she already knows to be true is a powerful drug. Surely the author of such heartfelt words that resonate so deeply will govern in a way that pleases as much as the words do. But there are clues that the light at the end of the tunnel may not be what we hope it to be. “You are the wave and I am riding it”, Obama proudly declared deepening the rock-the-vote analogy. If rock and roll has any lessons to offer they are along the lines of a cautionary tale. The synchronicity of rock and roll is often followed by disillusionment. Where exactly is this pied piper leading us? Will he ascend to power as we decline in health?
The Deniers have little to cheer about either. To take Hillary Clinton at her word is to forget the lessons of the first Clinton presidency. For the average American the Clinton years were a series of betrayals, disappointments and lost opportunities. Labor was shown the back of the campaign bus as the Democratic Party retooled itself to take in big business dollars. The real agenda for the party Democratic Party was now to compete for the same corporate dollars as the Republican Party. It meant the Democrats now had two sets of constituents: corporations and the public. The party had become a blatant scam pandering to the public while delivering results to the corporations. The Clinton presidency gave us NAFTA and welfare reform under the cover of economic good times that ended in a fallacious stock market bubble. We spent the decade in denial about the economic betrayals and tried to avert our eyes with regard to the personal betrayals on display.
At the time and for the sake of stability in government, the Monica Lewinsky scandal should have been swept under the table and forgotten about as quickly as possible. The fact that it was pursued to the extent of impeaching the president was an outrage that the Republicans will not be able to live down for quite some time. In retrospect however, the scandal serves as a reminder as to the character of president Clinton. He displayed contempt for the truth, contempt for his marriage and a reckless disregard for the consequences of his behavior on his presidency.
It is a reminder that to be the spouse of a narcissist is often to be a willing victim and in perpetual denial. Or as in the case of Hillary, it is to make a deal with the devil because you hope to get something material out of it in return. Or even worse, to be trapped but unable figure out how to escape.
As a nation we may be collectively confronting such a situation with the Clinton's again. Will we choose to be the battered and betrayed spouse once more?
It is enough to drive one to distraction and dreams.
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