Last night, I put up a piece John wrote about the election.
Basically, it was a reflection on John McCain, and how difficult it’s been for John make the decision not to vote for him.
You can read it here.
I’ve gotten several comments on that post, which I expected. But one of them was so interesting to me that I thought I would post it here, and offer my response.
Obama strikes me as a nice guy who loves his wife and grandma. He also strikes me as someone who is curiously devoid of any feeling for the uniqueness of this country. He has accomplished essentially nothing of note since law school aside from running for president. His past and present associations are of great concern to me and his decidedly anti-capitalist economics should trouble anyone trying to start a business or simply build a better finanvial future for themselves. He doesn’t appear to recognize the genuine evil in this world that would try to destroy us. Bottom line for me: when it comes to the presidential ticket, I vote for the guy who’ll be more likely to protect this country and less likely to pick my wallet. This time, it’s McCain. Obama needs to go back to the minors, get some actual experience in the Senate and we’ll talk again in 2012.
“He has accomplished essentially nothing of note since law school aside from running for president.”
I disagree. But even if we limit his resume to “running for president”, it’s enough for me. Because within his campaign there is a world of accomplishment that no one on earth has ever come close to.
Barack Obama is the first black man to receive the Democatic nomination for president, and may well become the first black president of the United States. He is poised to end 216 years of presidential rule by white males.
Barack had record crowds in traditionally Republican territories. He has turned red states blue, changing the electoral map and reaching across party lines with a spectacularly successful message and presentation. The energy his campaign has created is changing the face of government, and by this evening, Democrats will have more seats in the Senate than they have had in the past 30 years.
He has utilized new media and technology more effectively than any candidate in history, which has assisted him in galvinizing what may be the largest youth voter turnout in the history of the United States. While the Republicans were printing flyers, Barack’s team was buying strategic ads in video games and projecting your text messages onto historic buildings in major cities. By creating an interactive campaign, he created a feeling of unity and control, which is just what we needed.
Contrast that to the Republican campaign, which, by using old methods to pander to old thinking, reduced itself to a small, angry party mired in religious dogma. In marketing terms, they branded themselves as the party of fear, and fear only works when you have something to lose. Obama understood that people who are already frightened need a different message, and he gave it to them.
So let’s not take the position that Obama running for president is just like every other campaign. This is not Ralph Nader debating Cynthia McKinney on public access. This isn’t even John McCain, trucking busloads of school kids in to meet a plumber. This is a movement, and that impresses me more than I can say. He brought a positive message to a weary nation, and damn if he didn’t sell it to us. We’ve lost our homes, our 401Ks are worthless, we have no health insurance, our jobs are going to other countries and here we are, in the rain, buying the hope.
I’m one of the most cynical people I know. And yet, I don’t feel silly for buying it. I actually like feeling a glint of cautious optimism and a little enthusiasm. I like feeling transformed in some small way.
What I feel today is not what I’ve been feeling for eight years. What I’ve been feeling has been what McCain has been selling, and that’s why the fear mongering adopted by the GOP was ultimately, ineffective. Aligning himself with loss and panic made McCain feel like the status quo.
Transforming a nation simply by running for president is not a small accomplishment. Ask John McCain.
Personally, I have come to believe that someone so savvy, progressive and eloquent can change our relationships and perception around the world. I’m read for that kind of change.
I’m ready to be a citizen of the world.
32 responses so far ↓
1 jandu // Nov 4, 2008 at 11:48 am
April, I’m a fan, but sometimes I forget how talented you are. It’s beautifully written.
2 clevelandphil // Nov 4, 2008 at 11:56 am
Cynthia Mckinney is batshit crazy. She’s the one who changed her look and the security guard at the Congress didn’t recognize and she tried to barrel through him and she got arrested and yelled it was because “she was a balack woman”.
If she was Obama’s running mate it would be Barack and
Balack vs Mccain and Mccunt.
3 bnaivar // Nov 4, 2008 at 12:16 pm
If you worked at a job for 30 or more years and someone who has worked the same job for less than 2 years gets promoted to your boss, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t resent it. So how is it that Barack Obama is the Democrat choice for President?
I think the only answer is that Barack Obama is not running for President. He is BEING RUN for President.
What do you call a black man that gets a job where he’s the only black man to ever have that job, yet has little to no experience in that field?
I say the Democrats want someone they can control in the President’s office.
4 clevelandphil // Nov 4, 2008 at 12:24 pm
Bill Clinton was new in 1992. We did pretty good with him.
5 Wilsom // Nov 4, 2008 at 1:11 pm
ApriL
I was just talking to John on the phone. We were discussing the fact that we agreed about Obama being the best candidate.
Then I realized-almost everyone in my family and all of my friends agreed on Obama. How amazing is that!! My husband and John are on the same page about this. I agree with my (usually) very republican friend.
What a wonderful thought that we might have a black president -maybe America really is growing up.
6 bnaivar // Nov 4, 2008 at 1:13 pm
You’re talking about the impeachment proceedings, right?
7 theFatTubist // Nov 4, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Yes, he has indeed run a fantastic campaign. Doesn’t necessarily mean someone should vote for him.
He may be a cult of personality, but so was Jim Jones. I’m certainly not saying that he is a sociopath psychotic murderer, but the decision on who to vote for should be based on whose ideology more closely resembles your own, and not how great he makes you feel.
This is certainly also not an endorsement for McCain, either. I do not favor either party’s politics, and I will most likely cast my vote to a third party as a protest vote. With the history of both major parties being as long and varied as they are, there is no way that one is better than the others these days. I’m inclined to believe bnaivar. As entrenched as career politicians are in making sure they stay in power, they will make sure that Obama does not do anything to rock the boat. If there is only one way for Republicans and Democrats (read: the parties, NOT the ideological persuasion) to work together, it will be to protect their phony baloney jobs, which they will do by any means necessary — even controlling the president-elect.
8 April // Nov 4, 2008 at 2:49 pm
theFatTubist: the decision on who to vote for should be based on whose ideology more closely resembles your own, and not how great he makes you feel.
This from someone who throws his vote away in protest.
9 April // Nov 4, 2008 at 2:53 pm
bnaivar: If you worked at a job for 30 or more years and someone who has worked the same job for less than 2 years gets promoted to your boss, you can’t tell me you wouldn’t resent it.
I’m sure I would resent it. But if I worked at the same job for 30 years and couldn’t get promoted, that would say an awful lot about my job performance.
10 jasonthegreat // Nov 4, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Nicely said, April; much of what you say mirrors my own feelings. I’m feeling secure that Obama will triumph. It’s Prop 8 that’s making me sick to my stomach.
11 clevelandphil // Nov 4, 2008 at 3:34 pm
NOW HEAR THIS!!! NOW HEAR THIS!!!!!!
FREE ICE CREAM AT BEN N JERRY’S TODAY FROM 5pm-8pm
You might have to bring your I Voted sticker.
12 pal Jacky // Nov 4, 2008 at 4:15 pm
I understand where John is coming from because I breathed a sigh of relief when McCain was nominated. At least we wouldn’ get the ‘frat boy/’Bush knows best crap’ of the last 8 years. In many ways I think obama is more liberal than I would like but I thnk the pendulum needs to swing that way right know. California is a state where a dem senator(feinstein) is more conservative than the rup gov. So i don’t think anyone following strict party lines are thinking things through here. There is a differnce between the Fox news viewers who know it is slanted to the right and those who actually think it is ‘fair and balanced’
13 mrssarcasmo // Nov 4, 2008 at 4:44 pm
I have been so unbelievably confused about this election, and about my decision who to vote for. ~Thank you~ for making me feel better about who I voted for(Obama). And for your cynical optimism.
14 Ira Shlamazel // Nov 4, 2008 at 4:52 pm
bnaivar-
White man as victim.
Admit it, you are a racist.
Yep. Affirmative action is not how Obama got where he is, contrary to the Rushes and Savages opinions.
You sound like a bitter, white loser.
Well, since I know MANY white successful men who have worked hard and become rich, despite the existence of Affirmative Action. Explain that??
I suppose YOU are the reason you worked 30 years with no promotion.
Go back to sleep. We’ll keep the planet from blowing up for you, since your party can’t seem to do it!
Tool.
15 Ira Shlamazel // Nov 4, 2008 at 4:54 pm
McCain: “My fellow prisoners”
Enough said.
16 jim // Nov 4, 2008 at 5:05 pm
“He has accomplished essentially nothing of note since law school aside from running for president.”
There’s one little accomplishment that seems to have fallen under the radar: before running for president, Obama defeated Hillary Clinton – & she was supposed to be unstoppable, all the way to the Oval Office. She had all the right DC connections, money galore, & near-unanimous party approval. Smart as hell & a political bulldog. She’d wanted the job for years, & would do nearly anything to get it.
Instead of fracturing & weakening the Democrats – really the best outcome the GOP could’ve hoped for – the long primary gave them a huge united team with precious experience in high-stakes canvassing.
For all his experience, McCain just isn’t as formidible an opponent as Clinton. He must’ve felt like he was trapped in the cockpit of yet another crashing jet when Obama won – the GOP had probably been planning to run against Clinton since 2006, & now they’d have to go up against the man even she couldn’t beat. Why they then chose to run on exactly the same negative campaign that Clinton lost with, who knows?
“I’m ready to be a citizen of the world. ”
Sounds to me like you’re already qualified.
17 Ryland // Nov 4, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I feel like April feels. After the last 8 years, the last thing I expected to feel about the election this year was optimism, but damned if I don’t feel optimistic about the future.
Barack Obama isn’t going to be able to fix everything that’s wrong with this country, but if he gets elected, he’s proof that the U.S. isn’t choking on fear and can make a good decision once in a while.
If you don’t think he’s accomplished anything, it’s because you haven’t looked at his record. He’s got an impressive batting average getting legislation passed, across party lines. The reason you don’t hear about it is because he doesn’t do the flashy, headline-grabbing work, he does the non-glamorous but important things that keep this country safe and running right. To pick one example, he worked with Dick Lugar (a Republican) to pass legislation to help keep loose nuclear weapons out of the hands of terrorists – if that’s doing “nothing”, I don’t know what you would consider “something.”
Barack Obama ran a disciplined, thoughtful, and innovative campaign. There’s absolutely no reason to think he won’t run a disciplined, thoughtful, and innovative administration. He pulled in people from all walks of life and energized and organized them to do good, and they worked their asses off for him. There’s no reason to think he can’t do the same for the nation.
18 theFatTubist // Nov 4, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Who said I was “throwing my vote away?”
You did quote me was saying that people should vote along with their ideology. I did. McCain nor Obama appealed. And it almost sounds like it is preferable to vote based on emotion than reason. When has this ever been a good idea?
19 April // Nov 4, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Why do you keep assuming I voted on emotion vs. reason?
20 Doug // Nov 4, 2008 at 9:35 pm
I have to admit that it’s a bit harsh to assume that voting for anyone other than Obama or McCain is “throwing (your) vote away”. Voting for the wrong person is a mistake, period. Who is “the wrong person”? That’s subjective, of course. Just like the concept of a vote being a “mistake”. It *is* a mistake if your vote doesn’t contribute to positive change on a national scale, but it’s not a mistake for your own personal set of morals. So it’s a mistake and not a mistake all at the same time. It depends on your point of view.
21 April // Nov 4, 2008 at 10:36 pm
@Doug: I do see what you’re saying, and I think you make a good point.
But I believe that voting for someone who can’t win, for the purpose of protesting your other choices, is the same as not voting at all.
22 David // Nov 4, 2008 at 11:42 pm
April,
You and John are the best! Thank you.
23 Mavis // Nov 5, 2008 at 12:41 am
Voting on the props, that’s important, only until a judge overturns the vote.
As for President, it’s all a waste of time, as the Electoral College votes in the President, not the popular vote.
I know, it’s a cynical view, but someone has to have that view, and that’s me.
24 April // Nov 5, 2008 at 12:48 am
Well, it’s looking like Obama got the electoral vote AND the popular vote. So tonight, at least, it worked out.
25 Mavis // Nov 5, 2008 at 1:02 am
There have been only four times when the popular vote winner did not win the electoral college vote. The last in 2000, when Gore won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote in all the crap that happened after, and it went to Bush.
26 bnaivar // Nov 5, 2008 at 5:44 am
“I’m sure I would resent it. But if I worked at the same job for 30 years and couldn’t get promoted, that would say an awful lot about my job performance.”
I guess that explains the low approval rating of Congress.
27 bnaivar // Nov 5, 2008 at 5:50 am
Ira, I do not believe that one race is superior to another based solely on their skin color, which is the definition of a racist.
I do believe that the white Speaker of the House and the white Majority Leader of the Congress are setting up a junior black senator (now President-Elect) to either be a puppet, or a fall guy.
28 pal Jacky // Nov 5, 2008 at 3:30 pm
ralph nader got more votes this time than Charles manson. It has been almost forty years since the murders and people just forget.
29 JohnnyBoy // Nov 5, 2008 at 6:03 pm
Still thinking both parties tried to sandbag the election in the hope of getting better draft picks
30 Jersey Mahoney // Nov 7, 2008 at 10:52 am
As the guy you quoted in this post, April, I’ll just say that even though Obama was not my choice he’s going to be our President and we all need to support him and give him a chance. Radical concept for some, I know.
Now, can we get back to the comedy? You and John clearly have very strong political feelings. Why not create a separate blog for those posts? Doing it here only invites invective from both sides, inevitably changes no one’s mind (my observation only, of course) and distracts from the purpose of this site which is to make fun of celebrities richer and even crazier than you
31 unclemike // Nov 7, 2008 at 11:08 pm
Yeah, April, you should stop posting things that are personally important to you on your own personal website.
32 Mr Pete // Nov 11, 2008 at 2:02 pm
April and John have posted and broadcast many things that have not only made me laugh, but have enlightened and enriched in many other ways. And yes, Jersey, they have even changed my mind on occasion. Both of them are insightful and gifted observers and communicators.
Keep it up, April & John… You make a difference in ways you can’t imagine.
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