...by Andy Biscontini
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Maybe it's because I've been reading Dos Passos's USA trilogy while under a protracted period of severe financial stress, but I've been having several pulling-my-hair-out whathefuck moments lately.
Like Hillary's goddamn tears.
Did those New Hampshire biddies not see the debate in their own state the night before—the one in which Hillary sardonically referred to “getting over” her “hurt feelings” while taking Obama's catchword “change” and managed to craft entire sentences without using any other words, and John Edwards scored the most effective moment of his own campaign when he made his passionate case that the fight for the middle class was 'personal' for him. So the next day—the very next day, because those crafty bastards moved their primary up—she comes up with the crocodile almost-tears and starts talking about how 'personal' the campaign is for her.
That's the kind of obvious political rhetoric I absolutely hate.
Does Senator Clinton seriously expect anyone to see her as a 'change agent' (gimme a break) when she pulls that kind of crap?
Are so many of us still supposed to be that dumb?
How exactly is that not a third-rate Rovian tactic?
It's right up there with her vote to authorize force in Iraq. Typical Democratic Party recipe for failure: look over your shoulder at what you think people like about the other side and emulate it.
Maybe—just maybe—if she wasn't dipping in the poles it wouldn't have looked quite so much like a classic waterworks routine.
Is no one calling bullshit on this? Maureen Dowd came close.
Alright.
It's worth noting that Obama offered her his congratulations in a first-class and impassioned speech before the final tally was in, with only a two-percent separation between them and only the AP declaring her the early winner.
My guess is that he was willing to give her New Hampshire rather than nitpick the last couple thousand votes, beat her to the microphone with a better speech, and mobilize his base in the states that actually matter while stopping the Hil campaign from reorganizing and letting them continue to dig their own grave.
If so, then that's the kind of subtle political strategy I like.
If not, I still think he benefits from the loss.
Not that I'm convinced that Obama's really going to change anything. The theme that keeps coming up among the establishment is that people seem increasingly convinced he could foster a 'bipartisan' spirit. Which means he's the guy that everyone feels like they can do business with. He's clean, but not too clean. And if anyone really thought the guy would rock the boat, he wouldn't have gotten this far.
Which is, I think, why Million-dollar Mike keeps hovering in the wings. If he wanted to, he could probably siphon enough votes from anyone who actually threatened the economic status quo (by which I mean favoring the wealthiest one percent of the country—because, living in the city he runs—it's a business!—I'm convinced he doesn't give a flying fuck about anyone else).
I do, however, believe in the significance of the symbolism of an Obama presidency. The first non-white American president is more significant for more people than the first female American president when that female is an established member of the political class.
And I suppose I have enough faith in the guy at this point to believe he'll surround himself with good heads.
I've given up on the idea that any elected official for the rest of history is going to define the phrase "American Interests" as anything other than the best interests of large corporations. The best I now hope for from a President is to work with those corporate interests to find a way for them to function profitably while moving us out of the dead-end advertising suicide economy we're locked in, where anything that isn't a get-rich quick scheme is subversive and regulation is tantamount to socialism, and into something that's actually good for Americans and not actively bad for the rest of the world. Maybe something that they'd be drawn to and want to emulate instead of being coerced or forced into or exploited by. Something we could all defend with pride.
Maybe I'm just a sucker who learned civics from Frank Capra and fell for all that flowery penmanship in the Constitution, but from time to time it pops into my head that Barack just might be able to do that.
Maybe that's just what I read into his carefully maintained tabula rasa platform.
Hell, maybe with Obama in the Oval Office Hillary could get her Health Care reform through Congress.
Like I said, I've been under a lot of stress lately.
Oh yeah. The Republicans. Lets just say a Hillary candidacy will lead to a McCain presidency. Does anyone really take any of those other yo-yo's seriously? (sorry Congressman Paul -- but going back to the gold standard is just too big an idea)
And who gives a fuck about the Golden Globes or the Oscars in the face of Axium shutting down?
copyright, © 2008 Andy Biscontini
