Obama
Sooo....Obama.....
I can now sit here being very smug as I predicted, back when Colin Powell first came to international prominence, that a black man would be in the White House before a woman. Gender is the most fundamental human divide of all, pervading across and beyond race, ethnicity, religion or political persuasion.
Anyway, an historic occasion to be sure.
Some thoughts...
According to the graphic in today's paper, the popular vote was 51% Obama, 47% McCain (not all votes were counted at that stage). The Obama victory was more pronounced where it counted - in the electoral college. But it's hardly what I would call "an Obama tsunami" or "a nation coming together" or any of the other excited comments I heard being bandied around today. Well, history is written by the victorious I guess.
I am actually made distinctly uncomfortable by the New Zealanders who have got themselves wound up to the point of tears listening to Obama's acceptance speech. Do they know anything at all about this person? (Apart from his skin colour, party preference and that he is not a Bush?). Do New Zealanders realise where in the political spectrum the US Democrats are relative to New Zealand politics? (A win for the "left" it may be, but this is hardly the Progressive party). Certainly, he seems to have the goods, and even a quick look at his achievements to date show us that he is an exceptional, intelligent and talented individual. But policies anyone? Do you know what they are?
And more to the point, would it have mattered?
And soon, when January 20th has come and gone - what real changes will he be able to make?
But the biggest thing for me is that, far from showing us that skin colour is no longer important, the talk around this election has shown me that it is very important. Very very important indeed. Electing a black President is an incredible symbol of hope. But the fact that we are talking about that so much....perhaps we haven't come as far as we have thought.
I can now sit here being very smug as I predicted, back when Colin Powell first came to international prominence, that a black man would be in the White House before a woman. Gender is the most fundamental human divide of all, pervading across and beyond race, ethnicity, religion or political persuasion.
Anyway, an historic occasion to be sure.
Some thoughts...
According to the graphic in today's paper, the popular vote was 51% Obama, 47% McCain (not all votes were counted at that stage). The Obama victory was more pronounced where it counted - in the electoral college. But it's hardly what I would call "an Obama tsunami" or "a nation coming together" or any of the other excited comments I heard being bandied around today. Well, history is written by the victorious I guess.
I am actually made distinctly uncomfortable by the New Zealanders who have got themselves wound up to the point of tears listening to Obama's acceptance speech. Do they know anything at all about this person? (Apart from his skin colour, party preference and that he is not a Bush?). Do New Zealanders realise where in the political spectrum the US Democrats are relative to New Zealand politics? (A win for the "left" it may be, but this is hardly the Progressive party). Certainly, he seems to have the goods, and even a quick look at his achievements to date show us that he is an exceptional, intelligent and talented individual. But policies anyone? Do you know what they are?
And more to the point, would it have mattered?
And soon, when January 20th has come and gone - what real changes will he be able to make?
But the biggest thing for me is that, far from showing us that skin colour is no longer important, the talk around this election has shown me that it is very important. Very very important indeed. Electing a black President is an incredible symbol of hope. But the fact that we are talking about that so much....perhaps we haven't come as far as we have thought.
Labels: Thoughts
posted by Mary at 9:10 pm
4 Comments:
What an articulate post Mary, I do agree that the 'hype' around his election seems based on pretty surface things - like the lady I spoke to today who said it will be so nice to have a good looking US president for a change!!!
If I were to have spent even half an hour more on policy research I would have been pleased to have done it for the election here that we had today, and I can only hope it wouldn't have changed my vote, which I'm afraid was less well-researched than any I've made since MMP came in. Sorry NZ if I stuffed up.
Elections in other countries do not give me a right to vote and so I release myself from any responsibilty of research. I enjoy the stories and the displays, the semiotics and the revelations, and this time, I also enjoyed a good whack of hope.
For me, this US election is a picture of a philosopher-friend, cynical and thoughtful, father of two black children, in Grant Park holding a flag with
irony and hope.
I guess it was less about research and voting (a whole different post) - more about the wonder and worry of the human emotional response to symbols. At its best, this can result in passion, unity and hope. At its worst, it leaves us vulnerable to groupthink, propaganda and doing Very Bad Things for some glorious end.
Ah but Gypsy I agree with that lady! hehe
I'm quite pleased about his looks too..
slinks away...
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