As I write this, it’s nearly midnight on Tuesday, November 3, 2009, the end of a day during which elections were held in several states around America (including New York, New Jersey and Virginia), largely for governors and mayors and other local officials, an off-year election – not to be confused with mid-term races held half-way through a President’s term and, as a rule, it’s senators and Congressional representatives whose careers are on the line.
In today’s elections, the Democrats won some, the Republicans won some, and the media and press pundits are already blathering about what it all means: was this a referendum on President Obama and is he winning or losing?, what does this posit for 2010 and 2012?, all the political horse race shit that has nothing to do with people’s real lives, and which, for decades, has pushed millions out of the arena of civic and political concern.
But tonight was also the debut of HBO’s new documentary, By the People: The Election of Barack Obama, about his historic campaign for the presidency and his election as the first African-American President in 2008. Although, I’m sad to say, it doesn’t tell us anything about him that we don’t already know, it is a well-crafted, important reminder of the sense of energy, faith, optimism, racial dignity, Liberal decency, and immeasurable enthusiasm that accompanied Obama’s campaign and its milestone victory.
With a combination of old-school, beat-the-bushes campaigning and an unprecedentedly sophisticated use of new and established media, Barack Obama succeeded in bringing millions of previously disenchanted, disinterested youth into the political fold, and he gave aging Lefties a sense of we-the-people-déjà vu that we had long ago stopped waiting for.
Of course, the campaign nearly exploded the heads of numerous Republicans, Conservatives, and Vehemently White Americans (you’ll notice I didn’t say racist, because heaven forbid that I or anyone should imply that race was an issue in the campaign and continues to be an issue in Mr. Obama’s presidency…). But Obama’s campaign battle cries: “Change You Can Believe In,” “Yes We Can,” “The Audacity of Hope,” “We Are the Ones We’ve Been Waiting For” and, quoting Martin Luther King Jr., “The Urgency of Now,” drowned out the Doubting Bubbas, as well as the frightened, the reserved, the complacent. He won. And those of us who supported him believed that he and we would change the world. So how did we go from “hepped up and ready to go” to hemmed in and not doing much?
Before I say any more, I want to state that right up until Hillary Clinton conceded the Democratic nomination to Obama and gave him her full-throated support, she was my candidate. I didn’t adore her. She didn’t inspire me. I believed she was a true politician (with many of the negative implications that word often carries) who knew how to play with the Big Boys on their turf and give them a run for their money. I believed her balls were as big as theirs, and that her moxie, that “woman element” which set her apart from the pack, added the thrill of another kind of history-making election to what was an essentially pragmatic choice.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Ruvy
I didn't like Obama. I had read about him in Jan. 2008 and realized that he was bad news. Really bad news. But as the months rolled on I realized that this bad news was the inevitable, and I sought to take advantage of it. So I supported this man. My support turned solid, when Sarah Palin, whom I had some hope in, uttered what for me was ananthema, the words, "two-state solution". Those words mean homelessness for me and 300,000 other Israelis.
Better a real enemy than a phony friend.
I'm glad to see that you are finally waking up to this guy. That is good news.
2 - Jet Gardner
Hindsight is so convenient isn't? It's like saying I knew back in 2007 that the stock market was going to crash as hard as it did, making me look like a great sage.
3 - Jeanne Browne
Ruvy & Jet -- Alas, you remind me that no matter how clearly one tries to express an idea, people will read into it whatever they please. I am not "waking up" to Obama and hindsight isn't even an issue. I'm expressing disappointment that things aren't nearly shaping up as promised, asking why, and imploring our president to be as forceful and fresh as he was in the campaign. I'm not abandoning him, I'm voicing concern, and displeasure, as any citizen has the right to do. As for your comments, as the kids say: "Whatever..."
4 - Ruvy
Whatever... Jeanne, Obama will not get better. You saw his "best", as you phrase it, in those first 100 days. Those days are gone. The "big mo" is gone. Now he is just another politician with a stale drink of Kool-aid to serve you.
Remember "Frosty the Snowman?" back 50 years ago when Jimmy Durante narrated the tale? The evil (and incompetent) magician lost his hat to Frosty. That's what has happened here. An evil (and incompetent) magician has lost his hat - to History.
5 - Arch Conservative
"Emotionally, I would prefer incompetence to deception, but only the future will tell."
Wow those are sure two great choices Jeanne.
What did you think would happen? Obama would give a few speeches from the magic teleprompter and suddenly everyone that opposed him prior to his election would capitulate to his every whim and desire?
After years of the left comparing Bush to Hitler and blaming him for everything under the sun including Katrina you're feelings are now hurt that some aren't kissing Obama's ass and rolling over so that he may have his way with the nation?
You're genuinely surprised that this media created political animal has neither the balls nor the brains to get anything done?
In Nov 2009 you were niave Jeanne. A year later you're just foolish.
Go on beleiving in your false messiah. Those of us that hated him then hate him even more so now and there's nothing in this world that would make us let up. This is as good as it's ever going to get for Big Barry. If he can't cope now it' really going to get ugly after the midterm elections.
It's obvious to anyone with half a brain that Barry is far too narcissistic and far to think skinned to ever become a good, let alone great president.
When it's all said and done Obama will have made Jimmy Carter look like Abraham Lincoln.....or at least Rutherford B. Hayes
6 - Jet Gardner
Magic teleprompter, media created political animal, false messiah, Big Barry... in your rush (excuse the pun) to empty your phrase book how on earth did you forget moonbat?
It astonishes me just how many ways you can use and rearrange those phrases in a comment without getting boring!
Next you'll be saying Obama isn't your cup of tea?
7 - Baronius
Jeanne, what in the man's past gave you the idea that he could succeed? Mind you, I think he's going to accomplish some things that you'll like over the next three years, maybe enough for you to consider him a success. But what I'm really getting to is what assumptions you made in supporting him.
Despite what Jet says, a lot of us were 100% unimpressed with Obama from the start. (Ruvy's opinion of Obama has been well-documented on this site.) I've never been able to figure out what was so inspiring about him. At the height of his popularity, I asked the question and could never make sense of the answer. So now, at what may be his nadir, I have to throw the question out again: what's his appeal?
8 - Clavos
Tea isn't my cup of tea...
9 - Cindy
Tea isn't my cup of tea...
haha :-)
10 - Jet Gardner
Now IMHO here's something amazing. While working on some artwork this came over my headphones and I couldn't believe it was written in 1970
I changed only one word - record to CD
Ball of Confusion As performed by The Temptations
People movin' out
People movin' in
Why, because of the color of their skin
Run, run, run, but you sho' can't hide
An eye for an eye A tooth for a tooth
Vote for me, and I'll set you free
Rap on brother, rap on
Well, the only person talkin'
'Bout love thy brother is the preacher
And it seems,
Nobody is interested in learnin'
But the teacher
Segregation, determination, demonstration,
Integration, aggravation,
Humiliation, obligation to our nation
Ball of Confusion
That's what the world is today
The sale of pills are at an all time high
Young folks walk around with their heads in the sky
Cities aflame in the summer time
And, the beat goes on
Air pollution, revolution, gun control,
Sound of soul
Shootin' rockets to the moon
Kids growin' up too soon
Politicians say more taxes will solve everything
And the band played on
So round 'n' round 'n' round we go
Where the world's headed, nobody knows
Just a Ball of Confusion
Oh yea, that's what the wold is today
Fear in the air, tension everywhere
Unemployment rising fast,
The Beatles' new CD's a gas
And the only safe place to live is
On an indian reservation
And the band played on
Eve of destruction, tax deduction
City inspectors, bill collectors
Mod clothes in demand,
Population out of hand
Suicide, too many bills, hippies movin'
To the hills
People all over the world, are shoutin'
End the war
And the band played on.
11 - Jeanne Browne
When I was a child and misbehaved, my mother would look at me sternly and say "I'm very displeased with you." She didn't stop loving me or liking me or believing in me; she was simply unhappy about something I'd done and let me know it.
I hasten to add, for the benefit of those who take everything literally, that I am not pretending that the President is a child and I'm his parent. My article is more in keeping with something Bill Maher often says to his heavily pro-Obama studio audience: "He's not your boyfriend, he's the President, and it's more important to be loyal to principles, rather than personalities."
I want to add, to the Obama-haters who've already commented here as well as those who may also add their two cents, that I have not gone from loving the President to hating him, or from supporting him to not supporting him. I am merely expressing my surprise and displeasure about some of his actions and non-actions. I'm asking him to do more, to do better, and to straighten up and fly LEFT.
You don't agree with me? You continue to hate Obama and hope for his failure at the expense of the best interest of the nation? You'd rather see us go down the toilet than ever concede that improvements could be made by Liberals? Go right ahead, that's you're prerogative.
But don't for a minute confuse my speaking truth to power with "seeing the light" and joining your point of view. As far as I'm concerned you're a big part of our big problems and bring nothing to the table of solutions than your venom and ill will. And, as far as I can see, you don't read, you just shout your unchanging opinion anytime you see a pro-Obama post. And, like a robot shorting-out, can't comprehend the concept of someone supporting the President and criticizing him at the same time.
It's infuriating and discouraging. I'm very displeased...
12 - Arch Conservative
"You don't agree with me? You continue to hate Obama and hope for his failure at the expense of the best interest of the nation?"
That's not the way I see it Jeanne. To my way of thinking.....what's bad for Obama and his agenda is good for the nation. I don't see socialized medicine and as much government control over our lives as a good thing.
13 - zingzing
the government controls your life, archie? how, exactly? the only way the government really gets to me is through public transportation. i really never feel any gov't control. ever. life doesn't change when one politician or party goes out and another comes in.
it's very strange that right wingers feel so controlled all the time. they've never really bothered to explain it, because i doubt they have any clue what they're talking about.
14 - Mark
i really never feel any gov't control. ever.
...a pleasant delusion
15 - zingzing
well. then how is the government controlling your life?
i really want to know. if i'm being controlled, i'd like to know how.
16 - Mark
Simple example -- I have to pay the gov't for permission to practice my trade.
17 - Mark
Slightly more complex example -- the gov't dictates how I interact with my customers by putting me in the position of tax collector.
18 - zingzing
everyone has to pay the government to practice their trade. it's called income tax for most people. and people have bitched about taxes for 4,000 years. but that's not really "control" though, is it? if you don't like it, do something else.
19 - Mark
Quite true. Each of us will die alone. No one is the boss of me.
20 - zingzing
so i guess that was the best you could do to illustrate the national terror that is government control... taxation... one of the facts of life...
21 - Baronius
Jeanne, I hope my question didn't offend you. I'm just trying to understand. According to your article, you thought that Clinton was the best chance for the implementation of your principles. In Obama, you saw the potential for something more than that, so much more you dared not hope for it. So let's start there.
What made you think that Obama would be able to implement your principles? And what was the "more" you saw in him? (I'm trying to ask fair, non-leading questions.)
22 - Mark
Zing, you can identify gov't 'control' in education, social security, defense, etc. that impact us and the ways that we interact individually and collectively. Other 'controlling' factors can be specified -- religion and capitalist relations of production for examples.
You are propounding a naive individualism.
23 - zingzing
i'm no longer in school, i'm not on social security--i'll probably never see it, the way things are going--and i have yet to see an impact of the military upon my life, i'm not religious and capitalism impacts me the same as it always has, no matter who or what party is in office.
that said, i am of draft age, and did have some fear of being thrust into a stupid war when bush was in office and coming up with new wars every year or two.
but it must be said that i, as an individual, have rarely felt any influence over my life from the federal government. local issues hold far more sway, but still, those are pretty few and far between. my biggest grudge with the government, at any level, was when kings county (brooklyn) decided they were going to reopen a community pool as a pool, rather than as the staging ground for free concerts as it had been. that pissed me off.
the federal gov't just doesn't affect me that much, one way or another. so, yes, i can pretty well say that it is me who is in control of my life, not the government. i don't blame them when things go wrong, and i don't expect them to make my life better in any measurable way.
of course, that could change, i'll admit.
24 - Cindy
how is the govt controlling your life????
zing you are kidding me right?
*do you pay taxes? sales tax, income tax?
*you cannot have a job without a social security card
*you can't have a pet (used to be dog, now cats in some places) without a license and some pets are arbitrarily not allowed based on someone else's opinions about how things should be--so if you have 1 acre you can have a horse but if you have .97 acres you cannot.
*you cannot legally sleep anywhere if you don't own or rent property--in Key West (for one place) but, you can't really do it anyplace unless you hide or else you are loitering (tent homes have been taken down by govts)
*you cannot have any business without a govt filing
*you cannot inhabit any building anywhere without a C.O. (you or someone else got this permission)
*you cannot build anything on or modify your property without permission from the govt and if they allow you everything must conform to what someone else decides--even if it is safe. you cannot have a pool, a shed, etc without permission.
*you cannot use your property the way you see fit. you must conform to zoning regulations, so you cannot have people dropping by to get a massage or have you do their bookkeeping without breaking the law.
i was forced to pay to cement up my old lower flowing well, which was safe because i built a new well.
i illegally vented my gas water heater according to the older code as the newer code would have cost me thousands of dollars more. the gas company approved the safety of the installation (which conformed to the previous codes).
and like what mark said, i not only have to pay if i want a massage 'permission slip' to do what i do, but when i go to florida, they don't just accept a nj permission slip (even if i did get one) so i would have to pay a school there to rubber stamp my education and be on probation to practice something i am trained for.
*how you express yourself in a public place is controlled:
example (a) - two people were recently arrested for simple 30 second banner drops--one banner said 'afghanistan' the other said 'enough'--they were handcuffed and taken to jail for this!
example (b) - you have no right to peaceful protest, you can and will be bullied, or attacked with teargas, sound cannons, horse-trampling, shoving, arrests by police at their discretion--no prosecutors will hold the police accountable
example (c) - you can't draw with chalk on a sidewalk or you can be arrested for defacing property
example (d) - you may not loiter anywhere. so if you do not own or rent property you really have no right to be anywhere
*you must have a certificate saying you were born or you died
*you may or may not be able to get married depending on who or where you are
*you must attend school
*you can have your children taken away from you because of what you believe in (hope you don't get caught smoking pot as a parent, best stick to drinking) alternately, if you die or are arrested, the govt will intervene in your family matters and may take the family children away from relatives who are not seen as having any rights over the govt
*smoking marijuana is illegal, making your own alcohol may be illegal (don't forget all those other drugs)
*selling your own home baked goods, wine, beer, etc is illegal
*you can gamble when and where the govt says so--meaning you can gamble if the govt makes a lot of money (big casinos or lotteries)
*you had better have govt issued id of some kind
*you cannot take more than 10k out of the country without permission
*you cannot transact more than 10k in/out of a bank account in cash without reporting it to the govt
*the govt will tell you where you can and cannot go, whether you can photograph or film.
*the govt may decide you are a terrorist and search and seize your property for exercising your freedom of speech
*god help you if you are a kid in school--you are a govt prisoner subject to the whims of some pretty fucked up authority addicts
this libertarian makes a lot of good points in a piece called: Libertarianism 101: Who owns you?
okay, i'll stop, not because i can't go on though...
and the band played on...
25 - Cindy
so i guess that was the best you could do to illustrate the national terror that is government control... taxation... one of the facts of life...
protesters are being labeled as terrorists...but i guess if they stayed home and watched cartoons the govt wouldn't bother them either.