We’ll Have These Moments to Remember
March 4th, 2008 at 10:38am Audrey Haynes
I’ve been complaining lately.
“Politicians can’t agree and don’t get anything done.”
“Our elected officials are beholden to lobbyists and big business and not to the people who elected them.”
“I don’t have any faith in an electorate who could vote in George W. not once, but twice.”
And I’ve been holding grudges, too. A longstanding one against McCain - ever since last year when took a heavily armored tour of Baghdad and walked around with helicopter gunships overhead and military escorts up the wazoo, reassuring us (after his return) that there are many areas of Baghdad where Americans can travel safely. Gee thanks, John - may I borrow your armored Humvee?
I’ve been mad at Hillary since last Tuesday, when she whined about getting the first question during the debate. “Can I just point out in the last several debates, I seem to get the first question all the time….Maybe we should ask Barack if he’s comfortable and needs another pillow” Puh-leez….How unpresidential is that?
And of course, I can’t forget about my grudge against Obama, who made all kinds of promises to me the other night in a really good dream I had (and never told my husband about). But, when I awoke, he was gone.
You know what, though? When I woke up this morning and realized today is the day that a black man may clinch the Democratic nomination for president, I was happy for our country. And proud. And relieved. Because 142 years after slavery was abolished in this country, an African-American may finally be able to bring about change, not only for our current political situation, but for the continuing prejudices and unfair challenges that blacks in our nation continue to face every day. And we Americans - blacks, whites, and none of the above - have done it. We’ve shown all the ignorant, prejudiced, pathetic people in this country who think one’s color still matters that we will vote for a candidate based on his or her skills, not the color of his or her skin.
And you know what else? When I woke up this morning and realized today is possibly the last day we’ll have TWO historic candidates running for prez at the same time, I appreciated Hillary more than ever. Yeah, maybe she whines sometimes (who doesn’t?)… but wow, she’s a woman - and a strong, determined, intelligent one at that. Despite her domineering, abusive father and her philandering, selfish husband who managed to put his infidelity (and therefore, Hillary’s pain) out in the national spotlight, she has managed, based on her own merits, to rise to the top. Eighty-seven years ago, women were still fighting for the right to vote in this country. Now, if Hillary can take Ohio and Texas in today’s primaries, she has a shot at being voted into the highest office into the land.
I relish this moment. Go, Hillary. Go, Obama. Go, America!
Audrey Haynes
Entry Filed under: Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama
9 Comments Add your own
1. Don R. Gugliuzza | March 4th, 2008 at 11:29 am
I agree with your entire article. I, too, am upset with all three candidates. Yes, one is a capable woman (a step forward) and one is a capable African-American, and one is a clone of George Bush but is soft spoken and gentle in appearance but is still fighting the Viet Nam war.
My problem is that each of them have strengths that I obviously agree with (otherwise I wouldn’t consider them strengths) and each have weaknesses (same as above). But in many cases their strengths aren’t strong enough to overcome my percieved weaknesses. Therefore, I have abandoned my party of choice because it abandoned me. I have not gone to the other party because it’s just as bad. I am now an Independent and have no one to vote for. What a shame. Every four years we talk about each election as being the most important of our life time. That’s true. Everyone of them is important. So, here we are at a crossroads for our country and I, and many others like me, have no candidate with whom we can identify. Oh, well, wait until the next election.
2. Samal | March 5th, 2008 at 3:15 am
That is the real problem, imagine you knowing better then over half of the voters.
3. Audrey Haynes | March 5th, 2008 at 11:05 am
Samal, knowing better than half the voters, is, in the 2000 election at least, irrelevant. If you remember, no candidate received more than half the vote; if I’ve done my math correctly (which isn’t a given) Bush got 47.9 percent and Gore got 48.4. So I suppose I really shouldn’t hold anything against the electorate since it was the Supreme Court who actually elected Dubya, wasn’t it?
As for the 2004 election - are you saying just because people voted for Bush they knew better than I did? That’s not a logical assumption. Or are you saying that my knowing better than half the voters is a problem? I find it refreshing.
(I listened to Limbaugh yesterday and his arrogance must’ve rubbed off)
Don G., my comment about Obama was made with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. I don’t have a real problem with him - if he’d actually delivered on those promises he made to me that night he’d be facing a HUGE scandal if discovered.
I understand what you’re saying about finding it necessary to abandon your party, though. The political scene seems more disillusioning than ever these days. But we both know what good waiting until the next election will do.
4. Samal | March 5th, 2008 at 3:19 pm
What I am saying is that your lack of faith in the American people is not only sad and elitist but it is also disturbing. It is the mind set often seen in nanny state that when carried to its extreme is used to justify the taking over of nations. After all if the people can’t be trusted to elect the right President then why should we let them.
The American people are one of the greatest resources on this planet for good and have demonstrated that repeatedly, in spite of, not because of the elite intellectuals.
5. Audrey Haynes | March 6th, 2008 at 9:39 am
Samal, please define what you mean by “elitist.”
Would you not agree that most Americans would do well to better educate themselves about national and global issues and learn more about our politicians’ stances on these issues? Or are you happy with the amount of interest, fact-gathering, and action Americans have taken in these matters over the last decade?
6. Samal | March 6th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Elitist:“I don’t have any faith in an electorate who could vote in George W. not once, but twice.”
7. Audrey Haynes | March 7th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Hmm….let me define (with the help of my friend Mirriam [Webster, that is]) the word define: “to determine or identify the essential qualities or meaning of.”
So, could you please share with me your determination of the essential qualities of the word “elitist?”
8. Don R. Gugliuzza | March 7th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
Is there the possiibilty that you recorded the promises Obama made to you so that we could all judge his position on those matters?
9. Samal | March 8th, 2008 at 3:20 am
From your Friend, Mirriam Webster:
Elitist:
the selectivity of the elite; especially : snobbery
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