Okay. Ever since I watched this Lessig video, I've been feeling the need to defend my support for Obama.
First, I don't like the way Clinton's campaign has been essentialized. That is, I don't like the assumption that I am a woman and Clinton is a woman, therefore I should vote for Clinton. I am a feminist because I believe, someday, we could all be less restricted by other people's ideas of what it means to be a "woman." The flip side, of course, is that perhaps, someday, gender won't matter. That I could judge whether I like a candidate or not based on issues, or other qualities, not gender. For me, that time is now. If I agreed with everything Clinton said, the way she is conducting her campaign, I would vote for her.
My first choice was Edwards. I like him because he talks about poverty and class, two issues that are important to me. But he dropped out. What to do?
I like Obama because I do think he represents change. To me, Clinton does and will do whatever it takes to become President. She has a lost a lot of primaries. And now she's getting desperate. Getting negative. Doing things like this.
Basically the way she's conducted her campaign in the last few weeks has confirmed my suspicions of her. She will do anything to seize power even if that means sacrificing the very values that attract voters to her in the first place.
I'm not bothered by issues of "experience" because every President surrounds him or herself with experts on everything. What he doesn't know, he can learn. And charisma does matter. Charisma can help a leader convince other countries that we are not the hate-mongering war machine that Bush made us appear to be. I think that is important.
I also hate how some Clinton supporters use a "false consciousness" argument. Their argument states that if I don't support Clinton it's because I'm less aware of gender issues or less enlightened, or the only reason someone could disagree with her or decide not to vote for her is misogyny. I agree that some people probably dislike her because she's a woman.
But then there are those of us who dislike the way she's campaigning and what she's beginning to represent.
Or maybe it's not so much that we dislike Clinton, it's more that we like Obama.
I like Barack!
3 comments:
Yes, yes, yes. The last few days have made me a bit embarassed that Clinton is a democrat, because in her desperation she's behaving like one of the other guys. I like Obama's cool under fire, I like his willingness to be optimistic, and I LOVE his insistence that better government will require the will and effort of citizens. I swear Aaron Sorkin must be writing his speeches. Go Obama!
I'm disappointed in Clinton, although come on. One thing I read recently, in Ryan Lizza's article about McCain in last week's New Yorker, was this: "The Obama campaign, like the Bush White House, prides itself on message discipline and tracks down leakers with a frightening intensity." So Obama's practicing a disciplined form of campaigning, which maybe he has the luxury of doing partly because he's ahead. He's a talented politician. But he's a politician. Whom I will happily vote for, it goes without saying. I just don't need to dislike Clinton . . . much, because in losing she hasn't quite figured out whether to give up or to keep "fighting," which brings out the best in almost no one.
Go Obama, sure. He better win. Sorry to sound grumpy, and thanks for the occasion to respond to your composed comments.
Okay I wish Colin Firth was running. I would vote for him and then I would have an excuse to look at him!! I am obsessed with him but alas, he is not running so I am still, undecided.
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