Lift Every Voice
You know, there’s a few reasons that I’m just not all that freaked out by President-Elect Obama’s decisions to tack toward the center in his cabinet appointments and other pre-inaugural moves. First of all, I was never under the illusion that Barack Obama is Santa Claus and that The Plan was that he would make all our Progressive Dreams come true and give everybody a free scoop of Ben and Jerry’s in the process.
Nor do I think, however, that he is acting from a position of actively wanting to stick it to “The Left” as some pundits and bloggers have declared. The man is assuming the highest office in the land. Right now he can’t cater to anybody’s agenda. The grim facts of the way “politics” works these days is that he’s going to spend every day of the next four to eight years dodging fire from the Right Wing’s UnPretty Hate Machine and before anything else, he’s going to have to establish that he’s responsible, even-handed, the absolute opposite of the ideological shitheads who have dominated government for the last eight years.
Anyway, according to some, blogging Obama supporters are angry because we think we are being snubbed, somehow, by the Obama transition team. I don’t feel that myself, and I haven’t seen any of my fellow “in the tank for Obama” mates express that, but I don’t get around to reading everybody. Anyway, according to Brad Friedman and some others, I’m supposed to be disappointed already.
Whatever. If anyone wants to believe I’m an idiot, fine. If people want to assume I believed Barack Obama was liberal Jesus and am now bitterly sorry I supported him, OK. I’m done with trying to set people straight about what I think.
Heh. Indizzle.
Seriously, isn’t it amazing just how impressive the people being named to key positions in the Obama administration seem? Bye-bye hacks and cronies, hello people who actually know what they’re doing. For a bunch of people who were written off as a permanent minority four years ago, the Democrats look remarkably like the natural governing party these days, with a deep bench of talent.
But really, a deep portion of my sense of satisfaction and serenity over the last couple weeks has to do with what Anne Lamott pointed out in her most recent Salon piece.
After the 2004 election, no one could be sure that such a day would ever come. There was something mind-blowingly unique and dreadful about Nov. 3, 2004, a day that will live in psychiatric infamy. A week later, I asked one of the savviest political writers I know when he thought the pendulum would swing back, and he said he thought it would swing back during his lifetime. He said this to cheer me up. He was only 60.
What feels so great is to know that the Republican base is feeling that pain now: defeated and terrified beyond the ability even to express that.
I do not speak for my church when I say, Hah hah.
Yah-huh.
We win. And while some of us who are (falsely) known as “TEH FAR LEFT” are going to have to continue to rail and holler to get shit done correctly in this brave new world we’re facing, I have more hope for the future of this country right now than I’ve had in about a decade. Yay, us.
14 Responses to “Lift Every Voice”
By StringonaStick on Nov 28, 2008 3:43 pm |
Thanks for saying so well what I have been feeling. Jebus, I wish those on our side of the spectrum would at least wait a few months before going full-tilt splitters now that we’re in charge again. Lee Atwater is still dead for FSM’s sake!
By selise on Nov 28, 2008 4:36 pm |
trex - krugman is full of shit. yes, he’s a gazillion times smarter than me, but he’s wrong when he says “Seriously, isn’t it amazing just how impressive the people being named to key positions in the Obama administration seem?”
i’ve been reading old hearing transcripts, etc and summers, rubin, geithner, et al. have not only gotten it wrong, they played a big role (along w phil gramm) in creating our current economic mess.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20081208/greider_web
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/11/25/naomi_klein_robert_kuttner_and_michael
http://oxdown.firedoglake.com/diary/1952
i want obama to be successful - mostly because our country and the world needs him to be, and also because if he fails he will severely damage the D brand and the country may look to Rs again. if that happens, i won’t be celebrating winning a battle in order to lose the war.
By Bustednuckles on Nov 28, 2008 5:02 pm |
Keerist, just getting rid of the legions of brain dead motherfuckers running the joint now would be a one thousand percent improvement.
Give the man some time to like, actually DO something before ya get yer panties in a wad, people!
Then we can see whether or not there needs to be a can of ass whoop opened up.
He isn’t getting a free pass by any means.
By DrDick on Nov 28, 2008 5:35 pm |
Thanks, T. My thoughts exactly. Time enough for recriminations after he is in office and has actually done something. Like you, I never had any illusions about Obama as the Great Liberal Savior. He has always been a moderate centrist who tacks left on some issues important to me. He seems to be holding steady to is pledge to bring our troops home from Iraq as soon as possible (I am a little concerned about his plans for Afghanistan, but that is another matter), to put a full stop to all torture in all circumstances by anyone associated with the US government, and to close GITMO. His priorities for the recovery package (education, infrastructure, jobs) seem on track to me as well. I have not heard anything that contradicts anything he said during the campaign and a few elaborations which sound better than what I heard then. Will he be perfect, of course not. He will be, however, infinitely better than what we have had for the last 8 years or what McCain would have done. As you say, our job is to keep pushing him to the left (and I really am the Far Left). As somebody said right after the election, his heart and instincts are in the right place, now we have to make him do it.
By Valley Girl on Nov 28, 2008 5:38 pm |
oh my, and I was gonna tag Brad!
Apologies if this comes out wrong, but if someone (TRex e.g.) wants to have a feel good moment and a bit of optimism, well why not? We’ve been through hell, and at least the election wasn’t stolen. I am very sure that TRex is in touch with the realities of the situation.
On the other hand, Busted, if someone wants to “get their panties in a wad”, well, to my mind that is an equally valid reaction. Because I am myself am not having a “feel good” moment. In fact, I’m feeling pretty dismal. But, my reaction is mine, and yours is yours.
That said, whether one is feeling optimistic or dismal right now, Busted, I think we can agree that he isn’t getting a free pass. Continue to rail and holler, as TRex said.
My 2 cents.
By selise on Nov 28, 2008 5:53 pm |
Bustednuckles said
i agree. the problem is that we’re not getting rid of the brain dead motherfuckers.
geithner is now president of the new york federal reserve. in that position he has been central to the citigroup, aig and bear stearns bailouts - a series of deals that have been part of the bush administration’s looting of the public’s treasury and economic future.
this is who obama has chosen to be his treasury secretary.
By may on Nov 28, 2008 8:40 pm |
just keep the eagle eye and unremitting pressure on.
ah see cheney’s under indictment (may it be the first of many)in texas.
and for a little light relief Trex,google
octopus juggling hemit crabs.
cephalopods aren’t all bad.
By may on Nov 28, 2008 8:41 pm |
blast!!
that’s hermit crabs
By TexasEllen on Nov 28, 2008 9:34 pm |
An administration that requires competence to walk and chew gum simultaneously is a vast improvement! After the Bush administration, simply dumb would be an improvement.
By skippy on Nov 28, 2008 9:44 pm |
i never thought obama to be teh liberal jesus either, all i know is that he makes the hardly-ever-right wingers’ heads explode, and that’s good enough for me.
give me that old time religion.
but seriously, you can never sit back and assume democracy is going to work from now on w/o you; that’s the exact opposite of the definition of democracy.
it takes all of us all of the time. oh, sure, take an afternoon off now and then, but citizens always have to work to make sure their gummint don’t rip us off.
By Steve T. on Nov 28, 2008 10:20 pm |
Yep, Skippy, one of the Bush gang’s big misconceptions was that there are only two “accountability moments” for a president: election and re-election. Wro-ong! His ongoing accountability factor is his general popularity, and Bush’s level is the reason nobody will return his phone calls any more.
I too am not concerned about Obama recruiting old Clinton hands. “OMFG, it’s going to be the Clinton 90s all over again!!” No. Those years were so Clintonian because the guy at the top setting both the direction and tone of government was, well, Bill Clinton, and he is what he is, love him or hate him. Not this time.
By cheney indicted on Dec 10, 2008 1:32 pm |
The indictment criticizes VP Dick Cheney’s investment in the Vanguard Group, which holds interests in the private prison companies running the federal detention centers. McALLEN, TX — A South Texas grand jury has indicted Vice
By cheney indictment on Dec 14, 2008 9:21 am |
HOUSTON (Reuters) - A grand jury in South Texas indicted U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and former attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Tuesday for
By How To Make Money Today Online on Feb 3, 2009 6:48 am |
Interesting article. I really enjoyed it. All the best, Jaron