The Campaign Trail
Sat, 05 Jan 2008.
I’m starting to get excited about politics again. It’s been a while since the fumbles of John Kerry and I’m being suckered into believing that people are going to vote for someone who genuinely wants to turn around this administration’s mess.
It feels like I’m waking from a long 4-year hibernation. It’s been many quiet nights; cuddling up to Jon Stewart’s image on my TV like some oppressed Soviet grandmother warming her hands by the fireplace. Finding the comedy amongst the tragedy is all I’ve been doing. I feel guilty that I haven’t done more and I feel angry that more isn’t being done.
Why American politics? Why not Australian? For one thing, there’s no shortage of political commentary on the internet. Blogs, YouTube, social link sites are alive with information about all the presidential candidates. They deliver information in ways I can process: passionate articles based in fact and with a twist of cynicism. Australian political commentary is divided into two extremes: intelligentsia and historians that bore me to tears with over-analysis and so-called satirists that make superficial insults with soft, unoffensive opinion.
American presidential campaigning is essentially American Idol. Personality plays just as big a part as policies and it’s all about trying to finding the person you can trust the most. I know more developed countries will scoff at this and trying to judge the future of a country based on what one spokesperson says is like trying to guess the share price of Disney based on how Mickey Mouse dances. But I love it because it’s something that is approachable. There’s a lot I don’t know and ultimately the President will be deciding a lot of things that you know nothing about.
But I know that as many passionate, knowledgeable and informed voters there are to inspire me about the future of the United States, there are equal amounts of voters that make me frustrated.
Anyway, blah blah, I can’t vote but this is a very interesting race to me. I don’t have all the history of this country nor do I know the exact process but I’m trying to catch up and keep up. Things I care about are: getting the troops home safe, gay marriage, global warming, health care that isn’t completely FUBAR and a serious commitment to fixing this country instead of trying to “fix” other people’s countries.
Glassbooth says my views align best with Kucinich (who will probably drop out and throw his support behind Obama) but I also love the Ron Paul story because he’s a great underdog and his old school views on small government and foreign policy are very refreshing. At this point, I’m hesitant to throw my support behind any one candidate but if you’re American and you plan to vote then please please please do your research and make democracy work the way it was intended to.
thanks for this post, jack. i personally am very passionate about politics and social issues. there’s no question that it’s been easy to become disillusioned with the whole thing during the past decade (eesh! decade!) but i also have been getting very excited about politics again lately. excited with a tint of … glee?
loved the line about jon stewart and the comparison to an old soviet grandmother by the way :)
I am gleeful too! It’s just great to see people talk seriously about this. It’s not useless finger pointing or talk without action; the gears of democracy are turning and I can’t help but enjoy seeing it in action!
Haha thanks! I think the metaphor/similie part of my brain is working overtime these days. Do you think I need to reign it in?
For Aussie politics, you can’t beat the chaser! :)
You’re exactly right about American politics… it’s a totally different beast.
I think Paul Graham sums it up best: “It’s Charisma, Stupid!” - http://www.paulgraham.com/charisma.html
That’s why those crazy Californians voted for The Terminator I imagine… :P
I originally found the Chaser boys to be very sharp but lately they’ve just become public nuisances. Breaking through OPEC security proves absolutely nothing nor does talking loudly on a bus about disgusting medical conditions. They’re getting dangerously close to becoming something of a skit / hidden camera show with absolutely no political bite. Go back to highlighting corruption scandals and confronting very important people about their hypocrises and stop with the toilet humour. The segments they have on current affairs shows are some of the best.
Nice tumblelog, I’ll be watching it. (ps. send me your resume)
APEC, not OPEC.
Someone pointed out to me that historically, the conservatives were the big government party, while the liberals are the small government market economy supporters. Thus, the Republicans should really be called the economic liberals and the Democrats the conservatives, while from a law/rights perspective, the Democrats find themselves on the liberal side (i.e. freedom) while the Republicans are on the conservative (i.e. status quo) side. Only in America, I believe.
Well, (Republican) Ron Paul’s platform is one of going back to stricter interpretations of the Constitution and is seen as libertarian.
Absolutely, the Republicans are traditionally seen as economic libertarians and Democrats as civil libertarians. But really, we’ve spent too much of recent history playing partisan politics and indulging in the “with us or against us” mentality. It’s too dangerous to constantly see things as polar opposites.