For most of the primary season, the action was between the seemingly infinite field of flawed GOP candidates. Like most commentators, I relished following, probing and predicting the turns in this race of limping Elephants (still powerful, just not perfect).
Well, my good friend Gene Brooks posted a comment on this blog some time back asking me to comment on the now much more exciting and ever malleable Democratic race. Let me firmly and clearly state at the outset – I am NOT an expert on how the Democratic base perceives candidates or issues. But I will provide how I see those candidates and issues.
- Democratic Candidates:
As I stated to a group of wonderful Republican activists in Phoenix the other week, "The Democratic Party is like a Pez dispenser of awful candidates. Hit them on the head every 4 years and out they spit some candy coated, weak and ineffectual representative." I could easily retrace the litany of perfectly terrible Dem candidates for the past 30 years, but just consider this year's offering: Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama
Hillary Clinton:
Mrs. Clinton has no major accomplishments to her name, no Executive experience of ANY kind (elected or private or even running a large charity), some of the highest negativity scores of any modern candidate, is uniquely impersonal and unattractive (in spirit, not in looks) and can't say anything negative about her opponent without sounding like the stereotypically shrill ex-wife.
Barrack Obama:
Mr. Obama also has no major accomplishments (in either Senate or State Legislature), has no Executive experience of ANY kind (elected or private or even running a large charity), represents a black separatist church, is on record in writing, speeches, votes and debates as supporting some of the most radically liberal policies in modern politics and despite his overflowing charisma is completely at a stumbling lost when pressed to explain policy.
- Demagoguery:
I don't know that the Dem's will lose this race in 2008. In fact, most of the "smart money" is on them to win. I don't buy this - - - yet - - - but do find a silver lining in this prediction. America could do a lot worse than demonstrate our willingness to elect a woman or black to the Presidency. As a conservative, I never doubted America would be so inclined if a decent candidate would step forward. Remember, it was the Republican party who supported a robust effort to push Colin Powell forward as our candidate a decade ago (not that he would have been a great conservative, but that's another post).
I fear for Judicial appointments, victory in the war on terror and for the stagnation of high taxation if the Dems win. At the same time, I can at least welcome, with absolutely open arms, the final nail in the coffin of identity politics. Yes boys and girls, while such is ALREADY the case, if one of these Dems wins, there can no longer be any arguments that certain classes and groups of people can't succeed.
But I do also love the wonderful insight America is finally getting into the Democratic party. The GOP, while not perfect, is not a party based on identity politics. The GOP takes positions on issues from a uniformly principled stance. You may disagree with the principles, but there is a logical and consistent approach from the Right. The Democrats, by contrast, are a party of identity politics. The majority of its support base, organizations, policies and rhetoric are based not upon unified principles, but upon segments of identity. There are black issues, Hispanic issues, women's issues, low-wage workers issues, Hollywood issues, etc. Yes, there are other power centers – like anti-war and environmental groups, but the vast majority of their base is identity focused.
This is wonderfully coming into focus due to the demagoguery of the Clintons. The entire primary fight has turned into a disgusting identification of women, Latinos, Blacks and whites – with the clear intention of playing one off the other. Even Clinton's black supporters have taken to arguing that Obama isn't "Black enough". This is identity politics in its rawest form. I doubt most Blacks, Latinos or women who are inclined toward the Democrats will leave the party due to this ugly laying bare of the naked party underbelly. Too bad. But I rejoice in the fact that they at least have to acknowledge it – and eventually, perhaps this will lead them to change it.
I think all "identities" are best served by the Conservative message of individual worth and capability, but minorities are certainly better served by a Democratic party which comes to terms with the perniciousness of identity politics and is working to move from that ignoble base to something that doesn't cater to the lowest possible denominator of identity. Since the Dem's will win power either now or in the future, such a move is good for them – and by extension, would be good for America.
- Demi-gods:
The other, obvious observation about the Democratic nomination is the role of the personality cult. And what we see being laid out is the same poetic judgement that befalls all people who allow themselves to be set on the thrones of demi-gods.
Everyone reading this post, both of you, must remember the cult of personality which buoyed Bill Clinton to new levels of stardom. His crush of supporters even kept his performance ratings at relatively high levels in the midst of adultery, sleazy old man sex, obstruction of justice, perjury and sloppy ambition.
Now these adoring legions have rallied to another prince charming. Barrack is enjoying unreasoning adoration and praise – he was applauded for publicly blowing his nose last week. That's just a little gross.
But worshipers can't have two masters and demi-gods all demand sacrifice. In this cycle, the image of Bill Clinton the Untouchable Ruler of All Politics has been sacrificed at the altar of Obama the Wise and Gracious. History warns that such poetic judgment is not to be escaped.
Jesus was welcomed into Jerusalem by waves of adoring pilgrims who loudly proclaimed his coronation. Three days later same emotional crowd was trading his life for that of a murderous rogue. Emotional swells dissipate. When they do, the weak thrown upon which the former demi-god sits is revealed as the hollow buttress it is. Emotion doesn't last.
I hope the swooning worshipers get this emotional burst out of their system before Nov. I can't claim to know if they will. But I do know this outpouring won't last forever. When the fever subsides and sanity briefly intrudes before the next demi-god, folks will ask, "What was it all about? Did one man really change the way Washington works? Are we safer, stronger and better as a people or did we just feel better for a while?".
On Principle,
CBass
No comments:
Post a Comment