I don't know if all this buzz about Bill Clinton's anger and Hillary's machinations is coming from the Clintons, who have a reputation for wanting to be in the spotlight, or if it's coming from the media because they want to stir up controversy before the convention to increase ratings come August 25th.
If the media can get enough voters worried and/or curious about whether or not Hillary's PUMAs will cause an upoar demanding she be nominated, or whether Bill will whole or only half-heartedly endorse Obama, they can get more people to tune in.
It's a terrible thing not to be able to trust the media who have become nothing more than corporate shills.
On the other hand, it's not beyond the pale that the Clintons could be wanting more attention. Attention is the air they breathe.
The Clintons at one time were the future of the Democratic Party, the more centrist Democrats, straight out of the Democratic Leadership Counsel. The enthusiasm for the new baby boomer generation he represented propelled Bill Clinton into the White House, rejecting the older WW II generation of Bush Sr. and then Dole. But that was a generation ago.
Now, the Democratic Party primary voters have decided it is time for another new generation, a post boomer generation. They could have gone for identity politics, and many wanted to. Almost half of the primary voters thought it was time to put a woman in the White House. But the desire for generational change won out (though just barely) and it is time to move on.
This desire for change and the move to a new generation propelled Kennedy as well as Clinton into the presidency, and it is likely to do the same this year (although Obama's race is a wild card in our still-too-racist society.)
The best thing the Clintons could do from this day forward, if they want to see a Democrat in the White House, is stop thinking about themselves and start thinking about the Party. As much as Democrats admire the Clintons and are grateful for the good they did in the nineties, it seems the Party wants to move forward to a new generation, and as the elder statesman and stateswoman of the Party, it is their job to help facilitate that with their support and mentoring.
This is the way of life, the way of the world. Older generations mentor younger ones and prepare them for the roles they must take on. The Party has decided Barack is ready enough, and the Clintons can help tremendously by supporting that decision and being there to assist him when needed.
If, instead, they want to make this race about them, especially if they want it to be an "I told you so" moment in November, as Obama loses to a weak and floundering opponent, they will not be forgiven. Should Obama lose and Democrats believe the Clintons didn't work hard enough to help him win, Hillary's potential 2012 candidacy will be and should be dead.
But I say, let's wait and see. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt. I do believe they are patriots and I don't think they will sabotage Obama's candidacy. However, if all this speculation gets more people to watch the Democratic Convention, and both Hillary and Bill work their magic to unify the Party and get enthusiastically behind Obama, then more people wills see the Party and the candidate at their best, which could translate into millions of votes.
Showing posts with label new generation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new generation. Show all posts
Friday, August 8, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Transformative election or more of the same?
Two of my sons are caucusing in Wasington State today for the first time.
Like many young people, they have a real interest in this election.
Every so often, our democracy must renew itself by appealing to the younger generation, rallying them to care passionately about their country.
We haven't had such a renewal in a long time. For decades, it seems, the country has grown more cynical, and less interested in voting. For decades, the American people, young and old, have been less than enthusiastic about their parties' nominees for president and less confident that their vote matters.
The last generation of youth that really got fired up about politics was my generation: the baby boomers. They responded to the call of JFK to volunteer for their country, to Martin Luther King, Jr., to fight for racial justice, and to RFK to end the war and fight poverty. Leaders since then have either not inspired (Nixon, Carter, Bush I), disappointed (Clinton, Bush II) or appealed to older voters (Reagan).
This year, young people want to replace their parents and grandparents and become that new generation of activists, organizers, and voters who influence the direction of the country. And it is largely the result of one man: Barack Obama.
Obama is the new face of America: neither white nor black.
He is the new voice of America: for unity and cooperation, and against polarization.
He is the new message of America: of hope and possibility.
The youth of America hear him and see him and believe him and they are willing to work tirelessly to install him as their leader. They do not relate to Hillary Clinton. She is of their parents' generation, divisive and hyper-partisan. She represents the last century, not the new century. She does not inspire.
When Barack Obama said that while he believed Hillary Clinton's supporters would vote for him, he couldn't guarantee that his supporters would vote for her, he sounded arrogant and petty. The reality is that he was only reporting what he observed, that his youthful followers are supporting him not because they are loyal Democrats, but because they see in him something new and different, something refreshing, positive and hopeful. Most of all, they see in him someone who can transcend all that is wrong with the politics of today and they believe if they work hard enough, they can transcend it with him. They can take their miniscule amount of individual efforts, combine it with the efforts of millions of others, and beat a political machine like that of the Clintons. This is what inspires them and renews their hope in democracy.
If Hillary Clinton wins the nomination, and especially if she wins because she succeeds in seating the Michigan and Florida delegates, when all candidates agreed not to seat them, or because the establishment super delegates give her the edge even though Barack wins the most state delegates, many of these young Barack supporters will be disillusioned. Many will no longer participate, not because of "sour grapes," but because they will no longer believe their voice matters. They will join the last several generations who are already cynical about the value of their vote.
This is a transformative election in more than one way. Should Barack Obama win the presidency it would transform this nation, by empowering and inspiring an entire generation of voters. But should he lose the nomination, especially in one of the scenarios mentioned above, an entire generation of Americans could become as cynical as their parents, and American democracy would fail to achieve the renewal that it so desperately needs.
Like many young people, they have a real interest in this election.
Every so often, our democracy must renew itself by appealing to the younger generation, rallying them to care passionately about their country.
We haven't had such a renewal in a long time. For decades, it seems, the country has grown more cynical, and less interested in voting. For decades, the American people, young and old, have been less than enthusiastic about their parties' nominees for president and less confident that their vote matters.
The last generation of youth that really got fired up about politics was my generation: the baby boomers. They responded to the call of JFK to volunteer for their country, to Martin Luther King, Jr., to fight for racial justice, and to RFK to end the war and fight poverty. Leaders since then have either not inspired (Nixon, Carter, Bush I), disappointed (Clinton, Bush II) or appealed to older voters (Reagan).
This year, young people want to replace their parents and grandparents and become that new generation of activists, organizers, and voters who influence the direction of the country. And it is largely the result of one man: Barack Obama.
Obama is the new face of America: neither white nor black.
He is the new voice of America: for unity and cooperation, and against polarization.
He is the new message of America: of hope and possibility.
The youth of America hear him and see him and believe him and they are willing to work tirelessly to install him as their leader. They do not relate to Hillary Clinton. She is of their parents' generation, divisive and hyper-partisan. She represents the last century, not the new century. She does not inspire.
When Barack Obama said that while he believed Hillary Clinton's supporters would vote for him, he couldn't guarantee that his supporters would vote for her, he sounded arrogant and petty. The reality is that he was only reporting what he observed, that his youthful followers are supporting him not because they are loyal Democrats, but because they see in him something new and different, something refreshing, positive and hopeful. Most of all, they see in him someone who can transcend all that is wrong with the politics of today and they believe if they work hard enough, they can transcend it with him. They can take their miniscule amount of individual efforts, combine it with the efforts of millions of others, and beat a political machine like that of the Clintons. This is what inspires them and renews their hope in democracy.
If Hillary Clinton wins the nomination, and especially if she wins because she succeeds in seating the Michigan and Florida delegates, when all candidates agreed not to seat them, or because the establishment super delegates give her the edge even though Barack wins the most state delegates, many of these young Barack supporters will be disillusioned. Many will no longer participate, not because of "sour grapes," but because they will no longer believe their voice matters. They will join the last several generations who are already cynical about the value of their vote.
This is a transformative election in more than one way. Should Barack Obama win the presidency it would transform this nation, by empowering and inspiring an entire generation of voters. But should he lose the nomination, especially in one of the scenarios mentioned above, an entire generation of Americans could become as cynical as their parents, and American democracy would fail to achieve the renewal that it so desperately needs.
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