 Election
Commentary
by
Nicholas Joseph
Far removed from the many manufactured divisions pushed by
a very biased mainstream media; Democrats relished four awesome and
historic days in Denver. They proved that no single political party
has a monopoly on patriotism. America belongs to all its citizens,
irrespective of background, upbringing and social standing.
Barack Obama is under no illusion that by
virtue of the significance of his momentous candidacy, he will be
airlifted into the White House. The truth is, never before has so
much been required of a presidential candidate. In his all-American
acceptance speech Barack made it clear that love of country is not
the private domain of conservatives.
He underscored that patriotism is not mainly a slogan for
winning votes, but is how we treat and relate to each other.
“Government,” he said, cannot do all, “but government must
help and not hurt its people. It must be there for them.” A
people’s government will not abandon them in their time of
greatest need. That was evidenced three years ago, when the Bush
administration was absent for days after Hurricane Katrina in
Louisiana, while people drowned from rising floodwaters and perished
on their rooftops. The images of an American city with dead corpses
on the road for days should remind all Americans that government
matters and there are consequences to elections.
The much-hyped disunity that the
Republicans and the media anticipated and attempted to fuel at the
Denver Convention did not happen. Hillary and Bill Clinton
understood what is at stake in this election cycle. They were
gracious and forceful in their support for Barack Obama, but more
profoundly for the American people. The Clintons may be ambitious
political animals, but they are savvy enough to understand that the
country has had eight years too much of Bush and McCain. “No way,
no how and no McCain,” declared Senator Clinton. The Clintons
fought contentious election primaries, but when the national
interest is at stake they understand the value of putting aside
petty differences for a bigger cause.
By any measure, it was a people’s
convention designed to highlight the plight and suffering of
ordinary people and to give hope for the future. There were numerous
speeches, but the stories of ordinary Americans who have experienced
the hardships of the last eight years were revealing, appealing and
at times emotional. The many struggles of individuals who have been
left behind by an administration whose priorities include massive
tax breaks to the rich.
The convention showcased an anxious
audience, tired of the old ways of Washington and ready to take back
their country. The diversity of the crowd highlighted that Americans
are prepared to set aside ideological differences and racial
tensions of the past in the quest for a new day in America. The
pundits are insistent that Obama must do more and more to prove his
credentials and his readiness for the highest office. Over and over
again he has demonstrated his symbiosis with the people and
understanding of the new American thinking. People want a clean
break from the old stereotypes and a progressive direction for
economic viability.
On the first night of the convention, the
prospective first lady, Michelle Obama in prime time revealed a
brand new image of an African-American family. She was articulate,
poised and extremely confident with a message of American renewal
and genuine family values —
the kind that has been the hallmark of thousands of families
of color across America, but are not often portrayed on television
screens. She was a standard bearer that night for all that our
parents taught us about hard work, morality and values. Her
daughters appeared well disciplined and her mother must be truly
proud. America will be richly blessed to have her as its First Lady.
Unfortunately, there was something
disturbing about some of the commentaries in the black community
after the event. I listen with amazement to Professor Cornell West
on the Tavis Smiley show arguing that Obama appeared to be running
away from his black history. Professor West is an intelligent
historian, commentator and author, but on this occasion he missed
the point. Prior to Obama’s speech an entire hour had been
dedicated to honoring the historic significance of Martin Luther
King Jr. and his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech. Obama is a byproduct
of that struggle and his nomination as leader of the Democratic
Party in the 21st Century is credible evidence that the
fight for equality has assumed a new and enlightening direction. The
black revolution has succeeded and it is time for a brand new
strategy for empowerment. Obama understands that he is swimming
against a tide and he must forever be careful to bridge that divide.
Like some white people, there are some
people in the African American community who will not vote for Obama,
no matter what he says or does. Some are still in shock that a black
man can accomplish so much so quickly. Interestingly, they have
fought for this day for decades, but now that it is here they are
caught between the reality of the moment and denial. More
importantly, Obama’s successes generate a whole new dynamic of
black consciousness in the community. It is a powerful image for
young people who have been marginalized by politicians who have used
them in successive elections for votes but have not turned back to
uplift their communities. The energy exhibited by young people to
Obama’s candidacy and message of change and hope is the clearest
signal of a revolutionary movement that seeks to transcend the
negativism, cynicism and disinterest of this generation. Their
engagement in the political process gives hope that the next crop of
politicians will be rooted in the causes of ordinary people.
On the 45th anniversary of
Martin Luther King’s speech when Obama, the son of an immigrant
and White American woman accepted his party’s nomination, the
struggles have come full circle. King’s dream had metamorphosed
into the creation of a new movement for economic and educational
empowerment. Obama is simply the vessel that embodies this new
thinking. When he wins the White House in November, the country will
send a powerful message that in America there are no blue states or
red states and that ideological persuasion is no longer relevant. It
will be the fulfillment of the dream that a man should be judged not
by the color of his skin but by the content of his character. That
was the single most powerful message from the Denver Democratic
Convention.
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McCain's
VP
pick
a
sick
joke
 John McCain and his cohorts are the only ones
who think this election is a big joke. After four awesome and
historic nights in Denver, Democrats were on the move, more united
and determined to get rid of the Bush-McCain eight years of misery.
The paranoid and desperate Republican nominee decided to roll the
dice. He came up with an unknown running mate, a former beauty
queen, 44 years old Sarah Palin. An unnamed GOP strategist described
her simply: “She is someone nobody knows.”
The Governor of Alaska, population 9,000,
she is the mother of five kids. In the event McCain was to win the
election, and God forbid was called up yonder, she would be a
heartbeat away from the presidency. Among her much touted
credentials: she knew her last child had Downed Syndrome and she
decided to have her instead of an abortion. Yes, that takes courage.
The country does not need a night nurse at McCain’s bedside. It
needs competent and steady leadership in the event of an unforeseen
tragedy. Eight years of rampant mismanagement at all levels of
government has proven beyond reasonable doubt that the American
people cannot take a chance on more of the same.
Folks, the problem here is not
necessarily Mrs. Palin. It is the failing judgment of an old man who
believes that politics is more important that the national interest.
By choosing Sarah Palin as his VP, McCain demonstrated that
self-interest and style are more important considerations than
substance. His choice is confirmation that the Republicans are
prepared to put young lives at risk in
the crusade for ideology. If
McCain can pick Palin as VP, he will have no difficulty sending
young men and women into combat when the country’s national
security interest is not at stake. Indeed, Obama is right: “McCain
does not get it!”
All along, the press have reminded us
that a Vice Presidential choice of a running mate is the most
important decision the nominee has to make prior to become
president, if elected. Well, if that was John McCain’s most
impressive choice he fell far short and is gambling with the
national interest.
Of course there are some conservatives
who are giddy about the decision. If you listen to Sean Hannity and
his crowd you would think Sarah Palin, the unknown political
quantity, is manna from heaven. They argue that she compliments
McCain because she brings executive experience to the ticket.
Executive experience that McCain lacks. So, here is McCain, seeking
the most powerful position in the world with no executive experience
and they want us to believe that Obama is inexperienced? They say
she is pro-life, pro-guns and pro-pageants and that makes her Joe
Biden’s equal. Really?
Here is the cockeyed reasoning that I
think went into McCain’s straw pull. After watching and listening
to the well-executed and almost flawless Democratic convention in
Denver, McCain wanted to do something unusual to grab media
attention. Unable to match the popularity and charisma of Barack
Obama, McCain believes that pulling Sarah Palin from obscurity will
send the media into a frenzy. Besides, he is listening to all the
media hype about how white women will not vote for Obama. In
addition, he thinks that there are dissatisfied women who are pissed
off with the Democrats because Hillary is not on the ticket. The
fallacy of that analysis is that McCain assumes that those women
will rally behind any woman. Palin may be a woman but she does not
represent the interest of those women who supports Hillary Clinton.
Interestingly, Palin believes that government should interfere with
a woman’s right to control her reproductive organs. She cannot
trust women to make their own choices in conjunction with their
families and doctors.
McCain’s VP choice represents an act of
utter desperation. The press reports that he has only met her once
prior to extending an invitation for her to be on the ticket,
suggesting an even more sinister or senile act. But, if that is the
best McCain can come up with in the interest of country, then one
must ask how patriotic is this act? As someone said recently,
Republicans don’t give a damn about county. Their overriding goal
is power at all cost.
The once renowned maverick
has not only lost the wheels from his ‘Straight Talk Express,’
he seems to have also lost his gonads. He is simply out of it.
-
Nicholas
Joseph
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