Do You Believe in Magic? - Democratic Underground

NanceGreggs

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Fri Feb-01-08 01:51 AM
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Do You Believe in Magic?

Edited on Fri Feb-01-08 02:00 AM by NanceGreggs

After watching tonight’s debate between Barack and Hillary (and, yes, I do feel I know them both well enough to call them by their front names), I felt a bit of the ol’ magic come back into our lives.

Two incredibly intelligent, well-informed, articulate people discussed not only the fact that we, as a nation, face a myriad of problems, but actually spoke cogently about solutions.

It seems like a very long time (actually, seven years and a bit) since I’ve heard political discourse that didn’t rely on talking points scrawled in crayola on the back of the architectural plans for a bridge to nowhere, or a placard reading StayTheCourse, MissionAccomplished, VictoryIsJust AroundtheCorner, or the all-inclusive Don't Think - Just Trust Us.

In stark contrast to the recent GOP debates, I was reminded tonight not only of what we should be as a nation, but what we can be going forward under the leadership of a president who believes that despite the worst of times we are living in, the best is yet to come.

About twenty years ago, I was listening to someone talking on a radio program – I can’t remember the topic, nor the context; but in this case, neither is truly important. What he said was, “When ordinary Americans believe they can make a difference, they inevitably do.”

What I heard tonight was two people reminding me that I can inevitably make a difference – and they had me from hello.

While the Republican candidates offer soundbytes – the economy is strong, our dependence on foreign oil must be addressed, we are facing difficult challenges – not only has not a single solution to our current problems been offered, they are still insistent in telling us that these problems simply don’t exist.

Of course, there is a reason why the GOP can’t admit that we have problems – because it was their president, and their unwavering support of his policies, that created those problems to begin with.

The political pundits – aka those who are paid to speak on the basis of knowing absolutely nothing – are already referring to tonight’s event as a “discussion rather than a debate”.

And for once, they’re right. It was a discussion; a discussion that the American people have been waiting too long to hear. A discussion not only about where we are, but where we go from here; a heart-to-heart about what went wrong, and how to make it right.

It’s a discussion that the Republicans have to avoid at all costs – because when you talk about where we are, the obvious question arises as to how we got here – and I think we all know the answer.

Political campaigns are made of a combination of sugar-‘n-spice and snails-‘n-puppy dog’s tails. They are spun to the left and to the right; they include tattletales and taunts, he said/she said, half-truths and whole truths and nothing-but-the-thruths – all ultimately interpreted by We the People who have seen it all, heard it all and, in the end, will tend to make up our own minds when all is said and done.

But then there’s The Magic – it inspires, it motivates, it makes believers out of non-believers. It pushes the dark forces back and reminds us all that when we believe we can make a difference, we inevitably will. The Magic transcends space and time: it encourages us to look back on what once made us great, and reminds us that the brass ring is still there, just waiting to be grabbed and triumphantly displayed to the world. The Magic doesn’t mire itself in what-has-been, but builds on the foundation of what-could-be.

As displayed by our two last-standing candidates tonight, We've got The Magic on our side - and it is grounded not in soundbytes, but real ideas to be implemented, and real ideals worth striving for.

To the nay-sayers, the things-will-never-change crowd, the we’re-doomed-no-matter-what constituents – the non-believers in magic – I can only say this: "I’d tell ya about the magic, it would free your soul – but it’s like trying to tell a stranger ‘bout rock-‘n-roll."