The View From The Fence

[bain_sidhe]

:hi: all. Still sitting on the fence here, but I'd like to share a few thoughts about this Wright flap, and Obama's speech.

With his speech, Obama gave the citizens of this country an amazing gift of trust. He spoke honestly about problems that have been simmering under the surface for decades. Black anger (in general, not individually) that most African Americans are willing to pretend, to their white friends, isn't there, for the sake of those friendships. White resentments that most whites are willing to pretend, to their black friends, isn't there, again, for the sake of those friendships.

Do the American people understand that this is a gift of trust? I do, but then, my life circumstances may be unusual. I grew up in a very small, all white, rural village. I never thought about race until I went to college. I didn't have any "training" in racism in my early, formative years; not from my folks, not from my community. Since then, I've had several black acquaintances, a few African Americans I could honestly call friends--but only two that gifted me the kind of trust that Obama just gave the entire country--that is, to speak honestly about black anger at the white majority and the legitimate sources of it.

Will the country reciprocate that trust? Will they see past the color of Obama's skin, and his acknowledgment of racial wounds that have yet to be healed, to the truly visionary and transformational person that he is? Or will they allow themselves, once again, to be convinced that they're being unfairly "attacked" by Obama's honesty?

I don't know. I want to believe that they will respond to Obama's gift in the best possible way. By opening their mind to solutions and healing. But, unlike Obama, I'm not sure I can trust them to do so. I don't *like* to be wary of my fellow citizens... but I am. These are the same people that re-elected Bush in the midst of a disastrous war, and amid clear evidence of his incompetence on a host of issues, and his absolute dedication to looting the public treasury on behalf of his cronies.

As I've said before, one of the reasons I haven't "picked" a candidate to get behind is that my goal, my ONLY goal in this election, is to prevent the Repubs from getting another four years to loot the treasury, gut the government, and pack the courts. In light of that goal, both of our candidates have strengths that could help them win the general election, and both of them have weaknesses that could cost them the election--and to me, those strengths and weaknesses are so evenly balanced that I've not been able to decide which one is most likely to get me to my goal.

In my view, the existence of racial divisions is one of Obama's "weaknesses"--not a weakness in him, but in the electorate. I'm not happy about that, but I know that it's there. I've seen it "work" time and time again.

Which is why I'm SO glad this came out now. We all knew it would come out some time. *Obama* knew it would come out sometime, which is why he distanced himself from Wright before he announced. Better that it be now, while there's a lull in the voting to give voters time to "process" their feelings on the matter. If, after the initial "shock" has worn off and the voters have thought things through, it turns out that Obama really does have a "glass jaw" with white voters on the issue of the very real racial divisions in this country, I want to know about that before our nominee is set in stone.

(Sidenote: I'm also glad that Hillary's schedule came out now too, for the same reason. If she has a glass jaw on NAFTA or foreign policy "experience," or whatever, I want to know that now too. But that's a different post.)

If, on the other hand, it turns out that my cynicism is unfounded, that the American people really *are* willing to listen, and think, and move beyond the politics of division that have served the right wing so well in the past decades, no one will be happier than me. It's been so long since I've had a sense of optimism about anything to do with this country or the American people. I want to believe in us again.

So, in the next several weeks, please, America, show me that we're better than we were. Show me you're ready to be a better country.

Let me hope.

[babylonsister]

1. ANOTHER great post! I'd love to trust that Americans will trust,

believe, and do the right thing. I'm hoping. :toast:

[bain_sidhe]

3. I want to hope, really I do

I've just been burned so many times in the last 16 years that it's hard to let go of my wall of pragmatic cynicism.

:toast:

(and, yes, a little :kick: )

[Teaser]

2. I'm an O supporter

but everything you say is on target.

[bain_sidhe]

4. Well, on a personal level, I'm liking Obama more these days

and Clinton a bit less. I don't like Clinton's "kitchen sink" strategy... but I can't deny that it's a comfort to know that that kind of toughness will be applied to McCain in the general election, should she emerge as the nominee.

So, from a pragmatic political standpoint, I'm still on the fence.