Hope and Fear

It’s the day after arguably one of the most interesting and intense presidential elections ever. At the end of the day, the people spoke, and they chose an untested freshman senator with a message of hope over a veteran senator and war hero with a message that could perhaps be cracked by an NSA computer somewhere. My emotions are rather mixed, so this rather rambling post is me venting about politics for the last time this year.

First, I certainly don’t begrudge those who voted for Obama because they believe in his message and believe that he will represent and lead this country well. What worries me are all those who voted for him for the wrong reason. Youth, race, and party affiliation are three of the most idiotic reasons I can think of to bring a person to power. Not one of those factors is a clear indicator of a candidate’s abilities, and yet time and time again, I hear that those are deemed to be important qualities in some people’s minds. Then there is the all-important oratorical skill. It is troubling to hear media outlets proclaim public speaking ability to be so indicative of a candidate’s credentials. Really? I don’t care if the President is mute as long as he (or she) can get the job done and do it well. Let’s hope that the majority is right and Obama can fix what has gone so horribly wrong.

The other thing that I am feeling is heartbreak for a man who literally took a beating for his country during wartime and continued to do so as a public servant. How crushing it must be to have worked for so long with a singular goal and to be so close, only to watch the goal slip away. It’s pretty obvious I respect the guy. He’s blunt, speaks his mind, and doesn’t take the easy way out. He literally sacrificed himself for his country, and if the people didn’t find it fit to allow him to lead the country, they can at least acknowledge and respect the strength and courage it took to make that sacrifice. Sadly, it is just a footnote amidst all the hype that goes on elsewhere.

The speech itself brought on another reaction besides pity and sadness. Anger. McCain finally showed up last night, and it was too late. In watching the tv coverage, even some of the more liberal-leaning outlets were highly complimentary of the graciousness of his speech. Some even went so far as to say that had he spoken with that kind of sincerity and clarity throughout the campaign, then he might have had a better chance. That just pissed me off. The man clearly had a position that he wanted to take and a track record as a person who got results by reaching across the aisle and working with others that his opponent could only dream about. But the party that was supposed to support him instead forced him to change tack in order to keep the base happy and keep the cash and resources flowing. And who is that base? Nutty right-wing hockey moms who shoot moose. McCain was a center-right guy who was forced to take a (far) right, so of course the signals and the message got mixed. McCain didn’t necessarily lose his way because he didn’t know the way or couldn’t find it. It’s more like he was bound and gagged and told to walk to the right while being held at gunpoint. It’s a damn shame, and I am not just disappointed at McCain’s treatment by his own party but genuinely concerned that Palin might lead the GOP ticket in the future.

I truly hope that the country’s optimism isn’t misplaced. The cynic in me says that we just elected the world’s greatest motivational speaker, and just like with most motivational speakers, that hopeful feeling you get during the speech disappears pretty quickly once you return to reality and find that wishful thinking and hopefulness are just that…you have to actually work, and work hard, to make the good things happen. However, I might be getting soft in my old age. Even though I didn’t vote for Obama yesterday, I acknowledge that he could win me over in his first term by putting his money where his mouth is and turning words into action. My preference has always been for strong, thoughtful, and decisive leadership. We have been missing that for the last 8 years (especially the thoughtful part). I hope the next president can deliver. My fear is that the hype will be proved to be just that and we will be in an even worse way than we are now.