Since the Iowa Caucuses, I've been trying avoid Mr. Greenspan's "Irrational Exuberance". It's early, there's a long way to go, he's still a Black Man in America, and to be honest, before those returns came in, the Other Half and I were discussing why a state that really is pretty unrepresentative of the rest of the nation in many ways got to be so darned Important. Ask me about the issues, and I really should be voting for Dennis.
And if there's a lesson to be learned by the results in New Hampshire, it's that sometimes polls don't mean a thing...
But still, I'm sorry, I can't contain myself. In point of fact, even with Hillary's win in New Hampshire, I remain, well....kinda giddy! I've already had the dream of loading all our nieces and nephews into the car and heading to DC on January 20, 2009, to be there in person when History is made...
Obviously I need a cold compress and a little lie down.
(And I'm ignoring the fact that, if Hillary wins, History will STILL be made)
The old Political Science Major in me is making a comeback. This is turning out to be the most exciting primary season I can remember. The Republicans might go into their convention without a clear winner (a smoke-filled room alert will soon be issued for Minneapolis). Hill & Bill could be trading primary's with Barack up to Super Tuesday (I've heard pundits start to call it Tsunami Tuesday, which strikes me as really insensitive)
It's also amazing, in this age of sound-bites, that people are responding to Obama's speeches. Eloquence on the campaign trail? Unheard of (Rev. Mike Huckabee has a bit of this as well, I think, as well as an ability to engage people on both a personal and intellectual level, which is another reason why Iowa was so interesting). I've often said on a local level that one of the things missing here is someone able to give Baltimore residents a vision of our future, someone that could make us dream of something better, and make us long to achieve it. Obama is doing this on a national level. Everyone else seems bogged down in detail, while he soars above it all.
A bit disconcerting -- man and woman do not govern on "The Vision Thing" alone -- but it is essential. And the correct kind of a vision, and embracing one, is important as well.
Plus, the man can write pretty well also.
Yeah, I'm late for the bandwagon. Yes, I am "one of THOSE Negroes who waited to see if white people would vote for a black candidate." Sue me.
See you in DC, Barack!
Kathleen Hall Jamison on Iowa -- and against the Zero-Sum Game analogy in politics. Moyers/Jamison will be a weekly must in our household for the rest of the campain.
A note to those who were went all 'Hillary is Dead' after Iowa
Obama's New Hampshire concession: "Yes We Can"
1 comment:
Excellent read. Don't feel bad, outside of those people that vote as a Line (you know the ones, you tell them how to vote and they just do it without knowing why) you are a serious voter and part of a small percentage, Black, White, Latin, whatever who does their homework and know the issues.
You keep writing your heart out because it does make a difference and it does help people know that Black votes don't come cheap anymore.
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