"Fire is motion / Work is repetition / This is my document / We are all all we've done / We are all all we've done / We are all all we've done / We are all all defenses."

- Cap'N Jazz, "Oh Messy Life," Analphabetapolothology

Saturday, August 04, 2007

more thoughts on the 2008 Democratic campaign

in light of the provoking points my friend Brian brought up the other day, i'd like to append to my last post, in which i addressed what i think are important strategic concerns in regards to landing a Democrat in presidential office in 2008.*

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BRIAN:
You raise some good points Steph, but two things may make that moot.

1. Immigration is not going away and any gains made by the right are being negated by the Hispanic vote moving left.

2. Iraq is the key and will determine who is elected. The more American casualties and violence, the more likely a Democrat will be elected.

---
yes, you're right. Iraq is a key (tho i would argue, not "the" key), and it is certainly affecting the way they're campaigning. but Iraq aside (since the Dems will, in large part, present similar strategies for getting out of Iraq), the vote still boils down to a matter of "how much change can our country handle?"

now, for my generation, this is a momentous point in our lived history. most of us can probably barely remember a States without the ludicrous Bush regime. any change will seem huge to us. but to have our first minority president, that will be TREMENDOUS! (and i'm not saying unwelcome...) even for other generations, our first woman or Black president will be a huge turning point in our nation's history, and i'm not sure if that much change right now is something America is ready for.

again, i hope i'm wrong. but many analysts have been saying, like you, that Iraq is the key. and many, unfortunately, still have terrorism in the back of their minds. and in the word of one political analyst, are "looking for a president who can protect us."

i just hope that we don't go seeking that kind of protection in something "safe."

-stef


*let me remind you, readers, that i am in no way claiming any sort of authority on the subject of formal politics. as i have said before, i tend to stay out of it as much as possible, preferring grassroots community-organizing to the two-party system. heck, i'm not even a political science major (or minor!) so my opinion is merely that of an interested observer, and hopeful citizen of the United States.

2 comments:

Rae Jin Devine said...

I too prefer staying out of politics.

Something that bothers me is the issue of respect from other nations if we had a minority/female president. For example, how would negotiations between said president and many middle eastern countries be changed?

Anonymous said...

Thanks for think link Steph.

If we, the grassroots, don't demand a change, then we deserve what we get. There are so many issues out there and so many unhappy people throughout the political spectrum.

So far, there is no candidate who has offered an alternative to the current regime. There must be changes, some very painful, if we are to have a better future.