I’m more pleased than not with the results of yesterday’s election (meaning pleased that Obama won out over McCain, not pleased that we got ourselves yet another president). Sure, Obama is a corporate liberal whose policies are not really any less fascistic or imperialistic than McCain’s, but a) he at least seems less trigger-happy than McCain; b) culturally, his election is a satisfying slap in the face to racism and parochialism (it’s great to see a black person at last in the nation’s highest-profile and most influential job – I just wish the nation’s highest-profile and most influential job weren’t the goddamn presidency); and c) hell, if I have to listen to some guy’s speeches for the next four to eight years, just from an aesthetic standpoint it’ll be a relief to have them coming from someone who’s charismatic and articulate rather than from an irritating doofus. (Mind you, the argument could be made that from an anarchist standpoint it’s better to have an irritating doofus in the White House rather than someone charismatic and articulate – but I’m skeptical; we’ve had plenty of irritating doofuses in the White House over the last two centuries without any noticeable positive effect.)
To be sure, I also favour Obama’s immediate impeachment – but that’s nothing personal, it’s just business.
I did my civic doody and voted yesterday; I wrote in Ruwart for the top slot (the first time in 20 years that I haven’t voted for the LP nominee) and “none of the above” for all the other offices. (There was a Boston Tea Party write-in candidate for Senate in Alabama, but his platform did not persuade me.) I also voted against an amendment authorising the Alabama state government to dig itself deeper into its current financial mess by borrowing more rather than cutting spending. (It passed anyway.)
It looks like Barr ended up with about 485,000 votes. That’s better than any LP candidate has done recently – but it’s not way better, and it’s about the same as what Browne got in 1996 with less name recognition and a far more radical campaign. So although they’ll probably try to spin it as a vindication, the reformists’ adapt-to-win policy looks like a failure – and deservedly so. Sell your soul, get a crackerjack prize.
“culturally, his election is a satisfying slap in the face to racism and parochialism…”
You’ve made this point before, but I’m still unconvinced. I just don’t see how government’s having someone from a long oppressed and abused racial group–government itself being responsible for much of that oppression and abuse–as its chief executing officer is necessarily a “slap in the face to racism.” It seems to me that to believe that is to actually accept the basic premise of one of the state’s own lines, which is a little puzzling particularly when you’re talking about a black president who proposes to step up the bombing of brown skinned people in another part of the world.
And how is his election a slap against parochialism? Because his father was Kenyan and he spent some of his childhood abroad? How many times has Obama preached service and sacrifice for “one’s country”?
We’d be screwed one way or another with either Obama or McCain, but the Republicans deserved every bit the ass-kickings they received last night and two years ago, so perhaps I would have been a little more vexed if McCain had won instead. And I agree with you that Obama gives an impression that he’s on more of an even keel (though it’s often difficult to judge those qualities from a distance, and the appearance of an even temperament gives little comfort in light of Obama’s stated willingness to bomb Pakistan and escalate the war in Afghanistan ).
But a slap in the face to racism and parochialism? If that’s true, that slap won’t sting much.
I wonder if Roderick will ever read the comments on this post?
Bob: You’ve made this point before, but I’m still unconvinced. I just don’t see how government’s having someone from a long oppressed and abused racial group–government itself being responsible for much of that oppression and abuse–as its chief executing officer is necessarily a “slap in the face to racism.”
Well, it seems to me that we can distinguish racism and statism as distinct (though complexly interrelated) problems. The fact that so many white Americans were willing to support Obama for what they regard as the nation’s most prestigious job is a sign of major progress on the racism front. The fact that the presidency is what they regard as the most prestigious job is a sign of lack of progress on the statism front.
(I’ve heard some libertarians say that blacks in high positions in business is a better sign of progress on the racism front than a black’s being elected to the presidency. I don’t agree. When blacks succeed in business they’re being selected by market “voters” indirectly.)
Black Bloke: I wonder if Roderick will ever read the comments on this post?
Never! never!
Anonymous For Ron Paul Dammit —
I can see why you’re anonymous.
Rod, whaddaya mean Obama beat NOTA?
Obama and McCain got only around 60 mil votes each. Consequently 180 odd million Americans chose None Of The Above which — just as in every other presidential election we’ve had since the foundation of the union –squarely beat out all those who voted for having a president, never mind the specific candidates they voted for.
I didn’t say he beat NOTA fairly.