The framers of the Constitution were proven correct two years after the U.S. Constitution was ratified in Convention Monday, September 17th, 1787. The proof of this? The French Revolution of 1789 that installed the Reign of Terror in France - an experiment in pure democracy.
I fear that I am viewing shades (if albeit lighter) of this in Obama's campaign. Too many of his followers may be caught up in the moment with their enthusiasm and may have blind trust. Obama may be imperceptive by his notoriety and sudden surge in popularity. He may also be immersed in a rhetoric of change that is not realistic.
Change, as an agent, has a very jaded history. People do not trust change when it happens too quickly. They fear the worst always.
I just finished reading the Bette Midler interview in The Advocate - Winning Bette. Being that this is a political post, it may seem strange to bring this up but Bette has the same basic take that I have on change:
People don’t like change. People have to get used to it. They have to process it. They have to weigh it.. Her comment was in reference to same-sex marriage but it echoes what goes on when change is about to happen.
When I talk to friends who support Obama, when I listen to people being interviewed leaving the polling places, who are asked why they voted for Sen. Obama they invariably have one answer - "I like him."
When they are asked about things Obama stands for and postulates or what his record has been they answer, "I don't know, but I like him."
I guess, no - I know, that this type of uninformed decision making is personally anathema to me. It is difficult for me to not gather as much information as possible before making a decision. I, literally, have pulled up both Clinton's and Obama's record in the Senate and gone through each resolution, law and amendment that they have proposed, their votes in the Senate, and past accomplishments and foibles. I have tried to make an informed decision about each. I realize that to some I may have gone to the extreme, but that is the way I do things, and with the internet it is so much easier than it used to be.
Remember that I support Senator Clinton and that I previously was an Obama supporter. I have mentioned what the turning point was for me - his promise to not run for any other office and completing his term as the junior senator from Illinois. (At the time the fear was that he would run for governor of Illinois, and no one foresaw this.) I was there and heard the promise. It wasn't even a full year later when he began his campaign.
My switch was cemented when I met Mrs. Clinton and heard her in person at a small meeting. I knew she was bright, but I wasn't totally aware of how brilliant she is. That, and I got the impression that she did her homework, so to speak, when making decision.
Yes, I'm aware that Mr. Obama is known for being as precise as possible also, but he is missing one very important thing, and for this I have to go back to the change comments. If you believe, as I strongly do, that change happens slowly no matter what people say and do, then he doesn't have the inside experience of how the monster called Washington D.C. operates. A change program would have every member of Congress stalling and pushing back even worse that they did to Clinton or Carter.
As an example, during the last debate, Senator Clinton brought up that Obama's sub-committee had yet to meet. He agreed and indicated that he has been too busy running for president and that it has gotten in the way. That is unacceptable to me. I voted for him to represent Illinois (and me) in the U.S. Senate. How is that representing me? I'm certain that others would make the same argument about Sen. Clinton, but it would be a bit less. (Remember, I've studied the records.)
I've written other things that I've observed about Mr. Obama's tenure in the Illinois legislature that fit into what could be considered a pattern. His "present" votes, of which one was the sole dissenting vote on a pornography protection bill that passed 58-0 is one of the most striking, may be more telling of what would be to come. I'm not sure that he can deliver on his promises.
Samantha Power, the Obama staffer on foreign relations that resigned for calling Hillary a monster said more in an interview than is being reported. She put a giant hole in the Senator's biggest campaign promise to get the troops out of Iraq.
“He will of course not rely upon some plan he’s crafted as a Presidential candidate or a U.S. Senator, he will rely upon a plan, an operational plan that he pulls together in consolation with people that are on the ground to whom he doesn’t have daily access to now…”
So essentially in the matter of several minutes Obama’s foreign policy advisor managed to undermine one of the centerpieces of his campaign, which was to redeploy combat troops in Iraq in the first 16 months of this Presidency.
The federal system of government is in shambles when it comes to parity and checks/balances as a result of the last seven years with the Bush/Cheney administration. I'm not sure if anyone is capable of straightening out the constitutional mess we are in right now. The challenge is daunting.
I do not feel comfortable with promises only. I don't think that just because someone is liked is a reason to entrust my country and safety to him/her. I do not feel the least bit secure on rhetoric alone. I do not trust evangelism with any cause as a reason in making important decisions.
I lived through the Age of Aquarius with the Kennedy's Camelot. When I look back I wonder what exactly was accomplished. The promise of hope that was espoused never came about. The agents against change fought hard and they won. They are not lurking in the shadows any more; they have been in control for the last 7-20 years...
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