As a kid one of my reasons for becoming interested in politics was the quadrennial national conventions. As someone who loves language and its ability to move people, the lofty speeches that called out to our ideals was something I found awesomely inspiring. Every four years at least one person finds a way to tap into something deeper than the usual, stale monologues reciting party platform planks like menu items in a restaurant where every dish is red meat. And, like the Olympics, we watch because of the possibility that someone will catch fire, someone who's name wasn't well known on the national stage who immediately becomes a household word. The chance that a person will seemingly come out of nowhere and prove themselves worthy of attention makes it thrilling to watch because you want to say that you were there at that moment their spark caught fire.
Four years ago Barack Obama spoke to a nation and gave voice to a swelling number of people who felt that the President had failed in the days after 9/11. That, beside the bull horn speech, Bush never asked Americans to sacrifice and come together, in fact Bush's words increasingly divided as he used a national tragedy for political gain (when my staunchly Republican friends ask me why it is, as they see it, that Democrats "hate" Bush that is the reason I give- I remember watching the horrible events on September 11, 2001 and waiting for order from the President to conserve energy and other measures so that we could quit foreign oil but I was asked to go shopping). Despite speaking to a party that was craving more red meat and looking for someone to take on the hard right wing that had dominated the government, Obama called to the nation's shared ideals and showed himself to be someone capable of leading a nation through troubled times. It's easy for people to dismiss it as "just a speech," but it was more than that, it was a leader revealing himself live on the national stage when most people hadn't even heard of him. You can argue whether he's got the right policies and judgment but you can't argue that in one speech he revealed himself to be capable of the leadership it takes to move a nation.
While words can be used to deceive, they can also enlighten and inspire. I look to these political conventions for someone willing to boldly tell the truth and for someone willing to give the people a voice, someone willing to lead us from our self-absorption and ask us to work for a higher calling. Shallow patriotism, hollow platitudes and empty rhetoric won't cut it. Who will find the words to remind us of our shared fate and how we can either stand together or fall alone? The nation's greatest presidents are usually considered that because they found such words. That is why I watch...
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11 comments:
Nobly wrote.
I take it that you are waiting breathlessly for the opening speech of our President, during which he will provide us with continuing inspiration (or inspired Words).
Jist pullin' yer laig, pardner!
Do you think that Laura will address the world and explain why GWBII insulted the Chinese before he arrived at the Olympics, why he still thinks that bombing western Afghanistan civilians is a good way to find OBL who is obviously in the eastern tribal mountains bordering Pakistan, why he sent Marines to Georgia and is now sending a U.S.Navy guided-missile destroyer, and U.S.Coast Guard cutter into the Black Sea, why he opposes the democratic desires of independent countries to separate from his adopted oil-rich regimes, or why his Economic Stimulus checks and tax cuts are benefiting only the rich?
The platform of the Republican Party, during a time when we are thrashing about looking for anything that can keep us afloat, seems to be focused on negative attack ads by PT Boat sailors.
It would be refreshing to think that we might enjoy a demonstration of the leadership experience they claim to have during the next five months.
Down below, under "Parade politics" agnosticrat mentioned "someone that felt apprehensive about putting an Obama sign in their yard out of fear".
Sadly, that is not an irrational fear. While so-called christians have a history of cross-burnings and night-time attacks on vulnerable neighbors, the modern christian-right seems to find courage by stealing. They no doubt are getting some Biblical support from their local pulpits (perhaps the same scriptural passages that launched the christian Crusades George Bush is so proud of).
As I predicted earlier, my Obama sign disappeared last night while I was attending a large gathering of Democrats watching Obama accepting his nomination and focusing his message on raising our moral standards and hoping for the future. I bought two signs to replace the one stolen by a neighbor.
Once again, my flag will go out at half-staff for another American sacrificed to corporate greed and the christian self-righteousness. It will also mourn the loss of moral leadership in the USA.
Sometime today, McCane will hobble up on a platform and announce his obvious choice of the evangelical christian Minnesota Governor Plenty to attract a crowd to St. Paul and to pander to the superheated right-wing warmongers who want four more years of crusading, regardless of the cost in lives and dollars. The choice won't be based on any proof of experience or independent judgement, merely on church attendance.
The christian-based Blackwater storm troopers will be arriving this weekend at MSP to "serve and protect". That will be over and above the $50 million of our tax dollars being spent on each convention to make us feel "safe".
From whom?
Perhaps some of the effort to separate God from education could be reassigned to putting Christ back in Christianity.
..the sound of one hand clapping...
Hey El Grillo...maybe we need a cement sign installation setup in this county. Or better yet, make the wires out of depleted uranium to make them too heavy (and radioactive)
Biblically speaking, one candle should do the trick. We will see in November if enlightenment overcomes evil.
Wow! Did I miss seeing that one coming!
McCane didn't pick Plenty, he picked None of the Above.
So which of the two Democrats running for President is enlightened and which one is evil?
That would be cute if it made any sense.
I guess I will have to start listening to the religious-right- wing AM talk shows to see if they can explain why the people running our country would sift through all of the skirts to attract the female vote and come up with one with almost nothing to offer. Perhaps they believe that after dancing with puppets for eight years we are ready for a hockey puck.
If I was female I would be outraged at such an obvious selection based entirely on sex.
Mrs.McCane ain't bad either.
I'm outraged because the McCainiacs think I'll cast a vote for him because he picked a conservative running mate. Am I supposed to vote then hope McCain becomes ill and has to resign? McCain has already proved that he has no regaurd for the Constitution with Mcain/Feingold and no regaurd for the Sovereignty of our country with McCain/Kennedy. He say's he gets it that we want the Borders secured first, But he doesnt get it, the Borders need to be secured and the illegal invaders sent back. Cut of their Welfare, their Housing and their Medical and there'll be a mass exodus back to Mexico. I've seen their protests and it's not US flag they're waving.
"It is likely Ms. Palin will earn the respect and admiration of millions of Americans by being exactly who she is: spunky, tenacious, likable, honest, pro-life, conservative, real."
DCuz
This is a warning to all of the countries that are considered a threat to our security. You better watch out, because when McCane disintegrates in office we will have a New Commander-in-Chief who will be spunky, tenacious, likable, honest, pro-life, conservative, real.
After all, she got lots of experience as a mayor of a town almost as big as Hastings!
Hockey moms can get really mean! So there, by gosh!
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