First of all, to any Democrats who happen by, congratulations on a successful campaign. May your candidate be as wonderful as you think he is.
You’ve probably heard about the near-tie between my senator, Norm Coleman, and an Anime character named Al Franken. Coleman ended up with just a few hundred more votes. A recount is mandated by law.
This is one of those situations where a voter can say to himself, “Good thing I got out and voted. My vote really does count.”
Except it really doesn’t follow. If somehow my vote gets disqualified, it won’t lose the election for Coleman by itself.
I guess it’s one of those “universalization” exercises you do in Ethics class. “If I break the rule, nothing will probably happen. But if everybody breaks the rule, bad consequences will follow. So I’d better follow the rule, even when I recognize that my own influence is negligible.”
But that doesn’t really satisfy me. Probably because I have low self-esteem, and should just avoid that kind of thought entirely.
I’m a little bothered by all the talk that says, “It’s a great day because America has elected its first African-American president.”
I can understand that black people in this country probably feel pretty good today, and I respect that. They’ve got it coming. It’s been a long time.
But it seems to me that framing it in those “significant because he’s black” terms is kind of… creepy. Like saying the man’s a credit to his race.
It seems to me, race is either something or nothing.
If it’s nothing, then it’s as meaningless when it’s seen positively as when it’s seen negatively.
If it’s something, then it matters as much when it’s seen negatively as when it’s seen positively.
And I don’t think we really want to have this discussion as a nation.
As you can tell, I didn’t get much sleep last night.
But it seems to me that framing it in those “significant because he’s black” terms is kind of… creepy. Like saying the man’s a credit to his race.
Almost. As evidence that the US no longer discriminates based on race it could be valuable. Except that those who beat the racial drum the loudest will just say it’s not real evidence.
Yes, I’ve heard that cry already. One fruitcake–I don’t mind calling him that–said that Obama’s victory means nothing for black people because he was part white. It’s the white part of him that makes him acceptable enough to get to The White House. Stupid.
This whole discussion changed tonight. Let me write a post on it.
IMO, I am not a stupid woman. But, I cannot for the life of me understand all the literal breast beating that met me this morning on a website dedicated to Jane Austen. (I mistakenly thought I might find respite from the turmoil with Regency lovers.) Some commented they were excited to take part in this historic event. Fine. But others paraphrased Michelle Obama and said they were so proud of the country and themselves as Democrats for voting for a Black man.
Huh? I don’t get it. I think the entire character content and color issue have been hijacked.
Later in the day, I heard a Liberal law prof on Hugh Hewitt’s show say that Obama’s election is, in the end, barely a beginning because this country is founded on the corruption of slavery and that there is still obvious racism.
Neither of those things will ever change. By this measure we will never be able to claim to have made any progress.
Gad I’m tired of all this.