Posted by
Andrews on Sunday, September 21, 2008 12:29:50 PM
I have run into an interesting problem when arguing with the Obama supporters, it seems we are speaking two different languages. Or at the very least, that we are arguing about two different things.
For instance, when I start to claim that Obama has ties to rather shady characters, has been involved in some shady political shenanigans, and so on, all proving he is hardly a "new kind of politician", the Obama supporters come back pointing out that McCain is just as much a traditional politician. Or when I argue that Obama is saying quite manipulative things, trying to promise everything to everyone and making promises he can never fulfill, all while claiming to be honest and trustworthy, bringing change, they say "so is McCain".
And that is where we seem to be speaking two different languages. I don't care that McCain is an old time politician, or even that he panders to some groups. I don't care that he might not be the best choice for the job, or that he might even have some corruption in his past. What maters is that he is the best candidate with any chance of winning, and is right on enough issues that I trust he won't do too much harm.
The problem in communicating with Obama supporters is that they are looking for a savior, I am looking to fill a job opening. They want someone who will be a white knight, come in and save them from all the ills of the world. I want someone who will do the least harm and maybe even make things a bit better. So whenever we try to discuss the selection of a president, it is as if we are describing two completely different things.
Of course, this isn't the first time I have run into this problem.
The conservatives who opposed McCain had the same attitude, looking for a perfect conservative to fill the office, and so sick of selecting the lesser of two evils that they were willing to select the greater of two evils. So this isn't unique tot he Obama supporters, but they have developed it to an art form.
It is time for us to look at politics realistically. Those who go into politics tend to be the kind who like to use political power to solve problems, so it is unlikely we will find many who want to give government less power. And when we do find one, the moment he tells us the government isn't going to "solve" a problem that touches us personally, we turn on him and vote him out of office. So the best we can hope for is a politician who is better than the rest of this sorry lot.
Oh, from time to time a great one will slip through the cracks and hold on to his office despite refusing to involve the government where it doesn't belong, but that is a rarity. Until voters change, until we all are willing to accept that some problems aren't the job of government, we will continue to be left picking the lesser of two evils. That is simply the way things are. Complaining about it, voting in bad candidates to "send a message" and other suicidal displays won't cure it. Until we change the way we think about politics, it simply is, and we would be fools to try to act as if the situation were different.
However, conservatives continue to make that error. And so many on the right end up sounding more like those Obama supporters who puzzle me, the ones who sound like they are dating their candidate. I admit that it is hardly exciting to support someone because they are the lesser of two evils, but not everything in life can be exciting. Sometimes we have to simply take a deep breath, calm down, and accept reality. We aren't going to get the ideal candidate, and to demand all or nothing will mean we get nothing time after time.
NOTE: I was going to provide links for many of my points, but those links already exist in the one essay linked above, so I will simply refer you there should you want to see some elaboration upon my basic argument.