I’m not on the Obama train. I’m close enough to the tracks that I can feel the whoosh of the train as it careens by me - my hair gets tousled, my clothes blow back - but onboard, I am not. I believe that the changing of the guard does not constitute a change of course, and so I am unwilling to purchase my ticket. By my estimation, and perspective, the tracks still run off a cliff in the near distance.
Even if Springsteen played acoustic guitar as the Titanic set sail it would be a hard sale.
I am a political agnostic—show me a miracle and I’ll consider joining the party. Lets go with the Obama is the Messiah theory for a second. If Jesus was able to heal the lame, perhaps Obama is able to cripple the lame-o’s. For it is true that Dick Cheney—the most prestigious lame-o of the bunch--had to attend the inauguration in a wheelchair. And Bush wore a straight jacket, with a flag pin.
I feel uneasy about popping the bubble of every Democrat I run into, but it’s so simple, like stealing candy from a child.
A coffered Dem sipping a fine wine asks me. “If you could only have one of Obama’s promises come true which would it be: Health Care, Stopping the War, or, Fixing the Economy. Which would it be?
“The war.”
“Right. Because if he stops the war, we will have a boom in the economy, and the profits could be used for health care.”
“Wrong. Obama is no peace candidate. He wants to attack Afghanistan.”
“We have to get Osama. We should have gone into Afghanistan to begin with.”
“Because you would rather kill Afghani children rather than Iraqi children?”
“What?”
“And the economy will have no boom. We are on the verge of collapse. The internet is eating small business and big business equally.”
“What?”
“Perhaps the Government foresaw our impending demise and so allow a congenial President to hold helm so that we have a friendly face to keep revolution at bay.”
“Allow? Obama was unanimously voted in.”
“He won by a small margin in the popular vote. If our country needs to “pull together” to see us through the storm, America is still radically divided.”
“What are you, an Anarchist?”
“What are you, delusional? Haven’t you learned anything from our brief history? The best liar becomes President. Don’t you remember, “I didn’t have sex with that intern?”
“So he lied about sex. So what?”
“If a President lies about sex, do you think he would tell the truth about economic, environmental, or, social collapse? Of course not—The President would tell us to remain calm even at the final hour—and we’re 23 minutes into it.”
“This is about diversity!”
“Diversity? You live in Santa Cruz, everyone is white and well off!”
“Listen to me. This is the only chance our country has had since Kennedy was President to unite. And if you are going to stand there and tear apart Martin Luther Kings dream than I say you, my friend, are in a small minority.”
“Did you get the specifics on the dream? Will I be able to still express concern over the details or will I not be part of the dream? Is Obama going to dismantle the corporate entities that run this country through lobbying power? Will Obama challenge the CIA and other covert organizations to let citizens regain autonomous power over their lives?”
“Come again?
“Within in the next few years, a device will be perfected that can read minds, probe our thoughts, expose our inner workings. Can Obama assure me the thought police will not visit my cranium?”
“You’re obviously a wingnut and this conversation is over.”
“But I voted for Obama.”
“Then you have nobody to complain to when it all goes awry.”
She had a good point. I was moved by Ralph Nader and his can-do history of good will. But I buckled and voted for the smooth-talking community activist from Chicago. Against all belief that if voting made a difference it would be illegal, I cast my lot in with the sheep. Now, I share no excitement, I made my bed, now I must sleep in it and keep my nightmares to myself. Alone, a minority of one.
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If you could only have one of Obama’s promises come true which would it be?
