Policy, Not Race, Could Make Obama Great
Not to gloss over the remarkable achievement of America electing its first Black president, but the heavy focus we have seen misses the point of this election entirely. Barack Obama is set to lead this country out of one of the worst periods in its history. And he will do so slowly and steadily, with a plan that looks beyond the next news cycle.
Quite frankly, the United States is in great peril. We have gaping budget deficits, two wars, a recession and the threat of terrorism. If you think my generation was about to vote for Alan Keyes (or even Colin Powell) just to make him the first Black president, then you missed a pretty good election.
President-elect Obama exudes confidence, which is predicated on attention to detail and planning. During the campaign John McCain criticized Obama for having a chief of staff (Rahm Emanuel) lined up before election day. He named Emmanuel within 24 hours of winning the election, putting him about six weeks ahead of where Bill Clinton was in 1992. This is the same discipline that had Obama ready to pound Hillary Clinton after the Super Tuesday primary yielded no clear winner. He won because he ran a superior campaign and understand the message that would resonate with the American people. In the end, race did not matter.
Obama reaching the presidency is the merely a visible landmark along a path that has already been paved. For people under 35, it is amazing that we have a Black president, not because we have seen the history of black oppression, but rather because we have read about it. Quite simply, the older generations are just realizing how little race means to those born in the 1970s and after. Let’s just say that I always figured it would be a lot less likely to see a half Black, half Thai man dominate the lily-white sport of golf than I did that a bi-racial guy, who finished first in his Harvard Law School class, would make it to the White House.
Over the last few days I have listened to extremely interesting discussions on race and what it means to have to first Black president (Talk of the Nation, On Point, Countdown, Slate and a number of others have all covered in in great detail). Even during John McCain’s extremely elegant and gracious acceptance speech, he made a reference to it (unfortunately called it a moment of pride for “African-Americans,” when he clearly should have said “all Americans”). Yet, you hardly see Barack Obama focused on it, beyond acknowledging it in his acceptance speech. Remember, he’s always been the remarkable Black guy. He started running as someone who had been Senator for two years and took down the Clinton machine. Let’s just say he’s not exactly wanting for self-confidence. The result does not seem to surprise him
And so too, it is hardly a revelation to people from my generation. I have been represented by Black Congressmen for the last 26 years, a Black mayor from ages 10-14, one of my Senators is a woman and the other is a Jew, and my governor is blind and Black (and he replaced a Jew). So what if I’m from Brooklyn. The governor of Louisiana (who has a very good short at being on the 2012 GOP ticket) is the son of Indian immigrants. Louisi-freaking-ana. If Louisianans can elect a 36 year-old whose legal first name is “Piyush,” somehow a half-Black president isn’t that nuts.
This does not mean that there is racial utopia in the US. There have only been three Black US Senators since Reconstruction. Harold Ford Jr. probably lost his 2006 Tennessee Senate race because he is Black. And there was an extremely racist advertisement that probably did him in during the last two weeks that year. But people my age are more impressed with the first Black president from an historical context than anything else. After all, there was never any question if Obama was going to win the under-40 vote. It was if he could get enough of the over-55 folks. As the current occupant of the White House is fond of saying, this racial component of this election is for to judge. I’m focused on the policies ahead of us (unfortunately Dubya never added that second line).
The election is behind us and Obama won because the country has been mismanaged on every level over the last eight years. People may say that Obama won because he is Black, because there was a financial crisis or as a result of the Palin pick. The truth is that a Democrat was going to win this year as long as the nominee didn’t completely fuck it up.
On Passover Jews go through a list of things God did in Egypt, and after each one they say “dayenu“–it would have been enough. The Democrats needed an issue to run on. They had a recession. Dayenu. The American army is stuck in Iraq, while Bin Laden walks free. Dayenu. There was the mismanagement of Katrina. Dayenu. Surplus to deficit. Crumbling infrastructure. Dependence on foreign oil. An ignorance about the environmental damage being done. Dayenu, dayenu dayenu.
America is lucky that Obama won in that environment resisteding the inclination to run a divisive campaign. He ran negative ads, but they were not the type that would tear the country apart. That’s why many of the people who voted for McCain are not angry about the result–even if they have reservations about how Obama made respond.
President-elect Obama won a clean and decisive victory. His call for change matched the country’s urgent desire. His planning has been superb, and we can only hope that is the model he will follow as president. America elected an extradinarily intelligent man who knows how to be brutally tough when he needs to (just ask Hillary).
He is already focused on the next task: the unenviable job of putting together a huge staff and cabinet without hiring friends who might not be up to the job. He didn’t even lose one day in moving from running to governing. America elected the best person to lead this country.
And I heard this rumor that he’s Black.
MulattoRocks responds:
Posted: November 10th, 2008 at 4:30 pm →
“And he will do so slowly and steadily, with a plan that looks beyond the next news cycle”. Nice words. But nothing – not even a “plan” – to back them up yet. What’ve you got, a crystal ball? Eulogising Obama as being a Great US President before he’s even in is a bit scary.
stuart responds:
Posted: November 11th, 2008 at 10:47 pm →
Sounds like the first responder is on a serious downer.
Obama is inheriting the mother of all administrative cock-ups, but there is simply nobody else capable of turning America around. He may not succeed in every department but he’s tough enough and smart enough to have a shot.
I’m not American, but I feel the sense of hope that Obama’s campaign has raised; he is as much the real deal as the present incumbent is a dimwit. And in delivering the greatest victory speech in living memory he embraced everyone and meant every word. He’s a man who wants to get things done and I have every confidence he will.
You’re right. Race wasn’t a factor for the electorate and it won’t be a factor when it’s time to scrutinise Obama’s legacy; he will be judged on the achievements of office. Then he can join Abe on Mt Rushmore.
; a factor colour doesn’t enter
stuart responds:
Posted: November 11th, 2008 at 10:48 pm →
oops … please ignore that last line (forgot to delete)
Elana responds:
Posted: November 14th, 2008 at 5:05 am →
It is a great hope that Obama will be remembered historically for the policies that he will put in place. As he has not done any of that yet, it’s hard to know. It can’t be ignored that he’s the first black president and right now, that’s what people have to go on. This revelation, no doubt, will fade with time as he gets into presidency. And, no doubt, after his presidency, it will, hopefully, become less remarkable to have a black president and he will be historically marked as a pioneer in that respect.
I disagree with Stuart, though. Race was always an issue in this election, even in the electorate. Just because you want to ignore it doesn’t mean it’s not there. Breaking a barrier for the first time on this scale is a huge deal and between the historical significance and white guilt, it would be hard not to call it relevant. Even in the electorate college.