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Sunday, November 16, 2008

What’s Wrong with America’s Politics?



I have had ten days to take in the win of President-elect Obama and I am still getting used to the idea. Fundamentally the concept of a black man as the president of a country is no big deal. Even South Africa achieved that before America. No one has had to tell black Americans that they are worthy of the office, as are women, but the breakthrough came when a long held pre-condition for that office was broken, that being that you had to be white and male. The only other man who could have pulled that off and had even greater support was Colin Powell, but he didn’t want to put his family through all that the American people and press will put Obama through. As he said, he just didn’t have the fire in the belly for it. A great number of us interpreted that to mean that he was too smart.

But, Mr Obama is President-elect and is raring to take over and get well stuck in. The last time an American president engendered such hope was with President J.F. Kennedy. I think that with Mr. Obama the level of expectation is even higher, and that’s a lot to live up to.

So, what is wrong with American politics?

Firstly, the process is simply too dammed expensive. Between the two front-runners they raised and mostly spent a billion dollars, and the campaign went on for nearly two years. And then, there were all those others who ran hard and spent big.

Secondly, it is extremely divisive. Those important debates were not friendly and a lot of very negative things were said that resonated with voters. It is very difficult to get a straight answer from anyone in America. There are only Republican and Democratic answers. To get a straight and reasoned answer to the question “Don’t you think we’re having a lovely day?” would most likely bring the most puzzling responses.

After all the shouting and money spent, the country can still end up with a Bush. Many people seem to think that he was the bottom of the barrel, the absolute worst of all America’s presidents. Now I’m sure that he achieved many very positive things during his two terms in office. Other than having confidence in Colin Powell and Condeleeza Rice, I just can’t think of much else at the moment because the Iraqi war keeps getting in the way. I’m certain that was the biggest mistake that he made, and that was brought home by the fact that the stated purpose for going to war was weapons of mass destruction. When no such weapons could be found the reason was changed to getting rid of Saddam and his government to save the Iraqi people.

Well, the world is a better place just because that lot have gone, but America was not requested to do that bit of housekeeping. You simply do not send your people into harm’s way on a pretext.

The campaigning process goes on for far too long. Most free world countries take up to six weeks to campaign and to vote. This last election went on for about two years in America. By November 4th the world was so weary of it we just wanted it to be over.

The principal is usually in such danger that protecting the president and his family is an around the clock matter. As personable and charming as President-elect Obama is, he will never again be able to freely walk among the people and feel their warmth. That is because there are organizations now plotting on how to end it all as their hatred is so sick and warped that they are rabid and completely out of reason and control.

However, there’s no turning the clock back regardless of what happens. As the poet once said, there is no thing as powerful as an idea whose time has come. It was always a losing proposition that the occupant of the White House had to be male and white. By those conditions it was guaranteed that some of the past occupants would be ill-chosen for the job.

Ironically, the most prevalent criticism of Mr. Obama was that he was not experienced enough. Ask any black man or woman how many times in their lives have they heard that one as an excuse not to get the job. Half of the time you were not even allowed anywhere near the resources to big yourself up, so no surprise that you were lacking. The truth is that to hold the office of President of The United States, and, (as some will say) leader of the free world, no one has sufficient experience beforehand. This is a position that calls on judgement, and the mere fact that President-elect Obama could marshal a team to get himself elected is exactly the right qualifications of an administrator to manage the White House just fine.

I am expecting great things from Mr Obama, and I wish he, and his team all the very best. The first order of business is to fix America’s shattered image in the world. So far, so good!

Copyright © 2008 Eugene Carmichael