Since Obama's victory in the 2008 presidential campaign he has been the recipient of much deserved praise. Around the world people are celebrating his victory and proclaiming that the U.S. is once again the "country of dreams" ("U.S. Again Hailed as "Country of Dreams", Washington Post). People across the globe also believe that "Americans overcame the racial divide and elected Obama because they wanted the real thing: a candidate who spoke from the bottom of his heart" ("Country of Dreams). While this is all nice and seems to be "the end" of racial politics, doesn't it seem to be too much of a fairy tale ending to the major problem of inequality and racism.
I feel the need to play the part of the devil's advocate at this point. While I am a proud supporter of Obama, and am excited about his victory and what he represents for American politics, it all just seems too good to be true: there must be a catch. Yes, we overcame a HUGE racial boundary in the U.S. by electing our first black president. This is and rightly should be a cause for major celebration. Just a few decades ago this feat would have been completely impossible to even imagine. I hate to be a pessimist amidst this historical period of time, but I feel like all this praise may not be what we need.
While it is excellent that we elected our first black president, should we really be patting ourselves on the back for that? I mean it did take us 232 years to finally accomplish this! I feel like, if anything, this just highlights the racial inequalities of our country, and here we are patting ourselves on the back for doing something that should be commonplace rather than history-making. Also, many political pundits talk of Obama like they would their first love, or discuss him as if he is the second coming of the messiah. I completely agree that Obama has the makings of being an amazing president and that he is more than qualified for the job, but are we placing him too high on a pedestal? I fear that by putting him on the level of a "deity" then nothing he does will ever live up to our exaggerated expectations. Sure, all the hype is good because, for the first time in a long time I have seen almost everyone around me excited about politics, but honestly, this is a double-edged sword. Any flaw in his policies, any poor decisions he makes, and misstep throughout his presidency will now be magnified by our expectations of what he is capable of. So, despite all the excitement, I feel the need to remind everyone: don't forget, he is human and shit happens.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
I think that is a very interesting way to look at it. I definitly agree in some ways; Americans are acting like suddenly we will be saved. Our economy and nation are in trouble and can one man change all this? I agree that this is a step in the right direction and Obama will lead us there. But thats a good point that maybe we are making Obama seem unhuman, you never know what will happen.
I agree that Obama's victory symbolizes overcoming a racial barriers in many ways. The only reason it seem "too good to be true" was because of how Bush was elected president. Many people was just waiting for McCain to win as to saying "I told you so." The fact that this actually happened that the right guy that is African American has became president. It is sad how long it took to over come such racial barriers, yes its going to be a big job. That is the pressure for Obama to really make change happen. It is logical to say that anything can ruin Obama's chances which is why he is taking the liberty of doing every action with such precaution
I completely agree. If Americans believe that Obama is a god and is only here to solve all of their problems personally then nothing good is going to happen when he doesn’t manage to accomplish it. There will be times when Obama will have to make policies that are uncomfortable for someone, but this all depends on perception. In his acceptance speech President-Elect stated, in slightly different words, ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for you country. He just may herald the end of postmodern detachment and usher in a new age of sacrifice for nation. He also might not get slammed by the media, in which case Americans will continue to love him. Unless Obama manages to be the worst president ever it will be all about how the media portrays him. His Teflon covering of hope has kept him clean so far whether or not it lasts, and whether or not that is a good thing won’t be seen for years. If someone in the mainstream media would be critical of the president just for the sake of putting more pressure on him to check through his policies thoroughly, it would probably be beneficial, just some constructive criticism, that’s all I ask.
Post a Comment