My fear for the Obama presidency

[Taopoet]

Here's something that's been bothering me for a long time, and it's coming to a head now that the nomination is in sight, the Obama-momentum is sweeping through the ranks of superdelegates, and the media is promoting polls showing an Obama win over McCain.

Kids. They're on YouTube, the radio, and television; they're out there campaigning hard for Obama and turning their parents' opinions and votes toward the good Senator. They're involved, hopeful, and more passionate than I've ever seen kids for politics. They worry me.

On Mother's Day, I heard a radio spot on NPR that really drove the point home: "Mom," they said, "If you love me and care about my future, vote for Obama because he will save us all." A chorus of young voices made statements suggestive of the Second Coming -- with Obama as president, war, poverty, global warming, crime, and unemployment will end! With Obama as president, opportunity, brotherhood, inclusion, and world peace will reign!

I'm afraid we're going to significantly disappoint and disenfranchise an enormous swath of next-term voters. Obama will be a great president, and he will effect changes that can help bring Americans together across the aisle. He might be able to start wiggling us out of Middle East military occupation, and he could potentially reverse some of the policies that have damaged American industry and the environment, both.

However -- and this is huge -- in general, the day-to-day lives of most of these passionate kids will not change much. There will still be crime, there will still be unemployment, there will still be poverty, there will still be pain.

What will become of these kids' dreams when they realize that change is slower than uphill molasses? Will they understand and be satisfied? Or will they join the masses in a generalized shrug of "It just doesn't matter; they're all the same"?

[mag]

Hello, I can see your point here. I think the problem is when kids, adults, whomever think that another person is gonna make all the changes in one's life; they sort of give all their own power to someone else. I am a huge supporter of Obama, and one of the things I love about him most is that he consistently speaks of us, you, we. He empowers the people to make them realize that they "or we" need to get involved. Obama can't make changes without us. He makes that very clear. Once he becomes president, the changes that need to be made in our country are going to involve all of us. That should trickle down to these kids, their parents, etc., who will actually have to get involved just as we are getting involved now. And that should teach the message that "it does really matter!" I have never seen so many people so involved and inspired since Obama has been running. I expect that to continue. I am certainly excited about becoming more involved once he becomes president. So, ultimately, we have to un-learn the belief that someone else is going to do this or that to or for us (the Bush message!), and learn that we will need to get involved too.

[Mary Catherine]

mag Wrote:Hello, I can see your point here. I think the problem is when kids, adults, whomever think that another person is gonna make all the changes in one's life; they sort of give all their own power to someone else. I am a huge supporter of Obama, and one of the things I love about him most is that he consistently speaks of us, you, we. He empowers the people to make them realize that they "or we" need to get involved. Obama can't make changes without us. He makes that very clear. Once he becomes president, the changes that need to be made in our country are going to involve all of us. That should trickle down to these kids, their parents, etc., who will actually have to get involved just as we are getting involved now. And that should teach the message that "it does really matter!" I have never seen so many people so involved and inspired since Obama has been running. I expect that to continue. I am certainly excited about becoming more involved once he becomes president. So, ultimately, we have to un-learn the belief that someone else is going to do this or that to or for us (the Bush message!), and learn that we will need to get involved too.

[Mary Catherine]

I agree with Mag...The children are already seeing exactly what Obama says. They are seeing that even THEY (citizens with no voting rights) can make a difference in a presidential campaign. If they can have power in helping his presidency become a reality, they can be empowered to help in other ways. I think that the involvement will be a great learning process and yes, they will see that change is slow, but they will also see that it takes passion and energy. They will see that one person can not do it alone. They will learn more about the complexity of the issues in the process and they will be better Americans in the long run for it. Most importantly, they will gain an understanding of the power of hope.
Yes we can.

[roger d-w]

Well stated mag. This is about more than Barack Obama. It's about us - who we are as Americans. Accountability of part of BO's message, as is the inevitability of losing now and again. His temperament and his track record point to contentious times when he is in office; and him being a steady presence in the midst of the battle.

When things have gone well, he has tempered our enthusiasm, when things have looked bleak, he has given us hope, and when things gone badly he has enabled us to be courageous. And most of the time when he has done/said things that I didn't agree with, I've come to see that either he was right, or at least understandable. In this way he has earned my trust more than any previous politician.

Taopeat, your concern is reasonable given past experience. What's different is that "these kids" are our children - the ones we raised to be responsible, caring adults; the ones we empowered, whose dreams we supported (instead of telling them "No Way!"). And this is the age of electronic communication when access to information is broader and deeper than ever before.
What's different is that Barack Obama's audacity in running for President has been redeemed by 1.5 million folks who have voted with their wallets. 1.5 million (and growing) investors/shareholders/owners of this Presidency who want change, and are being told "you are the change you seek". No, all the problems won't be solved - in 4 years or 8. But there is a better than even chance that fundamental things will change. That there will be a new relationship between voters and their government, and that this will effect the entire country for generations to come

[hkjojo]

Taopoet Wrote:What will become of these kids' dreams when they realize that change is slower than uphill molasses? Will they understand and be satisfied? Or will they join the masses in a generalized shrug of "It just doesn't matter; they're all the same"?

Point taken but...

I own a piece of this campaign which is something very new. What other candidate has ever had such extensive grass roots support?

And this support can translate into empowerment for the citizens. WE can make the difference and we need a leader to give us the ideas but WE can accomplish what we want.

I visualize the day when President Obama needs something from Congress and he puts out the word. Congress will be deluged with 1.5+ million pieces of mail, email, whatever. It can happen and I have already volunteered to do such a thing.

Down with apathy and up with involvement!

[Taopoet]

hkjojo Wrote:Down with apathy and up with involvement!

I'm going to have t-shirts made with this slogan, hkjojo, and you'll get all the credit! I'm serious. And if I don't get around to it, someone else should. Actually, I'll go to Threadless.com and look into submitting designs and campaigns. This is absolutely the most important thing every American needs to hear, learn, internalize, and act upon.

I'm with all of you: I wholeheartedly support Obama, and my kids (now 12 and 14) also support him -- in the face of their father (my ex) who's one of those "McCain is the only one who can save us from the military corporatocracy he loves and supports" voters. Ugh. I'm really proud of my kids -- of all these kids who need to be a part of the Renewal of American Democracy.

Yet still, I fear. Perhaps my fear is not founded in the present, but in the past. When I was just about my oldest child's age, it was the Reagan Era and I lived in one of those fantastic "intellectual" communities where parents taught their children about the political zeitgeist and invited us to help out with local campaigns. I stuffed a LOT of envelopes in my youth.

At the same time, I knew an amazing number of people of all ages who voted only in national elections, never in local elections. Why? Because they were absolutely 100% sure that local politics didn't matter one bit. The only important office was the presidency, and presidents never did a darn thing to change anything. Apathy abounded!

Let's see how it goes and keep up the discussion. Will President Obama's legacy be that he was the Great Leader who woke up America to their own voices of power? I sincerely hope so!

[sunken]

I have to agree that the Obama-mania, while helpful for him and the democratic party to get elected may come back to bite the democrats in the end. While a president does have a good deal of power, there is a lot that cannot be done as readily as speeches make it sound. And there is bound to be a degree of disappointment when everybody's life isn't transformed like the hype is saying they will. However, I think if he does well enough and tries hard enough, even if he doesn't get it done, he'll be remembered fondly in the end. Because at the base, if he cares enough to do it, then that's all he can do. We know that Congress is not always able to accommodate or is willing to accommodate the presidential policy requests.

[hkjojo]

sunken Wrote:We know that Congress is not always able to accommodate or is willing to accommodate the presidential policy requests.

And that is another point.
FIRE THE INCUMBENTS! If they aren't working for you then fire them.
People forget that we elect the House every two years.
I have a new Senator to elect and I'm wanting to replace my representative. I'm looking over the contenders.

P.S. And thanks about the apathy comment. That was something that was a mystery...why there is so much apathy. I think it really is because the American voter has lost hope.

[thebrokenbox]

So true! Most of my friends are always telling everyone to vote for Obama because he will be the leader to help America but I just sit there and think about how none of them can vote and even if he is elected they can't do anything. Sure he cna try his hardest to get things done but when it comes to the end of the day the odds of him succeeding in changes the odds are low. I just wish people would realize that there can be great presidents but that doesn't always mean they can make changes.