The schizoid election season of 2008

By Kathy G.

I have a few more thoughts on the subject of this crazy, bipolar disorder-inducing election in general, and on this post in particular.

I wrote that post, which concerned the increasingly angry mood of McCain/Palin supporters around the country, at something like three in the morning a couple of nights ago, when I couldn't sleep. Maybe it was overwrought, and if I were writing about that same subject right now, I'd adopt a cooler tone. And perhaps I take those people too seriously and am more worried about the consequences of that kind of hatred on display than I should be.

Brien Jackson argues that race is not a big factor in the violent, extremist attitudes that some on the right are expressing towards Obama. And it's true that, for the wingnuts, any Democrat, and especially a Democrat with a cosmopolitan, multi-cultural background such as Obama's, would probably spark a fair amount of craziness. Even so, for some folks, Obama's race is going to hit a deep psycho-sexual nerve in a way that even the Clintons didn't. Combine that with the worst financial crisis we've seen in almost 80 years, which continues to spiral out of control, and the hurt and a lot of people are feeling, and will continue, to feel, about that, and their desperate need for a scapegoat -- and, well, it's a very toxic brew indeed.

Racism, I think, not only explains some of the virulence of the anti-Obama rhetoric; it also part of the reason why that rhetoric is especially scary. In this country, we have even more of a history of racist violence than we do a history of anti-radical or anti-liberal violence, after all. African-American political leaders have been especially vulnerable. I think there is ample reason to be much more concerned for Barack Obama's safety than we would be for any generic Democrat. (However, Brien's point that Obama's supporters are far more vulnerable to right-wing violence than is Obama himself is well-taken).

I've written about the mounting fear and paranoia I've been feeling concerning this election. But I'd be remiss if I didn't say that I'm also feeling increasing excitement -- exhilaration, even. At this point it's looking like the presidential election may not even be close. And more than that: the senate is also looking very, very good. It's even possible that we may get to the magic, filibuster-proof number of 60 Democrats in the U.S. senate.  And if that happens, maybe  we really can achieve huge things like universal health care, the Employee Free Choice Act, and major steps toward energy independence and significantly reducing greenhouse gases.

This election has generated plenty of fear and loathing, to be sure. But it's also been a hell of a lot of fun. Let's face it -- that's because winning is fun. The tide has turned: there's a growing consensus in favor of strong government intervention in the economy, including much stricter regulation of business and a hefty increase in government spending. George W. Bush is nationalizing the banks, fer chrissakes! What do you think the odds were of that ever happening, say, a year ago, or six months ago, or even last month?!

Hey wingnuts -- you are all going down. This election is shaping up to be a crushing repudiation of you and your rotten values and lunatic ideas, the likes of which haven't been seen since Barry Goldwater's humiliating 1964 defeat. Even your heroine, St. Sarah of the Tundra, who a few weeks ago you were so convinced would "win the election . . . and save America" has turned out to be a resounding flop, and has become a major embarrassment. Think of it: the United States is on the verge of electing as president a left-of-center Democrat who: a) is African-American, b) is a former college professor, and c) is named Barack Hussein Obama. And hey, you wingnuts -- there's nothing you can do about it! Suck. On. This!

It's incredible, really -- especially when you consider that Obama is leading in places like Virginia and North Carolina, and that even states like West Virginia and Georgia (!) might be within reach.

As a Democrat, what I'm especially looking forward to, is (hopefully) seeing a couple of old Democratic bêtes noires humiliatingly defeated, and drummed out of public life for good. Elizabeth Dole, for example, is said to be a goner, which is pretty shocking (Jesse Helms must be spinning in his grave -- not only is it likely that a female Democrat is going to win his old senate seat, but the black man who's running for president may well scoop North Carolina's electoral votes). Hopefully Ted Stevens will be history as well. There's even an outside chance that such ginormous asshats as Mitch McConnell and Saxby Chambliss may go down. Election night 2008 promises to be the most fun I've had in years!

And I haven't even mentioned Al Franken in the senate -- how awesome is that gonna be! It's not that I'm particularly a fan of Al Franken, or have any opinion as to whether he'd be a good senator (I haven't been following that particular race). But Norm Coleman is definitely one of the biggest wankstains in the entire Congress, and the fact that he's been holding Paul Wellstone's old senate seat has long chapped my hide. Seeing him go down in flames (as he seems likely to at this point) will be an unalloyed delight. Sweeter still is imagining Rush Limbaugh's and Bill O'Reilly's heads exploding in impotent fury at the dawning realization that for the next six years at least, it's going to be Senator Franken to you, buddy*! Bwah ha ha ha!

I started following politics when I was about 12 years old. And ever since then, I've known I was a liberal. Keeping the faith for all these years has been very difficult. Not that I've ever doubted what my basic political values are, but getting your ass kicked in election after election has at times been agonizing. I came of age in, and have spent my entire adult life in, a thoroughly depressing and demoralizing political environment of reaction, backlash, war mongering, and soaring economic inequality. The one Democratic president we've add in all those years, Bill Clinton, wasn't even much of a liberal. But the last eight years -- the period that began with a stolen election, ended with a world-historic financial crisis, and was punctuated in between with tragedies and obscenities like 9/11, the Iraq War, Abu Ghraib, Guantamo Bay, and Katrina -- has been by far the worst.

I am profoundly relieved that this chapter is coming to a close, and that, for the first time in decades, this country seems ready to move forward. The victory for progressives that is now tantalizingly in view has been hard won. And I know, I know -- November 4th will be only the beginning. That's when the real work will begin, and it's not at all certain that, even with all we'll have going for us, we'll be able to create change on the scale that is needed. The forces of reaction in this country are still powerful, and the Constitution creates serious roadblocks to change.

Still, when our victory arrives on November 4th, I'm going to take a minute to savor it. It will be sweet, and we have certainly earned it.

*I think this is especially true of O'Reilly, not only because he hates, hates, hates Al Franken, but also because O'Reilly apparently toyed with running for the senate for a while, against Hillary Clinton, but ultimately chickened out (he knew he'd have his ass handed to him).

Comments

[Miguel]

A absolutely tangential and irrelevant comment, but...

... why are you calling the election season "schizoid"? [schizoid=extremely introvert person]

[Kathy G.]

Miguel,

I'm using the word in its informal sense:
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/schizoid

from the American Heritage Dictionary:

3. Informal Relating to or characterized by the coexistence of disparate or antagonistic elements: "This schizoid town is part resort, part sardine cannery" (Jean Anderson).

[frankdrebbin]

Don't get yer hopes up. I'm with you 100%, well, 99%, because I think Al Franken is hilarious, but anyway, don't think that any election result will alter the fundamentals of the game. By which I mean, the very, VERY wealthy still control this country, and if you think we'll get Health Care, even with 60 in the Senate, I'd like to introduce you to the Health Care Industry. Ain't gonna happen.

[David Owen-Cruise]

The thing to remember about Senator Coleman is that in state-wide races, he couldn't even carry Saint Paul, the city he had been Mayor of. To know Norm is to loathe him.

[zhak]

I'm glad you're chipper about things, but there's a couple things to consider: first, Obama isn't all that liberal either and second, he'll become the scapegoat for all the problems Bush et alia created during their reign of terror (think Jimmy Carter, only tougher).