Monday, November 3, 2008

Underestimating the American People

Months ago, I emphatically wrote that I believed the Americans were, collectively, stupid people:


If one is not truly astonished at how stupid Americans are, then he/she is too jaded to care enough to do something about it. Perhaps being an elitist in this case is a good thing: to tell your neighbor who puts a McCain sign on his front lawn this summer that, as an idiot, he wouldn't recognize a good candidate unless it was spoon-fed to him by Fox News or Rush Limbaugh, and that you'll pray for him to see the light (that always gets 'em, you know, saying you'll pray for them). Then you put a bigger sign on your front lawn for Obama which reads, "Literally, Figuratively, Intellectually and Spiritually Superior."
I caught some flak from readers about this statement. Well, this post today from hilzoy got me thinking about that statement. In particular, I looked at this:

It's a real relief, after years of watching politicians grab as hard as they can for each micro-advantage at each moment in time, to see someone with larger sense of what matters: of the arc of a campaign, of when you can afford to hang back and let your opponent wear himself out, and when you need for everything to come together.

It also shows a lot of confidence. Not the kind of arrogance the McCain campaign complains about, of which I have seen very little evidence, but the kind of confidence that allows you to play a long game, rather than clawing for every apparent advantage, no matter how insignificant or counterproductive in the long run; to hold back sometimes; to choose understatement; and to keep your eyes on the prize. That, and discipline and self-restraint.

When I go back and recall how voters in this election stayed generally more focused on the issues that matter -- the economy, the war -- and away from stuff like $150,000 in clothes and silly issues like abortion, I am heartened to see that Americans collectively exceeded my expectations this year. I attribute that mostly to the candidacy of Barack Obama, whose restraint, careful reflection, and reasoned responses to the questions posed to him displayed true leadership, steadiness, and respect for everyone around him.

On the other hand, McCain, who for years had cultivated a persona of a maverick willing to take on the system, showed in his later years to be a crotchety old man with an adolescent pathology: he was singularly determined to step out of the shadows of his father and grandfather, and the ONLY way for him to do that was to become president. Back in 2000, when he was 64 years old and he got served by George W. Bush, one would have thought he'd call it quits, come to terms with his life as a Senator (like Ted Kennedy did), and retire with grace at the opportune time. But no. With all the grace of someone with his personal history of failure, McCain fought tooth and nail to overcome huge political and financial deficits to defeat some pretty strong machines (which were ultimately undone by the weak candidates supporting them) and become the Republican nominee. He then cynically sold out his "devotion" to his country by selecting a political lightweight as his running mate, who shockingly embarrassed even her own fan base at how painfully ignorant and pedestrian she was.

In the end, Americans appear to have decided that Governor Palin is not ready to assume the job of president, and faulted McCain for choosing her. Americans have risen above the idea that the holders of the country's highest offices should not be beer-drinking buddies, or just like them. It's nice to fantasize that an ordinary person can ascend to the White House, but when you go back and look at history, you will see that very few men who ran for or won the presidency were ordinary. They were nearly all remarkable in one way or another; even the least effective of them had inspired millions with their leadership skills and had served with some level of distinction. I will give McCain credit for being a remarkable man, but he looks poised to fail to conquer his own inner demons in order to become a man of the people, instead of a man for himself.

With just 36 hours to go until the polls close in Hawaii, and with Obama leading in nearly every critical state, it is clear that Americans, collectively, are not stupid. Their focus on important issues has given me hope. Hope feels good!

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