Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: The election needs a little more light and less heat
Years ago, when I considered myself a young angry progressive, I came across Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own. Would love to say I was into Woolf, but I despised her little treatise. How she meandered around a topic perplexed my righteous anger ways. Like a churlish schoolboy who has learned only a few good notes I was sure her whole idea of disinterested study was just way to keep the masses down.
I have enough shame to chuckle at my young scholarship. Woolf was right of course. Serious study does require a certain distance and calm that is necessary for good analysis.
As we hit the final lap of this long election season we all need a little distance. While it’s more than fair to call out camp McCain for sending out mixed messages to his supporters (Obama can’t be trusted, Obama is a good man), it does no good for civil rights hero John Lewis to compare the Arizona senator to George Wallace, the late governor of Alabama who made his bones by race baiting. There are lots of things you can say about McCain—-his campaign lacks discipline comes to mind. Being a race baiter is not one of them.
Don’t flip please. Some McCain supporters are not helping him by saying noise no one would utter in polite company. However, foolish talk is not effectively fought with additional foolishness.
James, great point. I had the same feeling when I heard Lewis speak on the news. If Lewis had kept his speech on point and limited it to McCain encouraging hatred against Obama by not forcefully condemning hateful rhetoric from the crowds, Lewis’ points would have resonated with most thoughtful people.
Wayne, yes we know why you don’t support Obama. You have been telling us the same story for the last week in multiple posts. Please tell us who you support for President and more importantly why, rather than keep repeating your same soundbites against Obama. They are becoming rather tiresome, unless you have something new to say.
It’s idiotic to believe that we should support Obama. He is absolutely silent on the issues! He has offered No leadership on Prop 8 in California (all the while his own supporters actually preaching for Prop 8 to pass on Obama’s Faith Tours) and no leadership for the upcoming battle in Conn. as well. All Obama offers is an empty promise of segragation in a “Separate But Equal” civil union that the Conn. Supreme Court has just ruled are DISCRIMINATORY TO GAYS! IT’S BEYOND HYPOCRITICAL TO PRAISE OBAMA AND THE CONN. DECISION IN THE SAME SENTENCE. THE CONN. SURPREME COURT RULED THAT OBAMA’S “SEPARATE BUT EQUAL” POLICY OF CIVIL UNIONS ARE DISCRIMANATORY AGAINST GAY PEOPLE!!!!
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