Politics

[lagilman]

The Democratic party ran a white woman and a black man. Whatever your personal picks, pans, or preferences, just stop and think about that for a moment. Both were politically viable candidates, running on their own records and strengths. Neither was a sop to gain any particular portion of voters in a VP spot -- they were the Presidential candidates.

All right, so it took the worst white boy in the white house evah to get us here. We're here. It can't be undone.

Whatever you think of either candidate, take a moment for the History.

And now, onward. Senator Clinton, there are many reasons I admired you, not the least of which was your ability to cut through the bullshit and make your peace with reality. Please, use those skills now and work it like the political party animal you are. There's no shame to it, when you use those brains and charisma and connections for good. Really. Broker yourself a position where you can continue to make your mark on history, and let us tell our daughters -- and our sons -- that we saw you when, and benefitted from the work you did.

And Senator Obama? I never drank your kool-aid, particularly. But I will raise a toast of my own beverage to you on this night, and hopefully many to come. Don't fail us, sir.

EtA: something to chew on, with regards to the discussion going on in the comments:
Mr Obama hinted at the plan last week. "One of my heroes is Abraham Lincoln," he said. "Lincoln basically pulled in all the people who had been running against him into his cabinet because whatever personal feelings there were, the issue was 'how can we get this country through this time of crisis?’ And I think that has to be the approach that one takes." We'll see how many women he brings in.

Comments

[otterdance.livejournal.com]

I think her as VP is a bad idea for a lot of reasons, not the least of which, Cheny aside, the VP doesn't have that much power or influence. They're not supposed to.

But what about a Cabinet position? Or at least an ambassador appointment?

[lagilman]

I don't thik she's a viable Veep candidate, no (although, being cynical, it might keep Obama safer than anyone else in that position!). A Cabinet position is certainly a strong possibility, and one nobody could say she didn't earn... a lot depends on who ends up with the Veep position.

(if she was willing to settle for an Ambassadoral appointment, I think she would have, already.)

[otterdance.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to think of Veep possibilites. John Edwards, maybe? Or Bill Cohen? Any viable women?

[hilleviw.livejournal.com]

Frankly I'd love to see it offered to Elizabeth Edwards, but I know that's never happening.

[lagilman]

I like Bill Richardson, but would rather see him get a Cabinet post where he could do some active good. We NEED a statesman out and about, going forward.

It would be nice to have a woman run, but I am afraid that it would be seen as a sop, not "a woman is good, just not my former megawatt and too-ego-driven-for-my-good opponent."

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

Richardson has already had a Cabinet post (Energy); the only thing that might tempt him, I think, would be State.

[lagilman]

State would be good. State would be very good....

[hilleviw.livejournal.com]

I thought there was a part of his speech tonight in which he almost explicitly offered her the post of secretary of health, education and welfare, and then said go forth and create universal healthcare.

[lagilman]

I did't listen to the speech (political speeches give me a rash) but that would be nice, wouldn't it -- her energy and drive, backed by support in the WHite House, doing us all some good? Almost like the government is supposed to work....

[otterdance.livejournal.com]

I did't listen to the speech (political speeches give me a rash) Me, too, in general, but I'd listen to that man speak all day long. If nothing else, he is a true orator.

Does anyone else get JKF deja vu? He's young and handsome and eloquent, and from a background that no one thought would be viable. His wife is beautiful and elegant--she even looks a little like Jackie to me.

I just hope that's where the similarity ends. Get that man a flak vest and a helmet.

[otterdance.livejournal.com]

That should be JFK. *sigh* pre coffee

[lagilman]

No matter which of the two candidates ended up taking the party nom, the choice of Veep was going to have to be predicated not on "if in the unlikely case of..." but "if, in the potential case of..."

We've come far, but not quite that far, alas.

(let's face it, how many of us, at least once in the past 7 years, thought "please god, no snipers. That would leave us with Cheney as President!")

[otterdance.livejournal.com]

(let's face it, how many of us, at least once in the past 7 years, thought "please god, no snipers. That would leave us with Cheney as President!")

Best insurance policy he could have had. Who's the Democratic corollary?

[lagilman]

Hillary would have been my suggestion (make the racist sexist violent types out there decide which is the better of two evils, and see their heads explode from the strain could be the new Liberal Entertainment of 2009!) but I think the last few months of her campaign poisoned those waters. Plus, she's a Clinton, and Clinton's will always be the brightest publicity light in any political room. They honestly can't help it.

I'm not sure if I should hope that Chelsea goes into politics and kicks some serious ass, or pray that she stays far away from it...

[patchwork-prose.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he does remind me of JFK. An awful lot. How I used to hang on that man's words!

I did a school project on that election. The anti-Catholic hate propaganda circulating during the campaign was sickening.

[lagilman]

what we need is a Black, Jewish, female Senator. With a a lot of money and ovaries of durasteel. Man, that would SO make the bigots' heads implode....

(I'd say make her a lesbian, too, but we'll need some neocons left to mock...)

[patchwork-prose.livejournal.com]

A long way, indeed! When I first started college, the women students were locked in their dormitories by 8:00 p.m., and interracial dating was not allowed.

Inch by inch, minority by minority, we come closer to equality.

[lagilman]

When I first started college, the women students were locked in their dormitories by 8:00 p.m.

*is quietly boggled* My freshman year [1986] I was in the sole remaining all-female dorm, in the last year before it went co-ed, but that was a remnant of going from an all-female school to co-ed. The next year I lived in housing where each floor voted if the locker-style bathrooms would be split by gender (males on one side, females on the other) or a side-by-side split (you used the one on your side of the building). By the end of the year, even the floors that went gender-choice originally had gotten lazy and were just using the nearest ones...

and the thought of locking us in... hah. They could have tried....

[patchwork-prose.livejournal.com]

Started college in August of 1964. :grin: Whole different world by then . . . and I almost got expelled a couple of times.

[lagilman]

*quietly* three years before I was born...

[patchwork-prose.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't you have enjoyed being a "flower child" or marching in the civil rights demonstrations and the Vietnam War protests? Interesting times in which to be young.

[fakefrenchie.livejournal.com]

I didn't realize, or I had forgotten, that you were so young.

[lagilman]

Hah!

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

When I was an undergraduate, the college administration would report to parents if a black guy dated a white girl (the reverse, interesting, was not true--my roommate for 2 1/2 years was black, and she dated a white guy for several months). And my father informed me that if the dorms went co-ed, he was going to come and yank me out of school. (I didn't tell him one already was. Sorta.)

[patchwork-prose.livejournal.com]

::giggling:: What they don't know ...

[handworn.livejournal.com]

All right, so it took the worst white boy in the white house evah to get us here.

Nah. We had a woman VP candidate a generation ago, and black men at the same time talked about seriously as Presidential candidates. If we-- knock wood-- win the general election, and you say that again, that, I would agree with. I do take a moment for the History, though.

[lagilman]

VP is not the same as presidential (Veep candidates are chosen for what they can bring to a pre-existing ticket, not forming the ticket themselves), and "talking about" isn't being the frontrunner, or winning. We've been talking about a lot of things before, but haven't quite managed them....

[handworn.livejournal.com]

The candidates got themselves where they are, I think; they strike me as far stronger candidates than Ferraro or Jackson. I'm just saying that I think that if Obama or Clinton had been around in '84, being who they are today, they'd have made a strong run at it, too, and either could have won the nomination back then.

[patchwork-prose.livejournal.com]

Think you're right.

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

I think he'll offer Clinton a cabinet post. (Or the next vacancy on the Supreme Court, and wouldn't THAT be a kick.) But I still hold out hope that he'll pick Richardson for his running mate.

[lagilman]

I don't think Richardson will be able to bring enough to the ticket to make him valuable enough....

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

I disagree; he can bring one of the key states (New Mexico), plus the Hispanic vote, which is no small thing.

But any road it will be interesting to see how it plays out.

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

And oh yeah, he'd put foreign policy experience on the ticket, too. He was Ambassador to the UN, and deeply involved in negotiations with the North Koreans as well even after he became Governor of NM.

So, yeah. He has stuff to bring to the table.

[lagilman]

I never said he didn't. I just don't think it's enough. But I'm not sure who does. Not my job to decide that, thankfully. That's a headache I don'tneed.