I try to avoid too much discussion of politics on this blog. I’m no expert, first of all; second, I generally dislike the tone of blogs that exclusively discuss politics; and third, there’s nothing more annoying to me than a blogger suddenly abandoning the usual tone of posts to blog about politics. It’s jarring, isn’t it? Especially if you disagree with them politically. You end up thinking, “Well, I used to like her, but now I think she’s a boob and an idiot and I want her to shut up.”
Still, I’m going to momentarily be a boob and an idiot and make you wish I’d shut up.
I want to say a little something about our incoming president and our outgoing president and then I’ll be done, okay?
Something is bothering me and that’s this:
Why is it that neither of these men, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, is allowed to be human?
Why are they viewed with such ridiculous hyperbole?
George W. Bush is subhuman, a devil, a demon, the man who’s ruined the world, whatever. He’s made mistakes as our president, but he’s positively reviled for his mistakes. That bastard! How dare he screw up?? And because of his mistakes, it seems to me, he’s now deemed subhuman. And it’s not fair.
Barack Obama, by contrast, is superhuman, an angel, a savior, the man who will redeem the world. He doesn’t make mistakes, it seems, or won’t, or if he does, we will likely not hear of them. He’s “The One.” He’s superhuman. Also not fair.
These men are human, for God’s sake. Bush is not subhuman; Obama is not superhuman. Bush made mistakes; Obama will make mistakes. I abhor this black-and-white thinking. It degrades both men, actually, when neither of them is allowed to be human beings. It’s ridiculous and unfair. I actually heard the NBC Washington Bureau chief say yesterday (I’m paraphrasing), “People don’t know just how much of his presidency Bush spent working out.” Seriously, dude? Are you a moron? If that’s the case, why didn’t we hear about it long before this? I’m sure we would have. What a lame-ass parting shot. Bush — that lazy work-out devil.
Then today, on the radio, I heard a woman from Maryland say, “It doesn’t matter that Maryland is broke if Obama is president.” Really? Why does it suddenly not matter? Because our guardian angel is here? That’s insane, lady. It’s nonsensical.
Can we modulate our thinking towards these men? Is it possible at all?
I didn’t vote for Obama, but I wish him well. I do. I’m not one of those extreme positionalists who can’t do that. I hate the kind of thinking that wishes, even longs, for his failure. I’m selfish enough to realize that any Obama failure could negatively affect me. So I wish him well, but I do not expect perfection. I don’t deify him and, frankly, the people who are doing so are wearing me to a nub. I have a God already, thank you.
I wish Obama his humanity as much as I wish George W. Bush be allowed to own his again.
One last thing occurs to me:
Whatever one may think of Bush, it cannot be denied that we’ve been safe, SAFE, in the seven years since 9/11. This is a huge duh, I know. I’m not the first person to say this, but you know what? Last week, when I first heard a plane had crash-landed in the Hudson, I immediately thought terrorism. I did. That is my first thought now when something falls out of the sky. And I wonder, is it yours too? How many of us think terrorism when we first hear of things like this? That’s the legacy of 9/11 on the psyches of many — that question is always there, front and center, when events of this nature occur.
And you know something else? That has been my first thought in these situations ever since Halloween 1999 when my aunt and uncle were murdered on Egypt Air 990. I’m not saying this to say I’m special because of it. No. I say this to say my family and I were forced to become aware of the issue of terrorism somewhat before the rest of the country. And when terrorism hits your family, your tribe, you quickly became accustomed to ruminating, probably too much, on issues of personal safety. If we can thank Bush for nothing else, let’s thank him — seriously — that he was vigilant on the issue of our personal safety. Are we so quick to devalue that? Our very lives? Our survival? My elderly aunt and uncle were terrorized in the moments before their crashing deaths by a horrific, aerial roller coaster ride courtesy of a rogue Muslim pilot. On 9/11, people exploded in jet-fueled fireballs. People suffocated alone in darkness. People burned to death. People jumped from those buildings, soaring too long in that open air before death came up to meet them. People sat trapped in those buildings, frantically calling loved ones, when they felt the buildings start to cave and collapse, sweeping them into oblivion — a person, now part of the pile of rubble.
My God. My God.
Do we truly devalue our lives so much that we cannot thank this man for our safety — that those nightmarish fates have not been ours?
I hope not. I truly hope not.
That human being who was our president, George W. Bush, made our safe lives his priority and I do thank him for that.
I, for one, wouldn’t stop reading you, regardless of your political or societal opinions… but in this case, I wholeheartedly agree with you.
And I have to wonder when someone in the Mainstream Media wakes up and realizes nobody around him is actually doing their job?
Here here!!!
I did not vote for Obama. I have strong disagreements with him. However, I hope he succeeds because I love my country enough (and I’m selfish enough) that I can allow for success in someone I disagree with.
We do this to others as well. My father is a physician who is disabled now. From doctors, we expect superhuman capabilities or perfection and rarely do we think how much it hurts them when they are powerless to stop a patient from dying or that they might make an honest mistake.
We expect policemen to be perfect in all situations, but it’s not ok for them to defend themselves.
We don’t want corruption in politics, but in most states, the state legislators don’t make enough money to support a family because it’s considered a part time job. Personally, I’d run, but without kickbacks and bribes, I couldn’t afford it where I live and I don’t know of any jobs that will let me have a 5 month leave of absence every year to go to legislative sessions.
Teachers are expected to get the best out of every students, but we dump the students on them that won’t learn and whose parents won’t support the teachers in dealing with them.
Even the retail store person who is following the written company policy that is there with the warning that failure to follow it will result in termination gets our hate when they’re just trying to do their job.
I’m all for common courtesy in all situations and letting human beings be human.
Your insight and perspective are just stunning, T. (I think this is what makes you a good artist as well!)
Delurking to say bravo. Just bravo. I could not agree more.
Patrick — Yes, “letting human beings be humans.” Amen to that.
Kate P – Gosh, girl. Thank you. How nice of you!
Jess — Hey there! Thank you for your comment!
This is excellent, Tracey.
Patrick- very insightful.
Yes, I instantly thought “Terrorism” and wondered if it was a parting shot at Bush, or a shot across the bow at Obama. And was deeply relieved that it was neither.
I did not support Obama, either. But I do wish him well, personally, if not politically. The backlash when he can’t deliver on his campaign rhetoric, combined with the messianic frenzy whipped up by the media, will be terrible for him.
On a nice note- a group of Obama supporters calling themselves “The Obama Group” brought us an MLK food drive and some $$$, for which we were grateful. If more people are actually inspired to get out and volunteer, that’s a good thing.
I wonder if some of it is that we need heroes and demons in this time – and so we force ordinary people, who are neither, into those roles.
I didn’t vote for Obama either but I hope he does a good job. Both for the sake of the country and for his own sake. I don’t agree with a lot of his policies but I’m hoping that when he sees the reality of things (rather than the promising fantasy of stump speeches), they will be moderated somewhat.
I just hope when he has to go about the day-to-day business of leading, and people are disappointed because reality is not as pure and neat as fantasy, that they don’t suddenly turn vicious on him. I can imagine it happening, though, at least from some of the people out there with stronger senses of entitlement or the people who are more extremist.
Well said.
Tracey – you can write about anything and I’d still read you.
And – you’re right about the subhuman/superhuman problem. It’s wrong, on all fronts. Bush is human, Obama is human – it is foolish of us to force them into extreme roles just because it suits us and because we feel better, somehow, being able to deify or demonify (is that a word?) people. It’s easier to be judgemental when you forget that the heroes and villains are most often just people trying – as Patrick pointed out so well – who are just doing their jobs.
Thank you for taking the time to be a boob and an idiot. But don’t ever shut up about anything.
ricki — /I wonder if some of it is that we need heroes and demons in this time – and so we force ordinary people, who are neither, into those roles./
Yes, great thought. The amount of force and energy put into casting Obama and Bush into those roles is kind of staggering, though, isn’t it?
Today is a historic day, certainly. But tomorrow, Obama will be forced to start the work that will prove he’s only human. And, tomorrow, Bush will finally get to be human once again.
Wonder who’s gonna have a better day?
Jayne — /Thank you for taking the time to be a boob and an idiot./
Hahahaha. You’re welcome.
Thanks for taking the time for this, Tracey. I hate the gibbering shrieks that seem to accompany most politics these days. If the rest of our society was healthier then it wouldn’t matter so much to so many people and there would probably be a lot less shrieking.
Here at work people are watching the inauguration on a TV set up in the break room. People seem pretty happy about it. I didn’t vote for Obama but you know – finally people seem to be optimistic about our country again. If we get nothing else, we got that at least from this election. Personally I think that we should be optimistic because of the people and not necessarily because of the leader; but this is a start. All of a sudden people are remembering that we live in a fabulous country. My hope for the next few years is that this isn’t just paper-thin optimism layered over concrete blocks of doom-n-gloom, but a real “change we can believe in.”
Amen.
I don’t think our society allows anyone in the public eye much humanity any longer. We objectify these people, for good or bad, and it’s not healthy.
This sort of adulation / demonization has been going on since the election of 1801, so I suppose it’s politics as usual. But it is SO annoying!! No wonder everyone gets tired of elections and so that leaves the playing-field open to the loudest shrillest most ignorant partisans because we are all worn out with black-and-white thinking.
I have never been so ga-ga over a politician that I basically have lost my mind – they all seem like rather boring men, some smart, some stupid, who make compromises, mistakes, and in general act like the morons from high school who were dying to be class president. SOMEONE has to want to lead, so I suppose I should pick SOMEONE … but it’s amazing, i read on some site somewhere – it was a book site, not a political site – and someone said something like, “Now at least reading books can be celebrated again.”
Huh?
I read books no matter WHO is President, thank you very much. I don’t give a crap if the guy in office says, “I ain’t much for fancy book learnin’.” Does that mean Barnes & Noble suddenly has closed? No. Live your life, people. Do what you want to do. That’s the beauty of this entire American experiment.
After saying all this, I will just mention that in the last SIX elections I voted for the dude who won. And I wasn’t wacky about ANY of them. But I do feel kind of amused right now – especially when I say to the Obama-Freaks: “So that means I voted for the Winner in the last THREE elections” and suddenly they look at me as though Beelzebub is in their midst.
Which, frankly, is rather true.
Something to add: I don’t think the people who fall for this kind of thing are stupid – many intelligent people seem to go off the deep end in this way about certain politicians. Some of my friends, for example – on either side of the political parties – or then there was Peggy Noonan’s book about Ronald Reagan. I love her writing, and she is obviously no dummy, but I read that book and I was truly embarrassed for her. Wow. Shaking my head, wow.
People like things to be simple, perhaps? It makes it easier to have a villain and a savior?
sheila — /Now at least reading books can be celebrated again./
Oh, thank GOD! I hope that lock on my bookcases has not rusted over in the last eight years so I can celebrate reading again!
Uhm, wha??
And, yeah, you’re right, people who fall for this are not necessarily stupid, but I do think these kinds of pronouncements illustrate a kind of narrowness of thinking, a thinness of thinking. I always appreciate when someone is willing to venture into the gray areas or the nuances of a situation — or a person — but perhaps that doesn’t make for good sound bites.
I love your boob-ish tendencies, Tracey!
Well, like Obama starting off his speech by thanking President Bush. Classy!
Actions like that will NEVER please the freaks because they want total war and total victory. Those of us who have no interest in that kind of total domination, and who are thankful we live in a country where we can actually have a peaceful transfer of power – are pleased by such actions – and also pleased by the photos of Bush and Obama talking in the Oval Office, and all the photos of the transition process.
That office is MINE – that’s how I look at it anyway … so I am happy when the parties involved actually appear to respect that.
Oh, and I am taking this opportunity to start reading books again … I really felt I COULDN’T read as long as Bush was in office!!
????
People are weird.
I liked watching the Bushes and the Obamas on the steps of the Capitol, talking and laughing together while waiting for the helicopter to come whisk the Bushes away. It warmed my heart; it DID. What other country on earth has that, that moment? The balancing act of our transfer of power is always a little miracle to me.
But I also teared up moments later watching Bush fly away because I am grateful to him for very specific reasons and Obama — well, we have to get to know him, don’t we?
// I am grateful to him for very specific reasons //
Yeah, me too.
Well said, ladies. Personally, I got sick of Karl Rove showing up in the dead of night, trying to steal my Sherlock Holmes omnibus.
hahahahahahahahahahahaha Now I cannot get that image out of my mind!
Seriously, I wake up from a deep slumber and hear a rustling in my apartment, three feet away. I am groggy, disoriented. “What is that??? Who’s there ???” I flip on the light and then sigh, tiredly. “Oh, Karl. It’s you again? Come on, buddy, leave me alone. If you want to borrow a book, JUST ASK ME.”
Hahahaha … Karl Rove, breaking into our homes at night, stealing our Bronte, like some kind of Book Grinch ….
You’re a mean one, Mr. Rove, you’re a nasty, wasty skunk
Your heart is full of … unread books
Your soul is full of gunk
Mr. Roh-oohve!
Seriously, celebrating reading books again?
The bookstore was practically devoid of people tonight. We had a record cleanup time.
Uh-oh. If reading books has suddenly become popular again, that means I will have to stop. Because there’s a little clause in my contract that says I’m not allowed to do anything that the popular people do.
I can’t help it. It was either agree to that or suffer a “swirly” every day of 7th grade, and my hair has enough issues already.