[Het Parool, The Netherlands]
Gazeta Wyborcza, Poland
Obama,
Hillary and McCain:
The New
American Revolution
"Obama has undoubtedly
already revolutionalized American politics, and if he wins in November it may
presage revolution on a global scale."
"Even if Hillary doesn't
win, it won't be because of her sex. So here again we are facing a revolution
in the once testosterone-driven world of American politics."
"A John McCain victory
would also be a breakthrough: A politician who speaks his mind openly and,
seemingly naively, supports an absolutely unpopular war, could become a
President!"
By Tomasz Lis
Translated By Halszka Czarnocka
February 7, 2008
Poland
- Gazeta Wyborcza - Original Article (Polish)
After seven years
of the George Bush administration, the United States has lost quite a bit of
its sex appeal. But thanks to American politics and a fascinating presidential
campaign, it is quickly regaining it. However it ends, the campaign has already
shown that this time around, rules that have been in force for upwards of 230
years will soon be broken. It's still a long way to the finish line, but one
can already say that this campaign is eliminating the most obstinate barriers:
those of skin color, sex and party doctrine. America wants a change, but a
great change has already occurred.
Here we are
dealing with a great horse race during which candidates have plenty of
difficult obstacles to overcome. But the most treacherous have already been
crossed. This campaign is like a beacon of hope for non-whites, women, and for
those who took entering into one's seventies as a signal to retire into an
often unwanted withdrawal from active life.
In his Super
Tuesday speech, Senator Barack Obama suggested with great conviction that
"our time has come." That remains to be seen, but Obama has undoubtedly
already revolutionalized American politics, and if he wins in November it may presage
revolution on a global scale.
America has had
young presidents before (such as Theodore Roosevelt or John Kennedy) and
inexperienced presidents (like Kennedy and Jimmy Carter), but it has never has
a Black candidate, and a young, relatively inexperienced one to boot, who lacks
the support of his own party establishment and had such a good chance of
winning. It seems that someone who can embody CHANGE can actually bring change just
by just trying.
Hillary Clinton's
campaign may give hope to many women, even those who consider Mrs. Clinton an
embodiment of aggressive feminism. Up to now, a woman's place in the White
House has been in the East Wing, and if she did reach the West Wing, it wasn't
the Oval Office. Even if Hillary doesn't win, it won't be because of her sex.
So here again we are grappling with a revolution in the once
testosterone-driven world of American politics. A woman who 16-years-ago
offended many Americans by saying she wasn't willing to stay home and bake
cookies may now be on the threshold of the White House, while still showing no
inclination to take up baking.
Indeed, it's
difficult to comprehend how the presidency of a woman might redefine the position
of women - not just in American politics, not just in politics and not just in
America. And by the way, it might prove that the enormous power of the U.S.
presidency can be won even with a largely negative electorate. [reference to
the polarization Hillary causes].
A John McCain victory
would also be a breakthrough: A politician who speaks his mind openly and,
seemingly naively, supports an absolutely unpopular war, could become a President!
That would rival the feat of someone who wins after promising to raise taxes.
Moreover, the presidency would be won by a man of an age that usually excludes
people from politics.
McCain is almost
as old as Ronald Reagan when he ran for re-election, and when the most frequent
question was whether he was too old for the job. And as if that weren't enough,
Republicans will most likely chose as their candidate a politician not
considered conservative enough by most of them! McCain's campaign, by the
way, is the Phoenix myth re-lived; just a few months ago he was generally
dismissed as bankrupt and having committed a fatal error: neglecting to call
for bringing American soldiers home from Iraq. On the contrary, he supported the
idea of sending more troops. WORLDMEETS.US
There are still
nine months to go before the American elections and no one can tell what kind
of change will occur, nor who will be the moving force of that change. But in a
sense, the biggest change has already occurred. People who not long ago wouldn't
have had a chance of winning a presidential race now have an immense chance. WORLDMEETS.US
What just a few
years ago would have constituted a nail in a candidate's coffin now may be a
winning card. One might of course ask if it's the campaign that is changing
America or whether the campaign is just revealing changes that have already
taken place. But the premise of this question would be false; one doesn't
exclude the other. The fact that Senators Clinton, Obama and McCain have
chances for victory show just how much has already changed in America; the
remainder of the campaign will only deepen that change, and the presidency that
follows will make them permanent. And so whatever the outcome of the race and
even without any revolutionary policy changes, we are indeed dealing with a
revolution.
CLICK HERE FOR
POLISH VERSION
[WORLDMEETS.US Posted February 11, 7:47pm]
