(10 am. – promoted by ek hornbeck)
I’ve been struggling with my feelings about the Democratic Convention.
But I’ve decided to stop struggling.
There will be always a contradiction between my heart and my head when it comes to politics.
Over at the Kenneth Cole Awearness Blog, there’s a post by Liza Sabater, founder of culturekitchen and The Daily Gotham.
She spoke of Ted Kennedy’s speech and the reaction in the “Big Tent” of the bloggers who watched it:
Even though we weren’t inside the convention center, the fun thing about watching an event like this with other bloggers is in the unfiltered comments you get for every single moment of the broadcast as it is happening. So when we were watching the tribute to Senator Kennedy (“Uncle Teddy” to us bloggers), Michael comes to me and says, “that’s not a tribute, that’s an eulogy.” I was shocked to hear that but it made me pay attention to what was happening in the room. Around us, there were more than a few fellow bloggers wiping tears from their eyes.Yet out came the Senator from Massachussets to give one of the most rousing speeches I’ve heard him give in years. It was amazing to see him with so much energy, so much enthusiasm. It was truly touching and inspiring and the perfect lead into presenting Michelle Obama.
And she spoke of Michelle Obama’s speech, zeroing in on the end, where the two little girls spoke to their father over the microphone, and this observation struck me:
And that’s where the power of a media moment enters this narrative.
When you have a roomful of hardened bloggers wiping away tears and oohing and aahing at the sight of what was basically a family talking to each other over a video link, you know something bigger is happening on that screen. It’s not about politics. It’s not about elections. It’s about creating a completely different narrative of what we want to see daily on those tv and computer screens.
I am no fan of Obama’s positions on a whole host of issues. So when I started getting choked up I was also angry with myself. “Fool!” I said to myself, “are you going to get all sucked into this Hallmark moment and forget that this entire scene is politics, pure and simple?”
Well it didn’t do any good. I still got choked up hearing Ted Kennedy and Michelle Obama. And seeing Kucinich’s speech (courtesy of rjones2818’s pony party) got me all worked up as well.
And it was about what Liza said … the notion of seeing actual human talk after so many years of flat out lies and the media puppetry of this misAdministration, the coarsening of our public discourse having worn me down more than I realized.
So I’m not going to struggle against my emotions any more.
Last night mishima wrote “Narratives Change,” which I think speaks to this issue as well.
Is it a big deal? Will seeing even semi-intelligent talk on our television screens stop Bush’s gang of thugs, hold them accountable, stop the war, save our environment, defeat the forces of evil that are the military-corporate-industrial-media-complex?
No, of course it won’t. Not even almost.
But there is such a thing as morale, from a household to a community to a city to a nation. We see it in our workplaces and where we choose to gather. In my own life, especially in the workplace, I’ve seen high or low morale make the difference between a job getting done well and a job getting done poorly or not at all.
The morale of our country has sunk so low it has to look up to see the gutter.
Even if Obama wins the Presidency, we all know we’re still going to have the fight of our life on our hands. We will have to oppose him on so many things, and many good Dharmaniacs have enumerated those issues with great clarity.
So I can feel emotional, and rightfully so, when I hear real human speech instead of faux propaganda. I can keep my head and still feel my heart.
It’s a strange experience. But it doesn’t feel contradictory to me any more. I know I will have to hold the line between irrational hope and equally irrational cynicism. But I can’t stop my heart from feeling while I hold that line.
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Here’s the thing for me right now: Dennis’ speech should have been prime time. Not so much because it was Dennis (although, amongst the national Dems, who really could give a speech like that and be believed?), but because that speech was the ‘hope’ and ‘change’ speech that should be given by every Democrat from here ’til November (not the exact speech, of course, but the points of it). The national party and the nominee are not willing to do so. It’s why I can’t support the national party or the nominee (along with the policy issues).
it shows that in the midst of all of our rational talk about issues and policies, there’s a heart thing that goes on. And yes, I’ve been thinking about mishima’s essay alot as well. I’ve wanted to write some of my thoughts in a comment there, but they didn’t form well enough.
I loved these words from Michelle last night.
I agree with you that no matter what happens with this election, we’ve got a huge fight on our hands. But those words moved me and have stuck with me all day.
That it doesn’t really matter which side you’re on.
I think you have really locked into the contradictions inside many of us; I love the exchanges between you and kj.
I want to go back to days when I believed in this country, believed in it even though it wasn’t perfect, had many flaws still needing repair, but believed because we seemed on the right track or able to be on the right track.
But now my ability to trust, to believe, to hope has been so devastated.
I am moved by speeches from Kennedy, Michelle, Dennis, and even Hillary last night, while I remain dismayed by FISA votes, refusals to “hear” the people by Pelosi et al, the continuance of the “right” to use “preemptive” military strikes, etc.
I think we can all join together in wishing for our hopes to be fulfilled.
But the conclusion is uncertain at best.
to counter the broken-spirited feelings caused over the last 8 years by a group of heartless thugs in the Administration.
Personally, I need a little hope right about now & keep telling myself that if I keep my expectations low, & if McCain loses, I might even be able to smile now & then 😉
with both head and heart. I don’t see change but I do see transitions. Obama himself says it’s up to us. The Lion of the Senate roared and took my head back through history to why I’m a Democrat. Michele Obama, like her husband did not insult my head and feed my heart. The real heroes for me are the crowds of people who want to turn away from this madness. The people have their foot in the door, it’s a small crack but they want that door to open. Watching The Big Tent in full pageantry ran the gamut emotionally for me hope love and despair. My head remains determined to use every tool available to take my country back from the monsters who own it now.
up speaking right now. Obama shortly…
neglected to say that the other night. and all the comments since! wow. so, got brave and turned on the tube and who came up to speak? Al Gore. 🙂 now, if that man can still hold his head high and speak his truth and stand up and speak our truth, as Howard has been done with his 50 state “everyone” strategy, then i guess there is hope.
as Syd and Shaz and Serendipity said, combined:
here’s not not giving up, when when our hearts have given out.