|
||
Happy Now? Is Obama Optimism Here to Stay?
There's too much harmonic convergence going on.
Watching Fox is not helping stem the tide of giddiness welling up in me, with the "We Are The World" Capitol Mall musical Sunday and people infused with optimism everywhere I go. The country has gone pitch-perfect, happy, and increasingly broke at the same time. Go figure. Hard times only for skeptics like me.
At a Marin dinner the other night at Peter and Stefanie Coyote's, there was a deeply interesting group: producer Marsha Williams, metal rocker Lars Ulrich, actress Connie Nielsen, filmmaker Jesse Dylan (Bob's son) and Lars' dad, Torben, a former tennis pro, a jazz musician and writer, and his dad's wife, Molly. Much as I tried to season the evening with a sobering thought or two, everyone was uniformly whooping it up about the Obama future.
Likewise at Sunday's fundraiser for the Arhoolie Foundation in Richmond. Berkeley-based Arhoolie records founder and roots music uber-statesman Chris Strachwitz had drawn big, folksy stars. Taj Mahal, Ry Cooder, and Linda Rondstadt did their talented best to be all about the music, playing to the packed, down-home crowd at Los Cenzontles Mexican Art Center. But there were yet more political statements from the stage about the great new era dawning this week.
George Bush is obliging the mood, having spirited his furniture out of the White House early - he probably can't wait to get the hell out of there - showing he's certainly not a slacker about moving.
Did Martin Luther King, Jr. know in advance that his birthday would serve as oratorical and inspirational intro to the inauguration of the phrase Mr. Obama refuses to say but everyone says for him: the first African American president? And, just as conveniently, along comes a CNN poll showing that "two-thirds of blacks believe MLK's vision for race relations has been fulfilled." White people are cooperating in the transformation as well, according to the poll, by feeling guilty enough about race issues that only 46 percent of them agree that Rev. King's goals have been accomplished. White people worried on behalf of black people. That's a long way from police dogs and separate facilities.
Thank God we've got "Paul Blart: Mall Cop" to remind us that not everything these days has the happy aura of history and gravitas surrounding it. Our culture has not yet been completely overrun by moral purpose; the weekend's biggest movie audience paid $33.8 million to see a fat guy and social loser cruising on a Segway and falling on his face.
Even Israel, remarkably resistant to general popular opinion around the world, is pulling out of Gaza when they could have used the cover of the rest of the globe's riveted attention on Washington for at least another few days of deadly pyrotechnics. Maybe they're concerned about a lower level of support from a new administration, but their unilateral ceasefire became another voice in the general hallelujah chorus.
And the final note of triumph may be that the bad guys, al-Qaeda, are apparently suffering an outbreak of Bubonic Plague at their secret camps. How convenient. At least according to Britain's The Sun, one of my best sources for reliable news since Weekly World News went under. The Plague "spreads quickly and kills within hours," The Sun quotes one "security source" as saying. "This will be really worrying al-Qaeda."
You can find good news locally as well, and I don't mean Gavin Newsom's push to tie himself to the Obama wagon. The plague of sexually transmitted diseases is worse in Memphis and Milwaukee than it is here in SF, says the Centers for Disease Control. We'll take it.
Personally, I'm hoping the good mood continues at least through tomorrow, when I'll be hunting down local parties that don't cost $25,000. NextArts, putting on the Civic Center inaugural event, only requires clean socks and underwear.
Money does not always buy happiness in the Obama era. That's worth celebrating.
Loading comments…
Want to reply to a comment? Hint: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to
I'm still feeling the amazing energy here in DC. For the past week, I've been asking hundreds of people to pick a word to represent how they feel about the Inauguration of Barack Obama. I gave people 26 words to choose from including "Proud," "Love," "Skeptical," and "Hopeful." Then I took their portraits with the words.
The result is this really joyful video / photo essay.
http://www.emilytroutman.blogspot.com
or http://vimeo.com/2895468 (high def)
I hope you'll check it out... it helps me keep my optimism separate from all the analysis that will take over everything soon!!! ---emily
Bill Hicks:
“I'll show you politics in America. Here it is, right here: I think the puppet on the right shares my beliefs. I think the puppet on the left is more to my liking. Hey wait a minute, there's one guy holding up both puppets! Shut up! Go back to bed America, your government is in control."
Exactly.
I voted for Obama. Rather than sit back and gloat on the democrat victory, I'm thinking towards the future. What has Pres. Obama done so far of note? He has kept the same Sec'y of Defense, appointed the pres. of the NY Federal Reserve as Sec'y of the Treasury, and Rohm Emmanuel as Chief of Staff. What's the problem with this picture? If we are going to have change in the war, we should have a NEW sec'y of defense. Appointing Geithner to the Treasury is like putting the fox in the hen house. The Fed is largely responsible for the economic mess we are in by creating TOO MUCH MONEY. This was no accident. Most big recipients of bail out funds OWN the fed. It is a PRIVATE corporation, after all. Emmanuel has Zionist ties to Israel. He is anxious to see the US fight Iran and will defend Israel no matter what it does. To me, these appointments reinforce Obama's ties to the puppet masters behind both parties in this country: The CFR, Trilateral Commission, and Bilderberg. Does this sound like a conspiracy to you? Is you said "yes," congratulations! You've been effectively brainwashed by a corporatized media serving these organizations that are ushering in the North American Union and the NWO.
So far to note, he got in a car and went to the whitehouse.
from your standpoint the world is gonna end soon. Oh well , what a great 2 hour presidency that was.
He obviously should have appointed you to something, since you know everything. My lord, the man has been in office about 3 hours! By the way, it's a good thing to appoint people with experience. Would you rather he pick a bunch of neophytes? Obama's not gonna just turn over the country to the people he's appointing, you know. He's the decider. For someone who voted for the man, you have zero faith in his leadership ability.
If you're a true supporter of Pres. Obama, you'll sit back and give him a chance to work the issues. If you're a true supporter of the President, you'd understand he is a man who wants to work with all sides--good ideas don't just come from Democrats!
So true! He's been president already for several hours and just look at the state of affairs: He hasn't fixed the economy, our soldiers are still in Iraq, and that annoying clog in my bathtub drain is still there! This is indeed most disappointing...
FOX is reporting optimistic things like."Snipers on all rooftops" "explosive and dirty bomb detectors in the crowd" :"Parade crowds warned not to make any sudden moves"
Its funny how people can see the same thing and yet see it so differently.
"Its funny how people can see the same thing and yet see it so differently."
It's decidedly not funny that people like you cannot seem to understand that we are living in a world that requires snipers on the rooftops bomb detectors in the crowd at an event such as this. It is a sad truth.
Why does that have to be their focus.
There are always those protective measures in place.
I'm not afraid. Period.
It is a sad truth, but the sadder truth is that you and Fox and others find the negative side of things far more worth focusing on.
Newsom, the guy who lost Prop 8 with his dumb antics, was AGAINST Obama.
He was Hillary's national campaign co-chair!
Don't think Obama doesn't know all that.
>>>> You can find good news locally as well, and I don't mean Gavin Newsom's push to tie himself to the Obama wagon. The plague of sexually transmitted diseases is worse in Memphis and Milwaukee than it is here in SF, says the Centers for Disease Control. We'll take it.
The expectations are so high for Barack Obama that I suspect he is going to have a very short honeymoon. Don't be surprised as protests continue both at home and abroad over this issue and that issue because you cannot please everyone, no matter how much optimism exists today. And of course, the right will waste no time sniping at the new President, just as the left did 8 years ago for the outgoing President. Such is the nature of politics, which is why politicians usually look out for themselves first.
What protests?
You're wrong.
I'm wrong? Perhaps you missed the protests outside the Obama's Hawaiian vacation home in December or the Obama hotel in DC (Palestinian protest over Gaza situation), or the protestors outside campaign headquarters (people wanting to ensure that the new President abides by his promise to close Gitmo), or CodePink protesting outside his hotel. You think that there won't be protests against the U.S. at the next G8 or global economic summit? There will ALWAYS be someone protesting over some cause, it makes no difference which political party occupies the WH or controls Congress.
Once a year I get to go on vacation. It's a wonderful time for me away from the day to day drudgery of the job I'm glad to have, but am not thrilled with.
I could focus on the packing for the trip. I could focus on the expense and the travel time. I could focus on the weather at my destination.
Or, I can focus on the joy of getting away from it all. Of seeing some different scenery for a change.
For a change.
I'm sure looking forward to this vacation from Bush.
Sure, the vacation won't be perfect. It will surely rain a couple of days. But damn! It's gonna be nice to see some different scenery for a change.
Hmmm...people here must be watching different media outlets and reading different articles here on HuffPo than I am. Apparently you've all missed...or more likely simply ignored the disappointment, outrage and utter contempt being thrown at President Obama today, regarding the "mishap" of not including Bishop Gene Robinson's invocation during the Obamastock celebration yesterday. Many people from all walks of life who support the LGBT rights movement have been up in arms here, and on MSNBC and other outlets, denouncing the "miscommunication" between ObamaPIC and HBO. Many of us are NOT happy tonight
It was a bizarre spectacle to watch "Rev." Rick Warren talk about America "not being about religions" but being about "justice for all". What an embarassment. Where are the whacko-righties that have been swayed by Obama's bipartisanship? I have yet to see one. Obama seems polite but naive.
"Polite but naive?"
Bill Cosby says take responsibility: no one listens and he's laughed at
Conservatives push individual responsibility: they're right wing loons
Mom says be responsible: kids don't listen
Grandma says be responsible: No one listens to an old person with different values
Teachers say be reponsible: "Yea, right, like an education can help me"
Obama says be more responsible: The "Great Leader" has spoken and it shall be done.
The masses all come together, like lemmings who have never heard about personal responsibilty. The Great Leader's wife said............ and it shall be, The Great Leader's daughters said...........and it shall be.
Soon the massive re-education camps of North Korea and Mao's China are built, part of our economic renewal. The Great Leader says, "You are responsible for change, not me", as he delegates any responsibilty at all. "If I fail, it's because of the masses, " the Great Leader says. "They didn't support me by being more responsible, so it's not my fault," the Great Leader says.....
Naive? Hardly.....
I am geniunely pleased that tomorrow, Obama comes into office, I really am. But I think that it's going to be a slap in the face to some people that tomorrow, the world is not suddenly going to be full of kittens, puppies and love. Things aren't going to be fixed in one day, and our President, has a whole hell of a lot of work cut out for him.
As far as Dr. King's visions coming true? Who can say? You can tell me that you know what he was hoping for until you run out of breath, but no one ever truly knew but him. I personally think he was looking forward to the day that we didn't look at the fact that we elected a black president, but that we elected a good man, not taking into consideration his color and ethnic background. I thought it a little sad that I heard obsolutely nothing today about Dr. King. I personally do hope that Obama brings this amazing future that everyone is so looking to, I'm glad he's going to be our president, but I'm not deluded about how quickly things will improve.
You said it Phil.
I'm enjoying this auguration for a change. For decades, these events had been filled with country singers (Note: Cash and few others are okay) and hosted by an exclusive political party (GOP) that I didn't particularly like. And word to the wise, Phil, please refrain from calling someone a "social loser," even if he's a fat, clumsy mall cop. That's not nice. Not getting an invitation to a top-notch, black-tie augural ball, which leaves you scrounging around DC bars, looking for some action, doesn't make you a loser either. It's called life and you have to deal with it.
It's called INauguration. Phil has a point, this country has some major cognitive dissonance going on. I think Americans are getting dumber by the minute. And I think the majority of them are completely unaware of the reality of our times. The media's selling and packaging of a President who's now asking them to sacrifice, after they've been beaten and battered at the expense of the Bushocrates and feeding the war machine. The media threw over the woman in the race, cursed and denigrated women and dismissed inequality of women, slavery of women, and sexism of women all throughout the campaign. Equality for Black people good. Equality for women bad. One group of people cannot be valued at the expense of another. And women have been dismissed for the Black man. Happened in the sixties, happened again. And those who hail this moment of equality don't notice. How ignorant. The coming of the Messiah is being celebrated..Americans are heavily into idol worship, looking for someone to save them. And that person is either all Good or all bad, it's all Black and White. There is no reality, no truth. All deception, mass media, and sales. Americans have bought it hook line and sinker. Hello 1984. Halleluia, we are being saved.
You Lost..... Get Over It.
It is a time for celebration. Is this country perfect - NO! Is there still much work to be done - YES! What are you doing in the way of equality for women other than writing negative postings about an actual, true reason to celebrate the American people on this day? You can continue to see this inauguration through the narrow, pinpoint laser view of yours which portrays women as victims of politics and the media. It is your right. But perhaps it would be more productive for you to, once in a while, for even a single moment, shift your perception to appreciation for this momentus event? Appreciation is a very powerful display of energy and is a beacon, drawing forth more of the same. Unfortunately, so is negativity and victimhood. You get to choose.
Please shut up, and allow the world at least a day of joy. Tomorrow will come as it always does, and we can all go back to being dour. Hillary's on board, and so should you be. And if anybody uses that "Messiah" line to my face, they're gonna get cold-cocked!
What's an augural?
Yes, even the Sun was brighter today!
You must be logged in to comment. Log in or connect with
