I was horrified to read in today's WSJ Opinion Journal, Obama and the Politics of Crowds, by Fouad Ajami.
There is something odd -- and dare I say novel -- in American politics about the crowds that have been greeting Barack Obama on his campaign trail. Hitherto, crowds have not been a prominent feature of American politics. We associate them with the temper of Third World societies. We think of places like Argentina and Egypt and Iran, of multitudes brought together by their zeal for a Peron or a Nasser or a Khomeini. In these kinds of societies, the crowd comes forth to affirm its faith in a redeemer...
There you have it, folks. I truly wonder why he didn't throw in a reference to the crowds at Zeppelin Field in Nuremburg.
I am writing about it not just because it continues the offensive "Obama is an Arab" meme, but because I think he encapsulates the poverty of Conservative analysis. The disinterest in understanding the issues facing citizens. The tendency to make sweeping statements without real data or understanding, and the tendency to ignore simpler explanations in order to support preposterous assertions.
More ...
Ajami never actually makes an argument. He starts his column with a relatively extreme comment likening Obama's rallies to laces like Argentina and Egypt and Iran, of multitudes brought together by their zeal for a Peron or a Nasser or a Khomeini. He never justifies or bolsters the statement for the rest of the article, nor does he reach any conclusions as to why that statement is even relevant other than a weak "people are disappointed by demagogues." He is really just making an incredibly incendiary statement about an enormous number of American citizens for no apparent reason other than to create an image of Obama as demagogue or potential despot.
Second, Ajami states that crowds are new in American politics - a provable falsehood. During RFK's 82 day campaign, he was regularly met with 10,000+ person crowds. If we seek a simple explanation why both candidates would have similar phenomena, one would look at the existence of an unpopular and expensive war, divisive cultural issues, and the emergence of economic challenges (inflation in his case). All of these are more interesting and likely relevant explanations than relating US crowds to the Arab street.
Ajami makes the claim that "On the face of it, there is nothing overwhelmingly stirring about Sen. Obama. There is a cerebral quality to him, and an air of detachment. He has eloquence, but within bounds." Maybe not for him. I find it stirring that a man can face attacks with calm. That he can evaluate situations, form conclusions, and stick with them - as opposed to changing positions for political advantage. He was against the Iraq War, he was against the Surge. He hasn't changed either conclusion regardless of attacks. He supported clean coal, until he learned that there was no such technology available. He has faced racism, but has only once mentioned race in his quest, during a eloquently worded, balanced, thoughtful address on race after the Wright incident. People support Obama because he exudes thoughtfulness, not fear, greed, or anger.
Ajami states that the white middle class were the last to join Obama, because they were thoughtful. Disregarding that this would characterize others at thoughtless, it is naive. White Democrats liked Clinton because she was a Clinton, and Bill connected with that demographic. Blacks clearly favored Obama, and the rest of the country followed. But Obama won, and within weeks the white Democratic vote came to him.
Finally, Ajami states that "The redistribution agenda that runs through Mr. Obama's vision is anathema to the Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and the hedge-fund managers". Silicon Valley and Hedge Funds have nothing to do with each other. Most Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs that I know are extremely pro-education and pro-environment. Almost every one is Democratic. We make money when society is open and there is a lot of opportunity to spread around. The current administration's favoring of oil, homeland security, and the military will hurt us because our wealth derives from consumer spending and the availability of investment from public institutions. Hedge fund traders, on the other hand, make money when there are low interest rates that support leverage and opaque markets that allow for trading. They tend to focus on tax policy because their business comes down to margins alone.
I think that Ajami thinks that Entrepreneurs are like the Chamber of Commerce, just single-issue voting around taxes. I have never had a discussion of a fellow entrepreneur in Silicon Valley about taxes. Never. Hundreds about Energy, environment, and education. None about taxes.
The election is around the corner, and even if you don't intend to vote for Obama, maybe you can understand at least why I am. I am a true Californian, meaning that I believe we can make the world better, and that we have the responsibility to educate people, to stop pollution, to preserve species and habitats. I believe that the future is hidden throughout our population, and that when you pick winners the economy loses. I believe that capital markets are critically important to create liquidity, but that they are not an industry that is an engine of growth. I believe that all men in power will eventually lie to keep power, so transparency is the bleach to clean out the dark recesses. I believe that the aggregation of wealth in a small number of hands is inevitable perverse, leading to corruption and eventual anarchy. I believe that all children should have a chance in life, but that women need the right to choose. I believe that science helps us find the truth and ferret out our own bad assumptions. I believe that large companies become inefficient economies unto themselves. I believe that organized religion is a cancer that should not be allowed to pervert the freedom of thought and belief of our citizens. I believe that torture is never ok and that capital punishment is barbarous. I believe we should be strong and invest in military, but we should never attack pre-emptively. I believe that intellectuals are critical to society and that patriotism is a willingness to speak truth to power, not wearing a lapel pin and repeating talking points. I believe that the Fourth amendment is unequivocal, and that no citizen should be spied upon without a warrant issued by someone outside of the Executive branch.
I believe that the current Republican party is strongly set in opposition to almost everything I believe in.
I wish I had been able to be in one of Obama's crowds. Not just because of Obama, but because I want to be part of a movement that takes back our country from small-minded, selfish, fearful people and allows freedom of thought, speech, action, and movement that is real.
I want liberty - Fouad has no idea of what this even means.