Harmony is being restored to the political world.
Fox News has resumed its shameless slander of Democrats, Democrats appear to be working on an agenda to distinguish themselves from black holes, and all of the hoopla surrounding the recent exploratory committees of Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John Edwards remind me that the terrible and seemingly endless disaster of the Bush presidency will soon come to an end.
When I read the news every morning I expect to see a report about some shameless mistake committed under President Bush’s leadership.
Unprecedented numbers of U.S. troops dying in Iraq?
Another constitutional right tossed aside?
We’re torturing innocent people again?
“Yeah, that seems about right,” I think as I fish for the comics.
As ashamed as I am to admit it, I have become passive in my attitudes toward American politics in the past year.
The problems we face as a nation, from our enormous debt to the “dire” situation in Iraq (as described by Lt. Gen. David Petraeus, the newly appointed senior U.S. commander in Iraq, on Tuesday), seem like hopeless conundrums when the people navigating us through these issues are the ones that caused them to exist in the first place.
But the recent news coverage of the Democratic Party hopefuls for the 2008 presidential election has made me consider dusting off those long-forgotten ideals of peace, justice and competence.
Clinton, Obama and Edwards did not make these announcements just to raise my morale, of course.
Professor Lynn Vavreck, who teaches “Introduction to American Politics” at UCLA, told me over the phone that the candidates probably felt compelled to jump into the race because of the need to snag supporters and compete for campaign funds.
Money isn’t always the root of evil after all.
There has been skepticism expressed in the media about the viability of two of the candidates ““ Obama because he is half-black, and Clinton because she has a vagina.
Even I was skeptical at first about America being open-minded enough to elect a female president.
“(Clinton) is leading in the polls,” Vavreck explained. “The only thing that keeps her from being the nominee” is some unforeseeable scandal.
She also added that because no woman has ever won a presidential nomination from a major political party, there isn’t any research to confirm the notion that America isn’t ready for a woman to be president.
I’m sure there was a greater consensus prior to 2001 that the nation would never be ready to elect an inarticulate C-student to run the country.
It seems there is hope for Clinton after all.
As for Obama, his short career and limited experience as an elected official could make him appear as if he is not yet ready to handle the responsibilities that come with being president, especially compared to a well-known former first lady. At this point, however, it really is anyone’s game.
Fox News, with a nod toward the potential of both candidates, began a smear campaign on the Friday morning show “Fox & Friends.”
A cohost claimed Clinton accused Obama of attending a school run by Muslims during his childhood ““ and not just any Muslims, but “the kind that want to blow us up.”
The show’s hosts upheld Fox News’ tradition of strict journalistic standards by citing a relatively unknown magazine with no known sources. After some basic fact-checking, CNN reported the rumor was false.
On the off chance Clinton and Obama do find their political ambitions hampered by blatant lies or the long-standing tradition of electing old white guys into the oval office, I wouldn’t mind seeing Edwards take over the presidency.
President Bush has left one positive legacy ““ after witnessing just how badly he screwed up, the American people now should be totally open-minded to any and all alternatives.
After one more year of shameful newspaper headlines, I bet the White House could swear in a Chia Pet in 2008 without any complaints.
It is time for change, and I’m ready for whatever form it will come in ““ woman, racial minority or potted plant.
We can only go up from here.
If you now have the “Ch-ch-ch-chia!” jingle stuck in your head, e-mail Strickland at kstrickland@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.