Postcards from the Bleeding Edge
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Barack Obama just lost my vote
Barack Obama just lost my vote.The actions of his staff in seizing control of a volunteer's myspace site - were clueless, greedy, self-absorbed, and dumb.
I was annoyed and offended at Hillary Clinton co-opting the Cluetrain's- "Conversation", when it was obvious she didn't know what the word meant. Ms. Humpty Dumpty Clinton - "When I use a word, it means exactly what I mean it to mean, no more, no less" - lost my vote long ago.
I was kind of impressed with Obama. Maybe it was partially because we're almost the same age, and in many respects we share the same culture and language. He's a great speaker, too, far better than the mumbler now in office. I was impressed by the fervor of his grassroots, and in how he was capitalizing on the bottom up structures pioneered by Howard Dean. I was profoundly unimpressed by the generic vanilla of his democratic platform, but I had hope that perhaps he'd tackle some real issues.
I thought: maybe, this time, the internet would truly make a difference in a national election.
I thought: maybe, the overpowering need for top down control of spin that dominates so much political press and PR would be eased, and perhaps voters in this country might get listened to, and a true dialog, a true conversation, begin.
It may sound odd to those that don't know me well, but beneath my battered cynicism lies an idealist that still believes in the will of the people. I believe, and have always believed, that with the internet anyone can have their own megaphone, and change the world.
Keeping my tattered idealism alive... is seeing bottom up citizen revolt in action, every day: Yesterday - on May 1st (a national holiday everywhere but in the US) - ordinary people fed up stupid laws, corrupt corporations and power mad politicians posted the number "09:F9:11:02:9D:74:E3:5B:D8:41:56:C5:63-56:88=C0" everywhere - and they warmed my battered heart.
I would like politics as usual to end, but it won't - not this year. Maybe not ever. There's no Bastilles left to storm. But I put to you - What part of the phrase "top-down democracy" makes sense for you? Think about it.
Via techpresident:
- The most intriguing thing about this whole mess is this is the first time I can think of where the grass-roots activist at the bottom of the pile has a megaphone as big as the folks who tried to boss him around. Right now Joe Anthony is lying on his sofa, trying to gather his thoughts as he wonders what happens to all the sweat and passion he put into the last two and a half years for Barack Obama. As best as I can tell, he really doesn't know what he should do, because he's never been in these shoes, and he's as bewildered as anyone could be about how it all came crashing to the ground. But unlike every activist who's ever been crushed by events beyond his control, he can do something that just might give him a clue as to what comes next. He can ask his 160,000 friends for help
All around us anger burns
Guide the future by the past
Long ago the mould was cast
For they marched up to Bastille Day
La guillotine -- claimed her bloody prize
Hear the echoes of the centuries
Power isn't all that money buys
A note to other Presidential candidates, not that my megaphone is particularly loud - I'd really like to vote for someone that gave a damn about exploring, and one day, colonizing, space. How come not one presidential candidate has seriously challenged the vision for space exploration?
Labels: obama
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