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Every time I think about how the course of American history would be different if Robert Kennedy had been elected president in 1968, I can't help but cry. RFK was probably the last best hope for America, and he was tragically stolen from us forty years ago today. How would America be different today if Bobby had entered the white house instead of. . . Nixon? Would we be in the same trouble we're currently facing as a nation? Of course it is impossible to know for sure, but I imagine that we would be living in a better world if he had lived.
Last March I read a book that I highly recommend picking up if you are interested in learning more about the vision of RFK. It's called Robert Kennedy: His Life by Evan Thomas. It's a bit dense, but definitely worth the time. Thomas is thorough in his research and offers a balanced look at the life and times of RFK. After reading it, I felt like he was my long lost political twin: he was so dedicated to eradicating poverty and fighting for civil rights for all groups. He was also a relentless self-improver. But beyond that, I felt like we also shared many negative qualities. He was very moody; at one campaign appearance he would be energized and have a great rapport with the crowd. At the next, he would be shy and withdrawn. His behavior was completely dictated by his mood. And he, too, had a bad habit of taking on way more than he could handle.
This weekend, do something to remember RFK. Pick up a copy of Thirteen Days, his memoir of the Cuban Missile Crisis, or one of the many books written about him. Watch Bobby, the 2006 film about the day he was assassinated. Or honor his memory by doing something good for humanity.
On Beauty is the third novel written by Zadie Smith, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite fiction writers. Last summer I read her debut novel, White Teeth, and I highly recommend picking it up. I'd love to go into more detail, but for this post I'm going to stick to OB. The novel discussed dealt with a lot of different themes relevant to this very blog, including the liberal/ conservative dichotomy, the purpose of art in society, aesthetics.
The story is rich in detail, so I'll only attempt a brief summary: Two families, the liberal Belseys and the progressive Kipps', interact with each other in a liberal college town called Wellington (near Boston). The fathers, Howard and Monty, respectively, are both professors in the Humanities department (Art History and Black Studies). Both are outspoken political pundits, both are renowned for their work on Rembrandt (who represents everything Monty loves and Howard despises). Anyways, I recommend giving it a read. Zadie Smith is a wonderful story teller, and I love the way she discusses race issues. Every time I read one of her books, I feel like I've learned something.
Hillary Clinton won the Pennsylvania primary last week. I’m rather disappointed about in her victory for several reasons. First and foremost, the longer this bitter contest continues, the more it will continue to divide people. Obviously, supporters on both sides continue to grow more impassioned. But beyond that there is a rift in the feminist community between second wave Hillary supporters and third wave Obama supporters. I think that the longer we go without a candidate, the harder it will be to heal the rift. Will we repeat the mistakes of 1968 and wind up with McCain in the house?
Here’s another thing that concerns me: in just about two weeks, I will begin working on the campaign trail. I will be running a canvassing office in Chicago, working to promote progressive candidates at the state and national levels. Since the progressive candidate is still up in the air, we will have to begin simply arguing against McCain. Personally, I would rather run a campaign in favor of someone, focusing on her positives, than run one against an individual, focusing on her negatives. I have done canvassing and call center work on congressional and gubernatorial elections for the last two years, and one theme that I hear often is how disillusioned the average American is with negative campaigning. Running a campaign against McCain and not in favor of Obama or Clinton will likely decrease our support. Kerry ran as the anti-Republican candidate in 2004, and I believe it ultimately harmed him.
Finally, I think that based on voter trends over the last two presidential elections, the youth vote is absolutely crucial to winning the presidency. Youth are mobilized like never before- and behind the charismatic junior senator from Illinois. If Clinton takes the nomination in a coup at convention, many of these youth are going to be disenfranchised, probably resulting in reduced support for the democratic candidate. Again, this feeds my nagging suspicion that we will not win back the White House is Clinton gets the nomination.
Obama is still ahead in delegates- and he is winning substantially by total number of votes. We were all outraged in 2000 when Al Gore won the popular vote but not the presidency. By that logic, shouldn’t Obama get our nomination? Ultimately, I believe that we need to focus our energy, and keep our eyes on the prize- winning back the White House. Although I am just an amateur pundit, I really think that Obaba is the candidate most likely to win that prize.
*As a side note, I am currently about halfway through Obama's early memoirs, Dreams from my Father. I think it's an honest, interesting look at race relations in the United States.
Other suggested reading on the topic:
White Teeth by Zadie Smith, and Caucasia, by Danzy Senna.
