Proud to be an American

I'm proud to be an American--we got two chickens in
every garage
And I wish every other kid could be one--in my country,
the medium is the massage'
Cause it's impossible to give
Equality and justice to inferior foreigners
too jealous to trust us

Gimme your weak and your homeless
How 'bout checkin' the oil ah, fella?

I'm proud to be an American

The Tubes


Jingoistic, flag-swinging self-described patriots are generally morons, so don't get me wrong, I am in no way associating myself with the "boot up your ass," "love it or leave it" swill that dishonor this fine country.

That said...after seeing last night's Democratic debate in LA I felt a lot of pride as both an American and a Democrat when I saw a woman and a black man debating to be the Democratic party's nominee and possibly the next President of the United States. There is a ways to go until we have a President, but history will be made when either Clinton or Obama is elected the party's nominee.

It would speak volumes if this country, especially after its long night of racial inequality, could not only seriously consider a black candidate but entrust to him the what is probably the most powerful position on Earth. It would say nearly as much if Clinton were elected. What is certain, is that this country would have at the helm an executive with a different background and a different perspective to view the American and international landscape.

After years of the Bushes and, before that Ronald Reagan, it is positively delicious to contemplate the possibility of a President who spent some of his youth outside the United States (Indonesia), has navigated black and white cultures (his father was Kenyan) in a way most Americans have not, and is familar with patrician Harvard as well as his father's ancestral village in Kenya. He is someone who obviously loves the United States and what it has to offer but who is aware of how it is often perceived abroad and the reasons for this. Obama's personal experiences are certain to inform his policies in a way that that could be transformative.

And Clinton? For anyone with a mother, wife, daughter or friend with XX chromosomes, it is difficult not to root for her, a candidate who also represents the possibility of a President with a perspective different than any in the office previously. It is nearly as tantalizing to think of what she might do if elected to the White House.

While gender and race are part of the Democratic campaign in 2008 for better or for worse, what makes these candidates more than mere novelties is their talent, past accomplishments, and visions for the future. Both have a mastery of the issues and have laid out clear visions of what they will do and how they will do it whether it be abortion, the Iraq war, or reintroducing our country to the international community. Both have run extraordinary campaigns, thus far, something that gives voters an idea, anyway, of how they will govern.

It isn't completely clear who the most electable candidate is--though I think it is probably Clinton for the reasons I've mentioned before. One thing is clear, though. Democrats can be very proud of the party's last two remaining candidates. They may also rest assured that the eventual nominee would approach the Presidency with rich life experience, insight, and knowledge--a few things that are sorely lacking in the current resident of the White House.

There is little difference between Clinton and Obama on the issues most important to Democrats. We pretty know what we will be getting with either one and it will be good, especially if there are Democratic majorities in both bodies of Congress. Because of their political similarities, this campaign may boil down to whose experiences and perspectives move you most. And this may not be such a bad thing.