New Hampshire: Shut Up Pundits, Let the Electorate Speak
Was anyone surprised that the ridiculous polls reported over the last few days predicting Hillary Clinton’s demise and Obama’s coronation turned out to be false? I wasn’t. Look back to the elections of 2004 where Kerry was predicted the winner. The best thing any informed voter can do is turn off the TV and avoid newspapers for the week leading up to the actual election. Dave Winer made a great remark on Twitter tonight:
The NH electorate got a chance to say fuck you to the national media. I hope so. What a great story!!
If only speeches and sound bites were all it took to get elected.
Barack Obama’s speech tonight was one of the finest “second place” speeches I’ve ever heard. He inspires. Every time I hear him speak I’m inspired. At the same time, I’m not sure this country can ride a wave of drastic change on nothing more than inspiration. I hear him speak and it takes me back to Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, and I so want to believe, to hope, to hop on.
At the time that I’m just about to take the plunge, I pull back. Not because I don’t want to believe, not because I don’t want change, not because I think he’s raising false hope, but something holds me back. My excuse today is the remarks he made about Pakistan — even though he clarified them. I can’t even put my finger on it, yet when he did not win tonight I was surprised at my disappointment.
I’ve long admired Hillary Clinton, but I also view her as too close to the establishment, too willing to accept and support the status quo, too easily compromising. Here’s a news flash for the media, though — her tears yesterday failed to impress. She had a sleep-deprived moment — don’t we all? Frankly, making it sound “hard” doesn’t really fly with me…she knew the job was tough when she took it on, and ‘authenticity’ doesn’t automatically mean support. Quit making it into something more than a moment in a campaign full of them, media, and quit assuming women will usher in the new Clinton era.
Bottom line for me is that I am still watching. I want Edwards to make this a three-way race for real, for true dialogue to emerge, for conversation that transcends oratory to occur. What I don’t want? Pundits being idiots on TV having love fests for the front runner of the day.
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