Washblog

My response to the two videos embedded below is informed by months of watching the Obama campaign inspiring proactive democratic action and hope, getting 32% of its funds from donations less than $200, and employing as its advisors some of the more "enlightened and creative members of the Democratic Party establishment" who preach multilateral engagement and other civilized methods -- and contrasting that to Clinton's campaign which dismisses hope as a "fairy tale", continually conjures the divisions within our society, employs unfair campaign tactics, receives only 14% of its funds in small donations, and employs as its advisors the jingoistic old guard that preaches war and American supremacy (see links above and also Eridani's story: Mark Penn's other clients).

On the left, at 26,000 comments, you see a video made by various artists based on a speech by Obama. It rings true conceptually, emotionally, musically, visually. It captures American history. It's spiritually awake. It includes everyone and inspires positive political action. On the right, is the response of Hillary supporters.  The comments are disabled. From the antiseptic horns to the trite lyrics, it rings false. "Hillary for you and me, bring back our democracy..."She knows how to lead in this president's race she will succeed." It takes what is profound and makes it shallow: People dance tritely in one box while a soldier shoots a gun in another. In one box, singers continue with their American Idol lyrics and hand movements while in another a polar bear stands stranded on an ice floe. The cultural, historical, and spiritual tone deafness is painful - like the difference between real gospel music and muzak. Clinton's campaign didn't necessarily vet this. But it spawned it. And the same ethics are mirrored expressed this pro-Clinton site, obviously well-visited as some of the posts get over 1,000 comments. Here, Obama is routinely called "Obambi". Cute. These artifacts of  the wildly different directions that Obama's and Clinton's campaigns take us -- is one more of many signposts for me that it is extremely important, given the two candidates we have left in this race, that we choose one and not the other.