Generation Yes We Can

Guest Column By Jennifer Nedeau

The Obama town hall in Alexandria, VA today once again displayed the magnificent draw of the presidential frontrunner of hope – lines down the block, thousands of supporters, roars of enthusiasm when he finally made it to the podium. But what this past week of Obama victories has also shown is something of particular importance to me, a 23-year-old female who once believed her generation, Generation Y, to be dead: Generation Why could be on its way to become Generation Yes We Can.

I have criticized my generation since I began writing about politics at the age of 16. I have never been satisfied with how young people lived their lives or represent themselves to the greater public. In other words, the Paris Hiltons of the world do not impress me. And despite the aggravating and corrupt war in Iraq, it seemed that few young people cared to fight for justice.  I got tired of being compared to the 1960s and eventually resigned myself as part of yet another question mark without an answer.

Obama’s speech today was filled with his traditional remarks and imagery – he never fails to use his charisma and sense of humor to connect with voters, to make the “Obama Mama’s” raise their children on their shoulders, or bring a colorful array of human beings into the same room. My father has a popular phrase that reminds me of Obama – “a racehorse needs to run.” And I believe Obama’s time is now. He can’t wait eight years and shouldn’t. With him, I do believe that there could be reprieve from devastating college loans, school teachers like my mother might be able to have proper supplies and assistance in the classroom, the middle class might get a fair tax program, and for once, lobbyists might have to recoil their grip on Washington.

But the best part of the 2008 election cycle – across all campaigns – is that a generation once thought to be flat and lacking substance, has finally bloomed into vibrancy. From the millions of young people who have voted for Obama to the thousands of volunteers and staffers that are essential parts of every campaign – we are the change we wish to see. No matter who wins in November, I will still look to Obama and his audacity of hope as a main reason for allowing my generation to believe again.

To the undecided Hawaiian mother in the audience today who asked whether to vote for Hillary or Obama in the Virginia primary on Tuesday, I’d like to tell her to listen to her son, a fanatical Obama supporter, he deserves to be listened to now and hopefully again in the future.

Comments

[Not John S. Mosby]

Kids know shit. Fanciful speeches are great, but how is Obama actually going to implement what he's saying? Oh, we'll worry about that after the Hippie Fair the afternoon of Inauguration Day.

Take a half-second to think about the hard parts of actual governing, and who actually knows how to do it. Then make your choice. You talk about not following the Paris Hiltons. Here's an idea, lead yourself and don't follow anyone. Make an educated decision, don't just follow the one who looks/sounds the best. From a government standpoint Obama is Paris Hilton - very little experience, always running for the next office without actually working for the current office.

[Tatum]

I'm glad young people are becoming interested in government. It reminds me of the 60s.

Selecting a president, once again, seems to be all about emotions.

Eight years ago it was all about anger, faith and self-righteousness.

After the dark days of Bush and Cheney it's all about hope and enthusiasm.

Today those who were excited 8 years ago are demoralized and deeply disappointed.

Why? They failed to look at the decision making skills necessary to do the job.

What will Jennifer's outlook be 8 years from now? Seven years into the Obama administration?

Her outlook will be shaped by his decision making skills. Not by his ability to inspire.

The bottom line is the Presidency is the job of making difficult decisions.

The consequences of poor decisions are catastrophic.

Decision making is a complex technical activity.

Is she setting herself up for disappointment by failing to assess Obama's decision making skills?

[Ann C.]

There's a comprehensive progressive blog that rates public officials for their progressive votes. http://progressivepunch.yvod.com/

If you go to the Senate ratings side,http://progressivepunch.yvod.com/ you'll find something interesting. Ted Kennedy, 28th. Hillary Clinton, 29th. Barack Obama, 43rd.

Forty third.

Think before you vote.

[Jonquill]

For those interested in human rights issues, note this description of Obama's SC campaign:

Senator Barack Obama (left) has enrolled a trio of notorious anti-gay bigots to campaign for him in the South - and when a blogosphere firestorm erupted over the move, Obama compounded his betrayal of the gay community by refusing to dump the homohaters.

This past weekend, the Illinois Democratic senator's presidential campaign announced a three-day, gospel music campaign tour through South Carolina it billed as "Embrace the Courage" featuring four singers - Reverend Donnie McClurkin, Mary Mary (a sister act duo), and Reverend Hezekiah Walker, all prominent in the gospel world. The tour was designed to mark the final days of Obama's "40 Days of Faith and Family" campaign in South Carolina, a critical early primary state.

http://direland.typepad.com/direland/2007/11/obamas-anti-gay.html

[Jennifer Nedeau]

"From a government standpoint Obama is Paris Hilton - very little experience, always running for the next office without actually working for the current office."

Well Not John S. Mosby - I think that Obama would get a thrill from this statement - similar to when it was reported that he is related to Dick Cheney.

When it comes to Obama's experience - I think that it just takes some redefining. The old ways of defining experience aren't getting us anywhere. We need someone who has actually worked at the grass roots level and can take the government from an overarching, impersonal entity, to something that every citizen can feel obligated to and effected by. Apathy is America's worst enemy. And despite Obama being young - he is not running as a member of the status quo. I'm afraid that any more experience in Washington, DC would make him less believable and less effective in gathering the masses.

In addition, if HRC were to go against McCain - her so-called experience rhetoric would be torn to pieces by the GOP. Imagine the commercials - while McCain was fighting in War, Hillary was going to Yale. The contrasts in their definition of experience is too painful to even think about. Obama on the other hand cannot be compared to McCain. It's Kennedy vs. Nixon all over again.

[Not Uncle Milton]

As an economist (yeah, I have a PhD), I found this article on Obama's conservative approach to the subprime lending disaster a good read. I can't say I disagree with his approach because of the moral hazard issue, but if you want a lefty in there, he isn't necessarily the guy. http://www.thenation.com/doc/20080211/fraser His econ advisers basically are traditional market-oriented professors.

I'm not sure who I'm going for tomorrow, because Obama may be more electable. I wish Edwards were still in the race. I think you can make a strong case though that Hill is more progressive.

[PM]

Jennifer, something perhaps you didn't know. Hillary tried to enlist in the Marines.

Here's the Post story --

She recounted the failed enlistment one time when she was first lady, in a speech to female veterans in June 1994. She said she went to an Arkansas military recruitment office shortly before she married Bill Clinton in fall 1975. Once the Marine recruiter saw the bespectacled law professor, she told the group, he rejected her by saying, "You're too old, you can't see and you're a woman." http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/08/AR2007120801551.html

Did Obama ever try to enlist?

[Clarice]

Also, Jennifer, you can't always believe what you hear from Obama. Take this, uh, fib:

"Trying to sound authentically African-American during a speech memorializing the forty-second anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights March at the Pettis Bridge in Selma, Obama claimed that his black (Kenyan) father and white (Kansan) mother married and conceived the future Barockstar because of the great Civil Rights struggles fought in Selma and Birmingham, Alabama. "There was something stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Alabama," Obama intoned, "because some folks are willing to march across a bridge. So they [his parents] got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born."

"So don't tell me I don't have a claim on Selma, Alabama," Obama droned on. "Don't tell me I'm not coming home to Selma, Alabama. I'm here because somebody marched. I'm here because you all sacrificed for me" (Obama 2007).

ObamaAsChild Wow. Too bad Barack Obama Jr. was born in 1961, two years before the famous campaign to desegregate Birmingham, three years before the Civil Rights Act, and four years before the famous Selma march!"

http://www.zcommunications.org/znet/viewArticle/15765

Paul street is a far left progressive who doesn't like Obama on a number of points, with which you can agree or disagree on. But if this is true, it is disturbingly similar to that piece on Obama making up stuff about his time working in NYC before he went back to Chicago.

[Dem Legislator in Search of Clue]

I continue unaffected by Obamania. What does he stand for? Giving up in Iraq and a giant new entitlement. Is that it? All you hear is changety-change-change-change-change with a sprinkling of hope. What nonsense is this?

Gotta hand it to President Clinton. He nailed it. This really is some sort of fairytale. The only difference is instead of living happily ever after, we're all going to be saddled with higher taxes, a giant new health entitlement, and a foreign policy which acts as though there are no threats to the US.

[Jennifer Nedeau]

Well PM - first off, as a man, Obama was subjected to the draft card since the age of 18, and has been available to serve, regardless of a decision to sign up or not.

Secondly, few of the candidates resumes include military service. And the polls have also indicated that this isn't something of particular importance to the American people - so why should I give any credence to the fact that Hillary tried to enlist?

Obama is the anti-war candidate and while I praise every person who has fought in the war - I think that Obama is serving his country is a very profound way. Perhaps he will give the states the funding they need to treat veterans with respect they deserve - such as the ability to complete education goals, survive on disability, without have to drain entire state budgets to help those who are sent to war by the federal government.

After all it was during the Clinton administration, when major benefits for Veterans were cut...so where was Hillary then?

[Doug]

So, let me get this straight. Most posters in this thread think that Obama can't run a large organization, make tough decisions and lead a lot of people to do big tasks? That's it? Yet his organization and ground game is CLEANING THE FRICKIN' CLOCK of the long established Clintons.

Oh my, you have me so convinced! Good thing I already voted.

The way we elect a president these days is much more involved than when Kennedy ran and is almost an ad hoc vetting process in and of itself. Stop being ridiculous here and go to your GOTV for Hillary.

[TDH]

So Doug you think running a political campaign equates to being able to run a government?

Two words: Karl Rove

[Doug]

oh you got me TDH, oh you got me. I give.

[Not Larry Sabato]

TDH: NICE!!!!

[jessica]

"kids know shit" Instead of declaring such a bold statement perhaps you should turn around and fix that problem, or look to other places to guide these "lost" minds.
If you believe that this is true, then maybe its about time we educate these kids, after all, our country is in their hands.

I must say as a member of this "generation why" I have grown up fascinated by the cultural revolution of the 60s that led on into the 70s, and have constantly wondered when it would be my chance, my opportunity to feel passionate enough about something that I was willing to fight for. This election has sparked just that, not only in myself but thousands of youth across the country. I am tired of the way this country has been run and am finally old enough and mature enough to attempt to understand how to fix it.

So "Not John S. Mosby" next time you decide to declare such an absurd statememt, keep in mind. These "kids" care, and are finally taking the initiative to stand up for what they believe in. That is not something to be belittled, but is something to be praised.

[TDH]

Jennifer, you said in reply to PM:

"Secondly, few of the candidates resumes include military service. And the polls have also indicated that this isn't something of particular importance to the American people - so why should I give any credence to the fact that Hillary tried to enlist?"

But you were the one who raised the issue in your original post, and you have mightily contradicted yourself:

"In addition, if HRC were to go against McCain - her so-called experience rhetoric would be torn to pieces by the GOP. Imagine the commercials - while McCain was fighting in War, Hillary was going to Yale. The contrasts in their definition of experience is too painful to even think about. Obama on the other hand cannot be compared to McCain. It's Kennedy vs. Nixon all over again."

So there you have it. Of course they'll make the comparison. Hillary tried to serve. Obama, like almost all of the current administration, did not.

And I would not raise the Kennedy image too much. Jack Kennedy treated women as objects, and his dalliances are well recorded. Two of his girlfriends ended up dead -- one murdered
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9802E3DB113AF933A15751C1A96E958260

(there was a recent Post article about it), the other Marilyn -- and it's still unclear whether she was killed.

One of his girlfriends was 19. http://www.mindcontrolforums.com/news/kennedy-intern.htm Then there was Judith Exner, the woman tied to the Mob.

Didn't you read the story on here about the other Kennedy, Ted, throwing a waitress on a table in Georgetown, and jumping on top of her? Except for the fact that he's a Kennedy, Teddy would be on a sex offender's list nowadays.

And if you can name one thing John Kennedy accomplished while he was President, you've got a slew of historians beat. Oh yeah, he considered civil rights legislation. While his brother Bobby was approving the wiretapping of Martin Luther King. And Jack was preparing to dump LBJ for George Smathers as his new VP. Smathers signed the Southern Manifesto. Some of you need to learn your history. Obama's embrace of the KJennedy legacy was cnyical.

[TDH]

BTW, I do not subscribe to the "kids know shit" theory. I think Obama is going to be the nominee, and I will vote for him in Nov. We progressives want all the youthful enthusiasm they can muster. Personally, a day of poll watching leaves me unable to do anything the next day. So more power to you. But I do not think Obama is a saint. (And if he were, he would be a dangerous president. Presidents have to be hardnosed. Which is one reason I prefer Ms. Clinton more.) But you need to balance your enthusiasm with more knowledge of history.

[TDH]

Doug:

See if you agree. I think it is difficult to tell who will be the best "manager" as a president. Neither Obama or Clinton has ever managed a large organization, like a business or a government agency. Carter was a governor, so had "experience," but he was a terrible daily manager, enmeshed in details like correcting letters that went out. A lot of it is picking the best cabinet members and close advisers, and I think both Obama and Clinton will do a very good job at that.

It is true that Obama knows how to pick a very talented election team, but he's had a lot of talented people who wanted to support him (like a lot of Gore people). That latter fact tells me a lot of positive things about Obama, because the Gore people I know supporting Obama are top drawer. (However, they are actually a bit conservative on some econ issues -- it'll be interesting to see where they wind up if Obama is elected.)

And though I rant a lot on this blog, in order to give balance, I like both candidates very much. I just get turned off my idolization of any one candidate.

[Jennifer Nedeau]

TDH -

I appreciate your critique - it is very useful as I continue to work on my argument of unabashed idealism for Obama.

I'd like to defend my seeming contradiction when it comes to military service - the McCain vs. Hillary thought was a comment about the dramatic parallels that will prevail in ads and the media. It was not meant to provoke a policy discussion, but more of a media discussion - how will voters be influenced by such a contrast?

A concern about media framing, is not the same as a concern about policy discrepancies or polling - which was the focus on my discussion about Obama vs. Hillary service record.

In terms of your note about: "And if you can name one thing John Kennedy accomplished while he was President, you've got a slew of historians beat. Oh yeah, he considered civil rights legislation."

I appreciate that you are recycling the rhetoric that has been spewed from every media pundit and politician in trying to dismantle the Kennedy Presidency. While your point is correct about his seemingly lack of policy contribution - his was a symbolic presidency - much like Obamas could be - an Irish Catholic elected into office represented a break in the status quo; a reason to believe in the American Dream again and the lofty ideals for which this country was founded. Now I want a president who does more than just represent something - and I think the results are in - Obama has already created change, not just talked about it.

History does show that Kennedy's policies were not always effective - but it is his symbolism as a President that has outlasted any policy he could have created in the 3 short years he was in the WH.

[Tatum]

The Kennedy presidency almost meant nuclear warfare on the U.S. mainland. Look into the Cuban Missile Crisis. We were nearly fired on.

Experience matters.

[Not John S. Mosby]

Jennifer,

The military draft ended when Obama was 12 years old or so, so he was never "as a man, Obama was subjected to the draft card since the age of 18, and has been available to serve, regardless of a decision to sign up or not." Do not confuse registering with the Selective Service to being subject to draft. Clearly not the same thing.

Jennifer, here's a hint - the world is not in Generation Why?'s hands. You're a bunch of kids who were coddled and nursed 24x7 by your parents up to about the time you went to college. Think on your own for a few years, then reevaluate. Buy a house and have a mortgage, start paying large amounts of tax, travel around a bit on your own, have some ups and downs and you will discover that rhetoric is only talk.

I am happy that some of you are politically active. I think focusing on the 60s and 70s - focusing back on mommy now, aren't you? - is the wrong thing to look at. Maybe focus on the 72, 84,88 and 2004 elections and where ultra-liberals end up in general elections.

[Jennifer Nedeau]

John - pardon the typo - you're right draft card and selective service are quite different. I was referencing the card received after 18th birthday of my younger brother and misspoke.

But now to the point that I found really irritating - "The world is not in Generation Why?'s hands. You're a bunch of kids who were coddled and nursed 24x7 by your parents up to about the time you went to college."

That's your opinion, fine. But I ask you to give a bit more credit about what this generation does go through. Sure a percentage of us are coddled, apathetic jerks. Believe me, I've met a lot of them and up until recently was convinced this was the definition of Gen. Y.

But while young, we have do our own burdens. We are coming out of college with 100k+ debt(me included); we are the ones who will have to deal with the growing population of high school drop outs and a growing uneducated work force; we are the ones who are going to have to fix the problems of global warming; we are the ones who are going to have find new ways to retire, because the SS is going to dry up by the time we reach 40. I'm not sure my generation will be able to buy homes and have mortgages when they are still paying off school debts and trying to raise families.

These are real issues that my generation will face when you're cozied up in a nursing home. So, wouldn't it be better to engage Gen. Y earlier rather than later in politics? Instead of trying to cover our tracks at age 50?

[Tatum]

Jennifer's got a point about personal debt and underfunded government entitlement programs.

In the past 50 years there was one president that spent a lot of political capital addressing these issues along with the issue of educating the workforce. He took a lot of heat for raising taxes and controlling spending. He was looking at the long term debt position of the Federal Gov't.

That's president's name was Clinton.

Read the chapter on Clinton in Greenspan's book.

[Sam]

Anyone who takes a second to "think for themselves" can to Obama's website and find out his stance on the issues is far more developed and thoughtful than Hillary's.

Contrary to what all the Clinton-lovers want you to think, there's plenty of "there" there with Obama, and it's just false to claim otherwise. Yes, Obama is inspirational, but if you actually listen to his speech instead of being angered by it, you'd hear that he peppers his speeches with real ideas and plans, not just platitudes.

[George Templeton]

Your column was interesting Ms. Nadeau, except for the cheap shot of putting Paris Hilton in red. That was unnecessary and dumb.

And Sam if you are reading this, thank you for enlightening me on how Superdelegates came into being for Democratic primaries. I appreciate it.