Because Things Are Different Now
ODE columnist Truman Capps wants you to “do your part for America“, and by “your part” he obviously means community service (emphasis added):
I had never felt bad about ducking my civic duties before Obama came to town. President Bush clearly did not want or need the help of the American public (as indicated by his unwillingness to consult us on matters of domestic wiretapping or FEMA appointees) and I didn’t want to give it to him. […]
It’s important now that we start pulling our own weight – not because President Obama wants us to, but because it’s what we should have been doing all along. […]
And yes, it’s very convenient that the liberal columnist is changing his views now that the Republican president has been replaced with a Democrat. However, I think this issue is bigger than politics. Hopefully Obama will do what we put him in office to do, but for it to work – and for it to keep working with the next president, regardless of his or her party – we’ve got to do our part, and not just with patriotic bumper stickers.
In case you didn’t catch the message, National Greatness is back! America is no longer the Orwellian, fascist dystopia of the Bush years. Now liberals can proudly listen to schmaltzy pro-America songs and pledge to serve their president. Y’know, the same thing they use to lampoon conservatives for. Jesus, guys, why don’t you just go to a Toby Keith concert and just get it over with?
For more on how everything is different now, check out yesterday’s ODE opinion piece, “Right-wing hypocrisy,” which happens to contain this delightfully hypocritical closing graph:
None of this [complaining] is productive. Acting like a 6-year-old does not accomplish anything except making a fool of oneself. It’s been a week now – the time for grieving is past – and it’s time to accept that the American people want to try it a new way.
Yeah, I might get a column together on this by the end of the year. I tried to sorta get the argument in the field in the Emerald’s last editorial: http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2009/01/27/Opinion/Look-Beyond.Presidents.Celebrity-3598866.shtml …but it wasn’t quite as developed nor as personal as it is for me alone.
I should probably concede too about the “he won’t leave” issue. Or, at least, qualify. I’m actually less concerned that he’ll choose to stick around as much as we’ll choose to be okay with that.
Like say, (highly hypothetical pipe-dreaming now) that he caught bin-Laden, got some kind of two-state thing together in Israel, the economy recovered, and we dramatically cut our dependence on foreign oil, I’m concerned that many Americans would then find themselves in a kind of patriotically orgasmic mind-numbing.
I felt like this country was flag-waving the hell out of itself while Bush was blundering his way through the presidency, could we imagine what would happen if we had a president that actually scored? I fear that approval boost plus the current over-branding would result in a public that might beg for a benevolent dictator. It’s not at all for certain, but let’s keep an eye on it, I guess. (That’s right, Demi/Ashton: I’m watching you.)
Matt:
You should re-work your long comment and submit it as your next Emerald column. It’ll probably end up being the best thing the ODE runs all year.
I don’t buy the “if he’s successful, maybe he just won’t leave” bit, though. That’s what they said about Bush and it was total nonsense then, too.
ps. Sorry for commenting on your post with a post of near-equal length. I need to get out my Elements of Style and cut down on the windbaggery.
Great post also, CJ!
How come it feels like I’m the only Obama supporter who is ALSO concerned about this surging liberal blind patriotism?
I mean, I’ve always loved my country too (even while I did think we were doing stupid shit under Bush, it’s still my country) but I’m increasing alarmed about the fetishistic nationalism that’s followed him into office. It feels like America, the media, and the once skeptical left has simply fallen in love not just with a leader and but even more with the brand name of a leader – Barack Obama
DAMN YOU CJ.