Christopher Buckley's Obama Embrace—Hope Over Reason
My Thomas Jefferson Street colleague Bonnie Erbe is reveling in the right's reaction to Christopher Buckley's decision to vote for Barack Obama. Buckley, of course, is the son of the late conservative godfather William F. Buckley Jr. but also a bright mind in his own right, so his defection deserves to be noticed.
Bonnie takes a few jabs at conservative reaction, which is justifiably indignant but, admittedly, in many instances downright nasty. Well, yes, the right has its share of impolite radicals too.
Far more important, however, is the substance of Buckley's dissent.
Buckley decries John McCain for being "inauthentic," for saying things he can't possibly believe. Fair enough: As a fellow libertarian-conservative, I share Buckley's skepticism that McCain will balance the budget by the end of his term. I'll even raise him one further: McCain's never shown particular facility with economics, and I doubt he will stick to his pledge to lower taxes. (I don't agree, however, that Sarah Palin is such a terrible choice for veep. She may not be, as Buckley's father was, a revolutionary for conservatism, but she is an accurate representation of many in the movement.)
But if inauthenticity is the chief reason Buckley won't vote for McCain, what are his reasons for voting for Obama? As he writes:
But having a first-class temperament and a first-class intellect, President Obama will (I pray, secularly) surely understand that traditional left-politics aren't going to get us out of this pit we've dug for ourselves. If he raises taxes and throws up tariff walls and opens the coffers of the DNC to bribe-money from the special interest groups against whom he has (somewhat disingenuously) railed during the campaign trail, then he will almost certainly reap a whirlwind that will make Katrina look like a balmy summer zephyr.
In other words, inauthenticity. Despite what Obama says he'll do, Buckley prays (secularly) that he'll do the polar opposite.
Buckley's rationale is puzzling, particularly for we libertarian-conservatives who temper our ideals with a healthy dose of skepticism. I have little doubt that McCain, as president, would backslide on his promises. But I see no reason to blindly hope that Obama would suddenly perform a U-turn.
The best I can make of Buckley's decision is that he's been swept up by what has characterized the modern Western Left and its latest protégé, Obama: the triumph of hope over reason.
Tags: presidential election 2008 | Barack Obama
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Go McCain/Palin
I would like to see freshman Senator Obama's first-class temperment in the torrential storm of the main-steam media that Honorable Senator John McCain has endured. I think that smiley B. Obama might be a little grumpy if his mettle were constantly assaulted like the Esteemed John McCain's has been. John McCain is a man of intergity, grit, and honor. To have such a man as commander and chief of this country is a mercy we don't deserve. Hang tough, President McCain!!!
Mr. Buckley's entire quote
The thesis of Mr. Dealey's entry (that Buckley's support is predicated on a wishful Obama "U-turn") is deconstructed by reading Mr. Buckley's ENTIRE QUOTE (see below). Mr. Buckley's support appears to this reader to be based on Sen. Obama's "first class temperament" and "first class intellect", as well as the potential to be "a good, even great leader." A blog entry based on a paragraph taken out of context may satisfy "the choir", but not us thinking independents. Step up your game Mr. Dealey.
"But having a first-class temperament and a first-class intellect, President Obama will (I pray, secularly) surely understand that traditional left-politics aren’t going to get us out of this pit we’ve dug for ourselves. If he raises taxes and throws up tariff walls and opens the coffers of the DNC to bribe-money from the special interest groups against whom he has (somewhat disingenuously) railed during the campaign trail, then he will almost certainly reap a whirlwind that will make Katrina look like a balmy summer zephyr
So, I wish him all the best. We are all in this together. Necessity is the mother of bipartisanship. And so, for the first time in my life, I’ll be pulling the Democratic lever in November. As the saying goes, God save the United States of America.
Obama has in him—I think, despite his sometimes airy-fairy “We are the people we have been waiting for” silly rhetoric—the potential to be a good, perhaps even great leader. He is, it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for."
Palin is Perfect
Palin is exactly what the US deserves as (acting) president: an ignorant, corrupt nutbar. In just a few short weeks, she's managed to give us ample evidence on all three counts. Yes, indeed: she is very representative. Alas. Representative of why I (and many others) have given up on the US as a world player in the 21st Century.
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