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• Tuesday, August 26, 2008 05:18 AM

  @IzzieDee

  IzzieDee: "But...it is easy to remain cynical. It's risky to hope. I hate being manipulated, like when I find myself weeping uncontrollably during a TV commercial. We are all bombarded with messages that try to sell us something. The fact that I cannot control my response is disturbing."

  Man, which TV commercial made you cry? I want to see that commercial! To be honest, I always try to avoid commercials by getting up and doing something. If I felt it were a worthy investment (I don't watch a lot of TV) I'd get TiVo so I could always completely avoid commercials.

  Anyway, I don't like being manipulated either, unless I am in on the manipulation, and unless the manipulation is not misleading. Movies are pure manipulation but I'm a very willing participant. The DNC, and speeches in general, are also a form of manipulation, but we're all willing participants. Many of us have heard the Obamas' story before, but not presented so well. Sure, it's a kind of sales pitch, but it was also heartfelt.

  IzzieDee: "I remember the same euphoria after the 2004 Convention. I hear the same words. I have the same sick feeling. The "we are sorry" website, addressed to the rest of the world in 2004, is haunting me."

  Haha, I remember that. I was depressed for weeks. I didn't watch much of that convention though. I liked Kerry enough but wasn't excited by him or Edwards. They were a far better choice than Bush though, and considering Bush was a wartime president, it's remarkable they got as close to defeating him as they did (some would say they actually did defeat him, and there is reason to believe the Ohio votes were skewed by corruption). Remember the UK paper with the headline, "How could 52 million people be so stupid?" or something like that? That summed it up well.

  IzzieDee: "I'll vote for Obama anyway. But I understand the doubts. Maybe some Obama supporters can explain why they are so sure about him, other than the obvious that McCain would be a lot worse."

  Well that obvious reason is a big one. Not the only one, but so big a reason that it renders just about any reason NOT to vote for Obama absurd. But beyond that there are many positive qualities in Obama. Do you really not see them? I mean, having doubts is one thing -- I have doubts as well, as I would about any candidate. I think you mischaracterize people when you say Obama supporters are "so sure" about him. It isn't that anybody thinks he's infallible, it's that they think he has the potential for greatness. He's got talent, he's quite intelligent (far moreso than Bush or McCain), he thinks on multiple levels (details, basics, and also meta, big-picture concepts), he communicates clearly in a way that reaches low and high at the same time, he reels in his bad impulses well (they call it being "presidential"), he is a solid manager and delegator, he's obviously very unlikely to be the type who would seek to go to war without just cause, he shows signs of being fiscally responsible, and so on. Read his website's position statements. Watch his DNC speech.

  Again, nobody is saying he's a Messiah or whatever, and I resent the constant implication that by liking him people are worshipping him or touting his flawlessness. What's most often the case is that, all things being equal, people simply find him the best choice of candidate. I thought Hillary Clinton had many strengths. I thought Obama had more. I even think John McCain has some good points. I think Obama has more. That's the long and short of it.

  —Xrandadu Hutman Read Xrandadu Hutman's other letters
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