I’m sure a bunch of college kids are devastated this morning after the realization that well-articulated non-specific messages of change weren’t enough to somehow put away the the candidate who is the living embodiment of The Establishment. “But
I voted,” you can hear them wail. Me? I’m pretty sanguine. It’s going to be a long slog to the nomination, and the reservations I’ve had thus far about Obama are pretty much that while it’s great to inspire and symbolism is important, particularly with where we find ourselves in the world’s eyes right now, you’re not gonna make it through four years on hope alone. Audacity, maybe, but not hope. If there’s an upside to yesterday’s results (apart from the fact that he wasn’t completely crushed, which was my worst fear) it’s that Obama has to come down from the mountaintop now and sell something other than being the transformative candidate. Which can only be good for him. As for the kids, it’s probably better that they learn the lesson early. I hope a couple of defeats aren’t enough to keep them down. This is a generation that really doesn’t know about not getting its way, so it’d be nice if this turned into a teachable moment, rather than an excuse for them to turn back to their steady diet of Xbox and date rape.
