I've got it bad (and that is good) (updated)
Fri Feb 01, 2008 at 08:02:28 AM PDT
You know when you fall in love? At first you have reservations, you wonder if it can work... you try to hold back... but then they say or do all the right things, or at least enough of them, and you let go... and you fall... and you start to spend the day daydreaming about them, having fantasies... and really you're as much in love with the fantasies as you are with the real person...
After the debate last night, I'm about there with Obama. I'm so far on cloud 9 that even I, the most rabid Anybody-But-Clinton-ist imaginable, am even ready to be generous, to make nice with her. Because after last night, says the fanboy in me, she's gonna lose - and much as I fault her judgement on Iraq, it is really true that she can't get a fair break. She can't ride on Bill's positives, but I refuse to taint her with his negatives either.
I know it can't last. You fall in love, if you're lucky maybe it leads to marriage, and when things settle down, things aren't perfect anymore. You hate the way they leave their dirty shoes in the middle of the floor, and you fight about money, and things just aren't so romantic. But if you had really thought about all of that beforehand, you wouldn't have gotten married in the first place, and after all, that would be bad for your life expectancy...
OK, my metaphor's stretching a bit thin. My point is that I know he's not perfect. I remember my excitement, oh so long ago, when Clinton won (was that really me?), and how many times he let us down. I remember my Brazilian friend's pure pride and joy when Lula won, and I know her decidedly mixed feelings about him today. And I know that living with Obama will have just as many disappointments. That is, if he can even win this - he gave a knockout performance last night, but Clinton didn't stumble, and much as I fantasize, this is far from over.
But now is the time for infatuation. We're going to win this! You want to hear some of my fantasies?
-Edwards, Gore, and Richardson up at a podium together. The media all excited, they think they know what's coming. They read a combined statement: "We endorse: the voters. You've already proved you trust Democratic ideas more, by coming out in much larger numbers for us, many of you voting for the first time. We refuse to tell you what to think, you have two good choices." The media is devastated, we all came here for this? One of them decides, what the heck, might as well ask: "But who are you guys voting for?" "Obama, of course." The music swells...
-Last night's debate, last question: "Dream ticket...?" The crowd goes wild. Obama says "Let's stop debating for a second and just listen to the sound of victory... OK, but really, why should we lose a sitting senator? We're doing important work there this week, stopping the Republicans from granting immunity to companies who broke the law..." (His real life answer was pretty great too. My point is that I've got it so bad that fantasy is starting to occlude reality.)
I'm fired up and denying reality. And that's just where I want to be right now.
UPDATE in response to "oh, grow up": I think that it's OK to put on the rose colored glasses, because passion is worth it. That doesn't mean it's OK to be rude. The difference is that in some part of you, you keep perspective. Jump in with both feet, but hold on to the rope.
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