something like a phenomenon
by Sandra Kinne
Published: January 31, 2008
Emma’s rebuttal to this article: “rebuttal to: something like a phenomenon“
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An amazing thing happened yesterday. I mean, besides the complete collapse of Rudy’s presidential hopes and the finality of exploiting 9-11 as one’s personal coffer-filler, mantra and rallying cry.
The Democratic Party will, for the first time ever, have a female or a black at the top of its presidential ticket in November. It’s undeniable now, given John Edwards’ widely-anticipated decision to suspend his campaign. It’s undeniable, and it’s absolutely phenomenal.
Today, 232 years after the founding of our nation, 137 years after the 15th Amendment was ratified, 78 years after women were granted the right to vote and 46 years after LBJ signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ensuring “greater protection for the right to vote,” a major national party will not have a white male candidate on its November ballot. The two leading Democratic candidates, both of whom have a very strong possibility of becoming the next President of the United States, are a black man born of multi-racial parents and a woman who came of age during the women’s movement of the 1960s. It’s incredible. It’s absolutely incredible.
Though it is a few days too early to determine who will benefit most from Edwards’ departure, and while both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are vigorously courting Edwards and his supporters, it is not too soon to see the biggest beneficiary of Edwards’ decision: the Democratic Party and the American people.
With either Obama or Clinton at the top of the ticket, the Democrats prove we are the party of parity, of progress, of possibility. John McCain may be a man of character and truly an American hero, and Mitt Romney may be a man of, well, Mitt Romney may be a man. But, I can’t fathom the Republican Party ever making the type of history the Democrats will soon make. Jerry Falwell and Strom Thurmond are rolling over in the graves, and God is getting a good laugh at their expense.
Try as both sides have - though, Clinton’s camp has tried much, much harder - to make this race about gender or race, neither were real factors until yesterday. Yesterday, the last viable white man in this year’s Democratic race to be President bowed out gracefully in what had to be a heart-wrenching choice. In his speech in New Orleans, where his campaign began 13 months ago, Edwards said our work is not done. He said, “Our job now is to make certain that America will be fine.” While I’m hopeful and optimistic that American will be fine, I know, after today, the Democratic Party will be. The party will never be the same, and we are all the better for it.
I was somewhat saddened by Edwards’ decision. He was my second choice, and not only were his points about poverty in this country right-on, he was the only candidate passionate about the topic and pushing a progressive platform. He was both ridiculed and ignored for repeatedly highlighting a growing-disparity in this country. Yet having worked in Compton for five years, traveled through 49 of our 50 great states (darn you Hawaii for being so elusive!) and visited New Orleans post-Katrina, I have seen the economic divide first-hand. Heck, at times, I’ve lived it. Edwards was the only national candidate to truly recognize the Two Americas and relentlessly raise the issue. He is the first national politician since Robert Kennedy to consistently speak of the need to bring economic prosperity to all and highlight class as the root of our country’s inequity.
But, after a year of the campaign, the idea of making history even more historical was a bigger draw than a well-spoken, well-qualified son of a mill worker. The biggest traditional draw for voters became the biggest drawback: Edwards was a white male. It wasn’t just about race; Obama and Clinton have more momentum, money and media attention, but there is something more dynamic and symbolic about both of them. In an always-historic race for the White House, the chance to truly change history was bigger than Edwards’ voice and his second bid for the nation’s executive mansion.
Edwards said he was stepping aside “so that history can blaze its path.” The Kennedy family patriarch may have passed the torch to another candidate earlier this week, but Edwards just cleared the pathway to let either Obama or Clinton through and light the way to a brighter tomorrow - not just for themselves but for the country as a whole.
While I expect the proverbial bubble of euphoria to inevitably burst, I’ve never been so excited or energized by a political race as I am right now. Nor, have I ever been as proud to be a member of the Democratic Party as I am today.
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Read Emma Onom’s rebuttal to this article: “rebuttal to: something like a phenomenon“
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