Because the pursuit and exercise of power, rather than leading people, is the great motivation for the Clintons, everything in a campaign is simply a means to that end for them. Speaking with the people -- proposing a vision as well as priorities for action -- is not an end in itself for the Clintons. But in a democracy, the exchange of ideas and the formation of an understanding between those who would lead and those who provide the legitimacy of electing them is the entire point of having a government based on popular consent rather than on appropriated power. To be a citizen (and not only a leader) said the philosopher John Rawls, you have "a duty of civility to appeal to public reason." Otherwise you cannot persuade people to follow you. Barack Obama understands and personifies that duty. Hillary Clinton doesn't appear to comprehend it. She tries to manipulate us with constantly changing slogans in order to conjure up the image of someone we can supposedly trust. Her latest one-word slogan is "solutions" rather than speeches, as if "solutions" can somehow be defined without words. Another tall skinny man from Illinois, having served only a few years in the Congress, gave a single speech in New York City in 1860, which propelled him to the presidency. One of the sponsors of that event wrote to him later and said "very long will your speech be remembered in this city." He said the speech "was so weaved and linked with truth" that it "convinced" people -- it captured and solidified their consent to that leader's vision and argument. The leader was Abraham Lincoln. Barack Obama is following in his footsteps.
posted 02/14/2008 at 21:07:04
posted 02/14/2008 at 21:07:04
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