Saturday, April 26, 2008

The American Election Campaign: choose your family or choose your century?

Having spent my life looking for patterns, I'm ashamed of how long it took me to see these two. The first one hit me only yesterday. Americans (including me) will be voting for the member of a nuclear "family" they want to lead them: Dad (McCain, the protector), Mom (Hillary, the ambitious hard-worker), or Son (Obama, the futurist)?

Alternatively, today it occurred to me that we're also choosing our favorite century: 19th (McCain), 20th (Hillary), or 21st (Obama).

Looking at it either way, you can see why I haven't decided yet. If I'm in a pessimistic or fearful mood, I like McCain, pragmatic - Hillary, optimistic - Obama.

Please discuss.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

What an interesting way to look at it! I am an Obama fan so I suppose I like the son and the futurist. I worry that he looks weak, however.

Anonymous said...

I think I am going for Hillary. For the first time in my life, our primary here in NC matters. J-

SavtaDotty said...

Hi commenters! For some reason, the blogspot comment notifications went straight to my gmail spam folder, so I'm a bit late to respond.

Jo, I like my metaphors because they raise the level of discourse to the archetypes, which is where I seem to be living these days. I guess it's the change of perspective that comes with age.

John, I have different problems with each of the three candidates, but any one of them would be better than the current president. Tel Aviv misses you!

Charles Malik said...

What a striking categorization...

I never thought of the race in this way. However, your archetypes fit perfectly.

However, I don't see John McCain as much a father as a grandfather. He is nearly 50 years older than me.

Hillary seems like a teacher, and not the kind of teacher one remembers kindly. She seems like a pedantic disciplinarian who cares more about rules than the emotional well being of her students. Definitely, 20th Century.

SavtaDotty said...

Charles, How about we compromise on McCain as a patriarch? (Does his representing a grandfather rule him out for you?) I agree with you about Hilary as schoolmarm; she is gives out Cold Mother vibes.

It's really difficult to predict which one would be the best president, but I'm kind of rooting for Obama to win the nomination just because I think he vs. McCain would make the most interesting campaign dialog.

Chancy said...

It seems as if Obama has the nomination all but in the bag. I was pulling for Hillary but I probably will vote for Obama because I don't want another President who is close to Bush.

Anonymous said...

Interesting...

I think that in these troubled times we have to go for the protector (McCain). If that means the 19th century, so be it. The alternatives aren't palatable.

I like to go for the best candidate, and the two Democrats do not inspire confidence.