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America: Is it déjá vu all over again?

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Thomas Walkom

The world assumes that, with the election of Barack Obama as president, America has undergone a sea change. The world may be wrong.

Certainly, Obama’s victory shows how much the U.S. political scene has shifted. In Virginia and North Carolina, an influx of new, well-paid, high-tech workers allowed the Democratic candidate to capture these traditionally Republican states.

In South Florida, African-American voters turned out in droves to vote for Obama. At the same time, a shift in the makeup of Hispanic voters favoured the Democrats, as immigrants from Central America challenged the primacy of Miami’s anti-Castro Cubans.

Yet in the end, Obama’s share of the popular vote - 52 per cent compared to 46 for Republican John McCain - was far from sweeping.

Where Obama was spectacularly successful was in his ability to portray himself to whites as a post-racial candidate. Exit polls suggest that 43 per cent of whites voted Democrat, a figure little different from 2000, when two whites, George W. Bush and Al Gore were competing.

Among African-American voters, the Obama campaign played the race card shamelessly and successfully. More blacks turned out to vote; of those who did, a whopping 95 per cent chose Obama.

So has America changed?

In terms of racial acceptance, yes. Obama is certainly not the first African-American to win high office. But he is the first black U.S. president, and that counts.

Yet elsewhere the answers are murkier. The election that chose Obama also foreclosed gay marriage in three states (California, Florida and Arizona.). Indeed, Obama opposes gay marriage.

The Democrats did win more congressional seats. But don’t assume that all Democrats are Manhattan liberals. Many of these new members are conservative Democrats who, in Canada, would be to the right of Stephen Harper.

More important perhaps, the puzzling and often contradictory elements of the United States haven’t much changed.

Americans still have complicated feelings about the rest of the world. Usually, they don’t care about it; sometimes they resent it; always, they yearn to be loved.

When I travelled the U.S. interviewing voters, most ended up asking me what Canadians thought.

McCain supporters were mortified to discover that polls show Canadians much prefer Obama. Democrats explained that they were voting for Obama in part to repair America’s image abroad.

"Our standing in the world has deteriorated," one voter told me in Missouri. "We’ve lost everyone’s respect," another said.

Yet at the same time, there was no diminishment of the jingoism that accompanies U.S. politics.

At political rallies - and not just Republican ones - audience members would drown out the speakers by punching their fists in the air and chanting "U.S.A.; U.S.A."

Both McCain and Obama played to classic American archetypes. McCain presented a vision of America as a land of feisty mavericks unwilling to bow down to the Big Brother government that he said Obama represented.

Obama, meanwhile, played to a different but equally powerful self-image, that of the can-do America ("Yes we can") that through unity, sheer grit and ingenuity is able to meet all dangers.

McCain portrayed himself as the warrior. But Obama spoke the language of a wartime president, warning of sacrifice, talking of courage, exhorting his people to struggle.

And that too is classically American.

Thomas Walkom’s column appears Wednesday and Saturday.

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words

I read this article from start to finish. twice. but cannot for the life of me figure out what you actually said. it’s a very strange experience to read what is supposed to be someone’s opinion and not actually find an opinion stated but rather just a bunch of words put together in somewhat coherent sentences. and obama does support gay marriage. refer yourself to the last debate please

Posted By bpw at 1:51 PM Saturday, November 08 2008

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Honesty

This is a very good article. Thomas Walkom is one of my favourite editorialists because he is a great writer, and also, because he has a good heart. There are a lot of truths in this article, but, the one part I disagree with is where he says, "America mostly doesn’t care about the rest of the world.’’ - Whenever there is a crisis in the world, the U.S. gov’t and American charities help and donate more than other nations. Thank you.

Posted By Amazed at 1:19 PM Saturday, November 08 2008

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Difference of a few days

We like to think Obama won the election based on policies, issues, inspirational rhetoric and all that good stuff. But behind all that was a machine that used all the other tactics to gather votes and pillory the opposition, positive and negative. Obama’s choice for his chief of staff is a man that makes John Baird look like a pussycat. For all the Canadian left’s ga ga fawning over the new wunderkind, we are starting to get glimpses of the real man. He will turn out to be to the right of us, and I believe he and Mr Harper will get along just fine. I’m starting to feel better already.

Posted By ERB at 12:07 PM Saturday, November 08 2008

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Any Wonder

I agree that America is essentially a liberal country that has been brainwashed by the allure of the Horatio Alger Myth . The election of Obama is just a symptom of that bi polar nature . It remains to be seen if have yet to mature. Canada on the other hand is a truly liberal democratic society Thats why while we have embraced Medicare at all levels of the political spectrum , they are still ranting about socialism and how much they will be getting in tax credits (instead of universal access to decent health care ) Is there any wonder why Harper , broke his own law and called the election before he got swamped in the Obama "wave" , which in all of its excitement woke up Canadians to their own inherent nature.We have always prided ourselves in creating a more Civilized Society than our "Gunsmoke " southern neighbours How many people out there who voted Conservative are now having Buyers remorse . Enjoy your Minority Government Mr. Harper - you’re next.

Posted By Equalizer at 11:06 AM Saturday, November 08 2008

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High hopes

But he’s got high hopes, he’s got high hopes. He’s got high apple pie in the sky hopes.

Posted By Gardiner Westbound at 9:44 AM Saturday, November 08 2008

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Very compelling.

This article by Thomas Walkom is right on the money.

Posted By Airy at 9:27 AM Saturday, November 08 2008

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Change??

Expecting real change from America is to live in a dream world. Because it is impossible. The USA has a view that is at odds with virtually every country on the globe. America views itself as the "shining city on the hill" to which all must pay obeisance. That is root and branch USA. A single or a series of elections will not change that. Give up your delusions.

Posted By Peter1a at 8:59 AM Saturday, November 08 2008

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Expectations

A woman interviewed in an inner city neighborhood said that Obama was going to payfor her gas and get her a new car. ACORN and Obamas street workers have deliberately created a set of massive unaccomplishable expectations in economically challenged neighborhoods. They did not do that without being prepared beforehand with the strategies to create "enemies" later to blame for the failures to produce. The Soviets called them "wreckers" and had show trials and executions of thousands of scapegoats. Who will Obama blame when the lady doesn’t get her car and free gas?

Posted By sendergreen at 8:44 AM Saturday, November 08 2008

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Don’t be fooled.

Steve Harper is very right. He is protraying himself as centrist-right. Dont be fooled by that. He is a closet Jesus-freak. Those conservative Democrats may be right of the old PCs but not right of the Reform party.

Posted By Tim Bee at 8:43 AM Saturday, November 08 2008

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