Ms. Smarty Pants Know It All

It is now three full days after Barack Obama’s election victory. The glow still hasn’t worn off for this city.

A couple of days before the election, everyone I knew, from all different sectors, age groups, and socio-economic backgrounds debated the same question—should I go down to Grant Park?

Talking about who we were going to vote for was pointless. It was all about wondering if the crowds would be too much. “Should I go?”

I was surprised that the national audience didn’t get to see the crowds outside of Grant Park. The rally was a ticketed event. So many others traveled down just to be able to stand blocks away.

And it was an orderly and joyous night. I think it came off better than anyone and everyone could have expected it to.

Since then, the good feelings have continued. Last night, a cold front came in to keep temperatures in the forties. But before that, it was sunny and in the seventies.

People didn’t even question it. It felt like magic and everyone was just going to go with it.

Folks are laughing and sharing where they were and what they did on election night. The cars are still decorated and the lawn signs are still up.

It continues to be the main topic of conversation. People are happy to report that they got held up by the President-Elect’s motorcade. They’re talking about which of the other strong Illinois politicians are going to get a step up now.

Sure, paradise will end soon enough, but for now, it’s still going strong.

If the economy is based on belief, confidence, and optimism, it should pull up a siphon to Chicago.

Tags: Chicago, Politics by Ms. SP
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As a Chicagoan, what should I watch tonight? Cubs versus Dodgers in game 2 or Biden versus Palin in the VP debate?

Which is going to be less horrifying?

I semi-watched game 1 in a group that had a non-sports fan. She didn’t understand the complete disaster of the grand slam. She didn’t understand the reasons for the gloom and doom when it was just the first game. She didn’t understand what getting swept last year would have anything to do with this year.

This non-sports fan though, she is pulling for the Democrats. I explained that the Cubs are like the Democratic Party. It doesn’t matter if they are ahead. In your guts, you just know they are going to screw it up somehow. You don’t know what the mistake is going to be or when it is coming, but you know that it is coming. They may eventually win at the end, but there’s no way they are going to let you have that victory without a lot of anguish, nail biting, and murderous/suicidal thoughts.

And there’s a good chance that they’ll blow it just because that’s who they are.

It’s sad to say that she finally understood more about the Cubs and Cub fans through that comparison.

Tags: Chicago, Politics by Ms. SP
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The discussion of Hillary Clinton for VP just will not die. Once upon a time, I stated that she would not get picked as Obama’s running mate but did not explain why.

Now, since people who should know better continue to talk about it, I will.

A political party works on hierarchies. All would be chaos if it didn’t.

The last time a presidential candidate choose the primary’s second placed finisher as his VP was Reagan picking Bush in 1980. And that was a very last minute thing because the original first choice (Ford) fell out of favor so late in the game.

If the primary winner becomes likely to choose the first-runner up, it encourages contenders to stay in the fight for longer than is healthy. They are there not to win but simply to come in second. That means longer attacks, more money spent, and less organizing time for the party in question. Voters would also have a longer exposure to all and potentially develop deep-seeded loyalties and hatreds.

But really more important than all this is that if a politician is able to campaign his/her way into a higher status within the party by tearing down his/her superiors, it would break down the very structure of the party itself. Instead of the parties opposing each other, there would be infighting within each party.

One thing I learned about India from Shashi Tharoor‘s book India: From Midnight to the Millennium and Beyond is that in their parliamentary system, representatives can change party affiliations rather easily. They do it to create a majority, a larger opposition group, because of personal grudges, etc. According to Dr. Tharoor, this makes India’s government and its dozens upon dozens of political parties very unstable.

The prime directive of government is to govern. For us in the United States, that means our two party system must be stably antagonistic. The parties build strength within themselves and oppose the other.

That’s why first-runner-ups can’t be the VP candidate in most cases. It would allow young and inexperienced politicians to give into their ambitious dreams. Any flavor of the moment who happens to catch fire could defy the good of the party and still gain status and prestige.

That’s also why the incumbent VP gets to be the next presidential candidate for his (or perhaps her) party in the next round. The people may vote, but the party’s resources and organization will be pushing for the VP. Hierarchy must be reinforced so members stay in line. It’s about waiting your turn and being the good soldier. If you do, then you may get your own shot at the top. If you don’t play nice, you’ll always be dropped.

For the good of the party, this is the game they play.

Tags: Governance, Politics by Ms. SP
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