“Change” Politics

Should politicians flip-flop in what they promised? In the last few weeks, there has been a flurry of stories and criticisms about Obama’s changing prisms. Having no time or no chance at all poking my nose into what this Democratic nominee has done, the discussion itself worth an awful lot of digestion and reflection, especially when it summons the memory of the last vote I cast in the last HK Legislative Council election.

Arianna Huffington, the co-founder of the most well-known US political website in recent years and a genius who earned her first degree from Cambridge at 16, offered seven suggestions to Obama on his campaign trail. To sum up, she urges Obama to stay true to himself and turn away from the Conventional sirens that the votes in the middle (i.e. undecided swing voters) could determine the ultimate election result. She suggests he should set his eyes for the future of US with hopes and mission, but not living under the grumbles of many media and fear of driving away big donors. Equally important is not to fall prey again in the myth Democratic Party has long been held to, that shifting position to appease the middle is what it takes to win. He is encouraged to watch the concession speeches Kerry and Hilary had in the middle of the previous campaigns. She said, “Voters longing for hope, inspiration, a new kind of politics, and fundamental change…Don’t let the pundits, the advisors, and the cowards convince you to let someone else cut in.”

Clearly, it is a piece of good willed advice with preference over Obama, and they are like maxims unlikely to be refuted on the surface. But how can she tell of the real motive behind if “change” itself is really something integral and the source of inspiration to his very act?

In the comment of “The New Yorker” by Hendrik Hertzberg on July 21, 08, Hertzberg grouped the shifts in three categories; namely, “mere shifts of emphasis,” “marginal tweaks,” and either “substantive or nonexistent.” What Hertzberg tries to do is to portray the variations and nuances in media reporting and the use of languages. Going down the list of accusations to Obama’s “politician act,” most of them are found as mere focus shifts or even nonexistent. Anyway, to Hertzberg, Obama has behaved like any other politician at the fore, including McCain of course.

A somewhat humorous but hit on the head remarks at the end is if they take comfort in what they proposed and ignore the changing circumstances, there shall be smears and attacks for stubbornness and rigidity. “Bush all over again!”

Is it about the courage to change or wittiness to meander down the road? How could voters be convinced with a far-fetching mission that they may not be able to fathom or vision? What kind of “change” works and challenges that we can put up with? But one thing for sure, when it boils down to implementation and execution, we can’t be patient with any capricious panderers.

Further readings:
http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2008/07/21/080721taco_talk_hertzberg
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington