Life Majority Rules
posted by on November 5 at 13:31 PM
A few weeks ago, while eating breakfast in a hotel in Florida with my family, FOX News on the TV in the corner, my step-grandmother, diehard Republican, said, “There’s no way this country will elect a black man. It’s not going to happen.” She lived in Germany the first half of her life, before marrying my grandfather, a politician from California, also a diehard Republican; she was too young to be a Nazi but has talked unapologetically about how she would have been one if she were old enough; she refers to Asian men and women as “ornamentals.” She chewed her eggs and shook her head and added, “And if it does happen, we get what we deserve.”
Those words—we get what we deserve—were reverberating in my mind after midnight last night in the sea of revelers at the intersection of Broadway and Pike when someone I barely know emerged from the crowd, handed me a full bottle of champagne, and then disappeared back into the crowd. There was a magical quality to the crowd—the unbridled joy, the to the lack of irony, the brotherhood/sisterhood, the genuinely-liking-each-other, the gravity-less monkeying on the street utilities, the open drinking in front of cops. It had the electric, unselfconscious feeling of a sports victory but it was amplified by the fact that we were celebrating not a team’s victory but the victory of liberal ideas as a framework for the future of the free world.
One got the startling sense last night that we were bigger in number than we realized. It is possible to deeply internalize your family’s fucked up Republican arrogance, to believe on some level that you are outnumbered—as another of my relatives, also a diehard Republican, likes to chirp whenever we talk about politics, “Majority ruuu-ules!”—and one great gift of last night was the realization not only that there are lots of liberals out there (duh) but also that there are enough people out there who like liberals to make this happen (easy to forget). Obama has made liberalism likable again.
The dance club Neighbours made its contribution to history by dragging a speaker out onto the roof, blasting a couple songs (“Don’t Stop Believing”) for people to dance to (or take off their shirts and put each other on their backs and run around to), and then handing the microphone to a drag queen who—even though she was unlit up on that roof and basically out of sight (there’s a metaphor in there somewhere)—led the crowd through the most glorious, sincere, elated national anthem I’ve ever been part of. It was the middle of the night, it was the middle of the street, and everyone—EVERYONE—sang.
Not to hijack your post to another topic too quickly, but sometimes "majority rules" sucks. I just got un-married this morning and my kid is now a bastard because of majority rule in California. Did we get what we deserved?
I just got chills reading that, Christopher. Especially the last paragraph. Only in America! So AWESOME!
The only drawback to your promotion to Editor? How little we get to see your writing now.
Glad to see it on Slog because it is as great as ever, Christopher!
The only drawback to your promotion as Editor?
We don't get to see as much of your writing.
Glad it's getting put up on Slog because you are as great as ever!!
(this might be a double post, the Servers seem to be working overtime right now)
Regarding that majority and silver linings... I was looking at the percentages across the country. At least earlier today, the lowest percentage for Obama was in Wyoming, at 31.something percent.
In the MOST right-wing state in the nation, nearly one-third of voters selected a black man to be the next president.
Shazam!
You seem to run into a lot of strangers who give you shit. Joints, champagne, blowjobs downstairs in American Apparel.
One of the huge upsides to all this internet chatter -- the "tragedy of the comments" I think someone at the Stranger called it -- is realizing that you are not alone in your opinions. But it still doesn't compare to a throng of celebrating people in the streets for the visceral feeling that you are not a tiny, unimportant minority of One, but part of a larger community.
Thank you for putting into words the incredible feelings I had from being at the intersection of Broadway and Pike. I'll never forget last night. Now...did I hear something about a victory march tonight???
Your grandfather needs to start seeing other people!
Thank you for putting into words the incredible feelings I had from being at the intersection of Broadway and Pike. I'll never forget last night. Now...did I hear something about a victory march tonight???
One thing I always find striking about the Stranger's analysis of current events is the shocking lack of historical perspective.
Obama's victory, like Bush's victory 4 years ago, has as much to do with the inadequacy of the opposing candidate as it does with any of Obama's victories. I like Obama, I agree with is policies, and I'm glad he won. And his victory is a mandate of sorts. The mandate is, "Do better." But it would be very easy -- dangerously easy -- to turn this victory into the left-ward swing of the decelerating pendulum of American democracy.
That tragedy can be realized by failing to recognize that conservative values and desires still have currency, and need to be addressed by liberals in a positive and respectful way.
I was there when the crowd moved from outside Neumos down to Broadway. I wish I hadn't missed the National Anthem. Last night was so beautiful and pure and there was no cynicism, no irony, just honest joy and celebration. I don't think I've lived to see an American flag that actually imbued me with hope and pride. It was exhilarating. Yes we can. Yes we did. Yes we WILL.
The horror! The horror!
Hey John; how do those grapes taste?
SOUR?
It's a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful day!!!!
I'm not sure when this glory is going wear off. I think it will keep coming back in waves.
I will be celebrating again at his inauguration!!!
First Ave was awesome, Broadway was better (beer and wine!) As a friend said, "Everything is actually not a lie".
Great post. I work in a fairly conservative workplace in Federal Way. Young people there have never heard of Death Cab for Cutie or Vampire Weekend. There was someone today who was disappointed about I-985 losing. A Ron Paul-supporting coworker of mine was GLOATING today about how the economy would be blamed on Democrats and how Obama would "redistribute the armed forces" to Iran, Russia, and Venuzuela and make the whole world hate us. I replied that he would grow to love our socialist paradise in 4 years. One small reason why I'm happy Obama won is so I can leave that job and go work for the government without shame.
Your post lifted my spirits and reminded me that there are a lot of people who share liberal beliefs. We can be proud! In Moe Bar last night, I overheard a group of people toasting each other, "USA. To America." We liberals are Americans too. We love this country as much or more than the people wearing flag shirts (which is technically desecrating the flag.)
Vid I shot during "don't stop believing" moment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lsx8o1oV6DY
woooo!!!