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The Politics of Love

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As Leonard Cohen might sing, "Now so long, Marianne, it's time we began to laugh, and cry and cry and laugh about it all again."  The improbable presidential run of Ms. Williamson is over, and with it her "politics of love" that never had much of a chance to begin with.

For a moment there, it seemed it might just catch on.  David Brooks wrote a glowing account of her in the New York Times, claiming she might just be the one to take down the Dark Lord of Hate himself, but she was never able to gain any traction in a field that had ballooned to over 20 candidates.  Still she hung on, hoping love might be the answer to all the frustration, anger and hatred rising out of the Democratic campaign.

Her candidacy exposed just how cynical politics has become.  It's all about positioning and taking advantage of people's hostile emotions, and hoping that you can hold your campaign together long enough to be the last man or woman standing.  In short, a battle of attrition.  Marianne tried to rise above the fray, focusing on issues close to the American heart like the water problem that goes far beyond Flint, Michigan.  However, it was impossible to shake the 500-lb. elephant in the room.  Donald Trump was always there to remind Democrats that they needed someone who could rid them of this unwanted beast.

Williamson had her flaws, to be sure.  She was a vaccine skeptic.  She relied a bit too much on psychic forces, like the time she wanted everyone to focus their minds on Hurricane Dorian and will it away from the Bahamas, but there was no denying her heart was in the right place.

She gave the debates brief moments of levity as the other candidates stumbled around to gain footing over each other.  As such, I liked her but never would have considered her for President.  Well, I don't really think she imagined herself winning the nomination.  I think she hoped to remind the other candidates that what's missing from their campaigns is a "politics of conscience."

Most likely, she will be dismissed as a fluke.  So be it, but for a brief moment Marianne gave us something to think about other than hate for Donald Trump.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 14, 2020 at 5:58 PM

    Spot on with your commentary, James. The "politics of conscience" is a timely theme for Democrats in the face of challenging a President for whom conscience is a nuisance.

    ReplyDelete

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