The Liberal's Lament

Maureen Dowd has an excellent Op-Ed piece in today’s New York Times. In her article, “Duel of Historical Guilts,” she echoes what I have said to several people in the past few weeks: the Democratic primaries have been a liberal’s nightmare. The two frontrunners are a woman and a black man. Some people have looked at me and don’t seem to understand what I’m saying. Dowd poses the question as to “which of America’s sins are greater . . .misogyny . . . or racism?” She points out that this may not be a question those in their 20s, 30s, or 40s would even think about, much less ask. Is it more of a concern for Baby Boomers who came into their own in the turbulent 60s, joining civil rights marches and burning bras? I remarked a few weeks ago that it felt strange to be out of the mainstream of youth. It struck me when comparisons were made between the excitement engendered among young people about Barack Obama and that sparked by John F. Kennedy. When Caroline came out for Obama, it made me feel old. When Old Ted Kennedy came out for him, it made me feel even older. I can understand when some Hillary Clinton supporters say that they resent the fact that Obama is not waiting until it’s “his turn.” The Baby Boomers have had two presidents, and I certainly wouldn’t brag about the job either of them did. Is that the only shot our generation will get? Are we already over-the-hill (or Hillary)? It’s hard to accept that someone is past her prime at 60 (I will be 60 March 16th). Do young people, both black and white, not appreciate all that was done for them to be as free as they are now? Do they not understand the struggles that blacks and women went through? Or, don’t they care? I suspect that the same thing might be happening if there were an older black man running against Obama instead of an older white woman. An older friend of mine (a black woman, now close to 70) who had been an activist during the Civil Rights Era (assuming it’s over as some thought a few years ago) once bemoaned the fact that young black people didn’t appreciate what they (her generation and the one before hers) had to go through just to be free and to vote. It upset her that young black people didn’t bother voting or even registering to vote. Were they not taught about their struggles and sacrifices? Didn’t they feel any moral obligation to take advantage of what had been won for them? Dowd seems to think that younger women have the same attitude towards Hillary and Gloria Steinem. They wonder why they are so angry. They resent being made to feel they are betraying women by voting for Obama. It’s a curious time. Though I earlier said I no longer supported Hillary, I am not absolute about that. Obama hasn’t done enough to convince me he’s the right person. And, despite what I said in a previous post, John McCain is not a viable alternative. Being a veteran, I don’t have that guilt to deal with.

It ain’t easy being a liberal.