Do Your Damn Job!

The front lines have shifted in the U.S. election. The verbal sparring between the candidates makes that apparent.

The American president must personally embody the entire political spectrum of his or her party, one the conservative Republican view, the other the liberal Democratic. But in this election, the front lines have shifted somewhat. Nobody really wants Mitt Romney, not even Republicans. He’s far too stiff, too clumsy and too vague for them. Anyone who votes for him is actually just voting against Obama. On the other front, many Democrats are disappointed with Obama. Many consider him too inconsistent, too professorial and too vague. Anyone who votes for him is actually just voting to prevent Romney from becoming president. There’s nothing particularly enjoyable about such a situation, but with the onset of debates between the two rivals, something useful may still come out of it.

I witnessed the first debate in a small movie theater that normally only shows challenging documentaries. The theater was full. The audience sat with sacks of popcorn in their laps and engaged in animated conversation with their neighbors until the debates started. Republican candidate Mitt Romney and Democratic candidate Barack Obama greeted one another politely.

A Left Hook to the Midsection

Right from the starting bell it was apparent that Obama was behind on points. He rambled, seemed to lose his concentration and smiled inwardly to himself rather than outwardly to his audience. Romney, on the other hand, spoke, explained and gave examples. He came off as focused and relaxed. The audience stared at the president in horror until someone finally called out for him to point out Romney’s lies. President Obama didn’t hear him and continued lecturing on generalities. Then another called out for Obama to do his damn job, adding that this wasn’t only all about him. After the debate, the crowd — obviously irritated — dissipated quickly.

I watched the Biden-Ryan debate at a bar where they usually show televised sporting events. This time, it was no different. The two opponents tore into each other with neither man asking for nor giving a quarter; that’s also how the audience and the bartenders discussed the event afterward. Just as if they were describing a boxing match, their arms and fists accompanied the discussions: A right hook past the defense and a left to the belly. They cheered when Biden scored; when Ryan got in a better shot, they silently took a pull on their beer bottles. Later, they discussed the details of the various fouls and legal hits.

Not Back to the Middle Ages with Mitt Romney

On my way home, I passed a building where a U.S. flag was hanging over the basement entrance. It was an informal military veteran’s club. That night they had a disk jockey performing; people were dancing to Motown songs. The crowd was mostly over 60 and black. Betty and Bob invited me to sit at their table and they got right to the point.

Obama had to win, Betty fervently declared, because he was black and their kids needed role models; because domestic politics and social issues were now more important than foreign wars to defend our honor; and because they didn’t want Romney to take them back to the Middle Ages, when women and blacks had no chance to succeed. And what if Obama lost? Betty and Bob laughed, “Oh, then we’ll emigrate to Germany!” I was shocked and had sudden visions of Nazis, skinheads and other right-wing extremists with their “liberal-free zones.” I had forgotten all about them for a moment.