Gonzo Politics 2008

I just saw an amazing film: Gonzo : the Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson -- the drug crazed journalist and truthteller who chronicled the 60s like no one else.

I never appreciated Thompson's work. He seemed a bit extreme to me. However, the film was a revelation about the politics of those times which in many ways parallels our own. Hunter's pieces for Rolling Stone on Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 were especially astute.

I was struck by a comment by Gary Hart that critiqued Thompson and much of the Left for turning against McGovern in 1972 when things weren't going perfectly -- infantilizing (Hart's term and a good one) what needed to be a serious campaign.

Ok, rant coming:

What too many voters forget is that every campaign is about two flawed human beings contesting within the context of a entrenched and corrupt political system that's vastly bigger than either of them and endures beyond a President's term of office. The system is complex and many-tentacled and can never be 'fixed' -- only rebalanced to become a bit more fair. The really serious problems facing this country can not be fully solved -- only engaged. I accept that the political clout to make progress on both these fronts requires compromise.

I don't think that's cynical. It's a reality that those of us who are looking for political saviors (I include myself) need to keep in mind. The true cynics are those who find 3 or 4 or 5 things that disturb them and allow those few things to dash their dreams. It's a quick leap to bitterness and a profound sense of betrayal.

Obama's soaring rhetoric raised our expectations. And the higher the expectations, the greater the danger of a let down. And yes, I am not happy with some of Obama's recent choices. But there are 3 reasons why it is unthinkable for me NOT to support him. See my next post.

Meanwhile, do see Gonzo --especially those of you who experienced the 60s and are tired of seeing the era distorted. It's a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of cynicism and excess. It's a masterful film by filmmaker Alex Gibney who also directed Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and Taxi to the Dark Side which won the 2007 Oscar for best documentary (well deserved).