I haven’t commented on the presidential campaign in a bit, and now that Obama is over in the Holy Land — I can’t quite make out what he is doing there, but piecing together reports from the media accompanying him, I think he has been walking on the Sea of Galilee — let me offer just a few observations now.
Having already made it clear that I will not be voting for either gentleman, thus keeping my voting principles unsullied, this question may arise: “Given that it will be one or the other, who do you hope will win it?” If Obama is elected, I will have four years of being appalled. If McCain is elected, I will have four years of being disgusted. This means the question amounts to a psychological one — do you prefer being appalled or disgusted?
For those who hold a pragmatic, hold-your-nose vote is appropriate, they might think that it comes down to a choice between a pro-life, imperial hawk (McCain) and a pro-choice peacenik (Obama). I am afraid I read that one a little differently. In reference to the rise of American empire, the historian Charles Beard once commented that empires are not built in fits of absent-mindedness.
An aside: I am using empire here as a metaphor for American hegemony. I know that we are not an empire in the classic sense defined by the history of Rome, or even England. There are some striking differences. But the hegemony is still a reality, and it is a reality that did not come about by accident.
But this means any notion of American imperialism that thinks this is a function of what the Republicans are doing is an analysis that is superficial in the extreme. Historically, the Democrats have been neck-deep in the business, even more than the Republicans. The classic “isolationist” response has its historic home in the Republican Party.
I say this because a vote for Obama will not be a vote against American hegemony around the world. The Republicrats are all driving us to the same place. We are on a road trip with two people in the car who both want to drive, one to take in these sights on the way, the other wants to take in those. But the destination is not really a question. McCain is in favor of a vigorous and open assertion of our intentions, and Obama will allow employees from the State Department to massage our intentions as only they can do. As far as empire goes, McCain will be for honest empire and Obama for dishonest empire. But nothing substantive will really change on that front.
As far as the pro-life question is concerned (which in my mind is the great question), a McCain election might result in the overturning of Roe v. Wade. I am not holding my breath, but if it happens, I will rejoice. An Obama election will remove that possibility for another generation, at least.
The one blessing I can see that would come from an Obama election would be that it would shut up those young evangelicals who are hot for Obama. Three months of Obama in the White House would appall me, as I said, but it would make it impossible for anyone who even pretends to have respect for Scripture to behave the way you can do at a campaign rally — before anything has actually been done. More on that later perhaps.