Listening to Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention last night was like stumbling upon a man from another time.
He is a former president and a progressive Democrat, a wealthy man who spent much of his summer on his estate in Martha’s Vineyard.
He has a steely quality and is often not particularly sentimental, and, in the back-and-forth of partisan politics, he can thrust as readily as he parries.
But despite all of that, Obama’s core message resonated.
He was in his hometown of Chicago, speaking to fellow Democrats, to 20,000 activists and politicians in the United Center, people who have learned to speak angrily of Republicans lies, threats to democracy, and the MAGA-many who back them.
Obama, in offering caution to his fellow Democrats and perhaps to himself, remained informed by his own progressive beliefs.
Why should a tentative friendship end up impaled on a point of politics, even one that now feels so urgent?
Obama reminded his party that “democracy isn’t just a bunch of abstract principles and dusty laws.
It was as if I had stumbled upon a man from another era, listening to Barack Obama at last night’s Democratic National Convention. His portrayal of the significance, the necessity even, of looking for humanity in our fellow citizens, especially those on the opposing side of our political spectrum, was poignant because it seemed so alien.
“Our message has to include mutual respect,” he stated. The current state of our politics is so divisive that people of all political stripes tend to be quick to judge people harshly unless they share our views on every single issue. We begin to believe that berating, shaming, and outright yelling are the only ways to prevail. “.
He went on, “We don’t take the time to get to know each other, so we don’t trust each other as much.”. Furthermore, in that void between us, politicians and algorithms instill fear and ridicule in one another. “.
Obama is not a monk descending from a hilltop to impart eternal truths, of course. He is a wealthy man who served as president in the past and is a progressive Democrat. He likes to spend his summers at his estate on Martha’s Vineyard. In the back and forth of partisan politics, he can thrust as easily as he can parry. He has a steely quality and is frequently not very sentimental. He delivered a fairly typical partisan speech in the first part of his speech last night, complete with a childish joke about Donald Trump and his infatuation with crowd sizes.
Obama’s main point nevertheless struck a chord in spite of everything. He wasn’t lecturing Republicans or telling them to stop loving Trump. 20,000 activists and politicians gathered in the United Center in his hometown of Chicago, where he was addressing fellow Democrats. These individuals had become skilled at denouncing the lies of Republicans, their attacks on democracy, and the masses who support them. Simply put, MAGA is a distancing acronym.
Obama remained true to his progressive convictions when he advised his fellow Democrats—and maybe even himself—to exercise caution. The adult children who have to learn to live with a parent or grandparent who sometimes says something that makes us cringe were brought up by him. We don’t automatically think they’re horrible people, he said. I realized that it is not a one-way street for people to learn to look past cringe-worthy rhetoric as I spent quality time on Monday in a Chicago park with a large number of young and passionate pro-Palestinian protesters who called Democrats “war criminals,” “Killer Kamala,” and “Genocide Joe.”.
To be more specific, though, I was reminded of 2017 when I lived for six months in the high desert on the Navajo Reservation—a territory the size of West Virginia—while listening to Obama speak last night. While doing research for a book about a Chinle high school basketball team, I came across a white man who had monopolized the market for radio broadcasting hundreds of games to Navajo fans who were obsessed with hoops. He showed a great deal of respect for the Navajo people, who regarded him as a friend and someone worthy of their confidence. Our acquaintance grew, and I made multiple appearances on his halftime shows. I thought he was good.
We added each other as Facebook friends not long after I got back to Brooklyn. I soon learned that this man was a fervent supporter of Donald Trump and MAGA, and that he probably disagreed with some of my viewpoints. Our political divide felt too big to overcome, so eventually we allowed our friendship on social media to lapse.
Now, I regret doing that. He is passionate about both politics and basketball, contradicting himself often, and in this way, he is perhaps not all that different from me. Why should a tentative friendship be derailed over a political issue, even one that seems so pressing at the moment?
“Democracy isn’t just a bunch of abstract principles and dusty laws,” Obama reminded his party. It’s the principles we uphold and the manner in which we interact with one another, even with those who don’t share our appearance, worldview, or way of praying. “.
All Americans would do well to heed that message.
