Obamarama

[raven]

I am entirely unable to concentrate on anything, unsurprisingly. I like written contracts. I think the conditions wherein contracts ought to be written are very interesting indeed; as an example, for some reason, for a contract concerning maritime insurance to be valid, it must be in writing. Why this is, I do not know. However, I never will know, as I have been on page 162 of Textbook of Contract Law all day, because I cannot concentrate, I cannot actually sit still, I'm curled up in the basement of the library in my scruffiest jeans and my "this is what a feminist looks like" t-shirt and my Obama pin and I am fidgeting like a five-year-old.

It's like, as more than one person has observed, Christmas Eve. Only more neurotic and with more swearing. Tonight, masses descend on the Mousehole bearing wine, gin and the ingredients for apple crumble, also dried fruit, chocolate, The West Wing, and a television stuck on BBC1. The coverage starts at 11.15pm and ends god knows when. I'll probably be awake. And gibbering. More than I am already, I mean. It's just... yeah. This. I mean, I love politics. I love the combination of petty soap opera and human drama, the mixture of sexism and racism, classism, homophobia all scattered on a backdrop of extraordinary flights of grace. shimgray notes that the final rally of Obama's campaign was held last night in Manassas, Virgina - the site of the First Battle of Bull Run, the first major battle of the American Civil War. it's an expert move in terms of political strategy, it's subtle, sweet with nuance, but it's indicative, I think, of the overarching importance of narrative. That's something the Obama campaign has got absolutely down. It is the antithesis of the last eight years, of small-C conservatism, it doesn't talk about cutting taxes and fiscal caution, it talks about people and what they are, and what they can become. I have been wary of Obama's substance, in the past; his lack of concrete ideas and his reliance on soaring rhetoric. Maybe I will be proven right in the future, maybe (and I hope so) I will be proven wrong. But for now and for tonight, fuck it, I like it. You can reduce the whole thing down to millions of people pushing small pieces of paper around, and intangible numbers, and a rearrangement of human beings in certain builings, but that would be missing the point. In the same way, I think to ignore the power of Obama's charm, his rhetoric, his apparent faith that people are better than their government has been, and deserve more than what they have been given, and can give more than what has been demanded of them - would be to miss the point again, by miles. The granular approach restarts tomorrow. Tonight, I want to drink and fly high.

Nothing else is very important at the moment. I return to contract in a moment. Otherwise, I have spent the last couple of days reading a case entitled R v Secretary of State For Transport ex parte Factortame [1989], followed by Factortame II: Son of Factortame [1991], then Factortame III: Mutant Factortame Strikes Back [1996], and am currently on Factortame V: Bride of Factortame [2000]. I went in to school early this morning to have my head shrunk, and as before, the process is surprisingly not as painful as I thought it might be. Pretty much, my counsellor thinks I'm fine. That I might be depressed, but it's a perfectly sensible kind of depressed, and I do sensible things to deal with it. It's a weird thing to be good at, being depressed, but I'll take it with no questions asked. But it is a helpful thing to be doing, and it is quite nice to have an hour a week allotted this way, so I can get all my self-analytical tripe out in one go and spend the rest of the week doing things that are actually important, for example, say, law of written contracts. I am amazed it is November already, that I've been a baby lawyer for nearly two months and still like it very very much. Life is difficult, but continues. And, well, I have nights like this one.

A few hours to go. I need pink wine liek woah.

Comments

[47-trek-47.livejournal.com]

I've been an Obama supporter since September 11th last year, and I honestly think that reports of his lack of substance are exaggerated. When given the chance, he can get down to amazingly specific levels of detail about his plans, especially for a campaigning politician, for whom specificity is death. He's also been amazingly consistent about his goals and his policies, while all of his opponents have scrambled wildly to get in line with his ideas.

He's also shown more than once that he is aware of his weaknesses and he has made moves to help cover them. He listens to his advisors and he selected Biden as his running mate specifically to cover his lack of experience with foreign policy.

It's not that I think he shouldn't be criticized--I believe that is one of the cornerstones of democracy--it's just that I think he's being criticized unfairly.

Anyway, just my two cents. *raises a glass to you and your all-night poll watching crew*

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

You know something? I'm watching him make his first advisory choices, and so far I'm pretty optimistic. And even if issues are coming up that he doesn't know too much about, I'd trust that he got good advice and spoke to smart people before he went ahead with anything. So... yeah. You got me. *raises glass right back atcha*

[clubhopper15.livejournal.com]

Obamarama... You should come to Kenya, people are going crazy. Apparently if MacCain wins, 'white' people will be in danger. (You know, because obviously all white people vote for MacCain.) Bloody hell.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Obama Day! I hope it was fab. :)

[shimgray.livejournal.com]

This is disturbingly like Christmas Eve, indeed. I have been whistling O Little Town Of Bethlehem all afternoon.

("...the hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight...")

[nerves-patterns.livejournal.com]

Jim and I bought a bottle of champagne. We figure that tonight we'll either be celebrating or drowning our sorrows. I really, really hope we're celebrating.

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

*grins* Doesn't it still feel so awesome?

[amchau.livejournal.com]

Alas, I have nobody to sit up with, though I think I will be staying awake at least for a while.

Will you be on IM of one stripe or another?

[lilka.livejournal.com]

Happy election night! Hope you have fun. I'm enjoying myself so far.... *grins*

[loneraven.livejournal.com]

Hello, you. I am being faily and crap about being in contact, aren't I? I'm not so good, mental-health wise, but please don't think I'm ignoring you! When I feel better we must certainly meet up again, it would be great to see you.