The Elect and the Election

I suppose most of us could agree that this election has taken far too long. After nearly two years of promises and attacks, coupled with endless speculation by media “pundits,” many of us are just plain tired. I would be mortified—but not surprised—if once Tuesday passes, Campaign 2012 begins. As one who is wearied by this election, it’s been doubly hard spending its waning days at Harvard Law School.

Why the exhaustion? I used to be invigorated by politics, and maybe to a certain extent still am. But either something fundamentally in me or in the system has changed. It’s probably both. One of the major factors is the sheer amount of anger and intolerance seen during this election. It wouldn’t be so troubling if such things were coming from the candidates, but it’s coming from the people. Whether it’s angry anti-Obama rallies, equally incendiary anti-McCain protestors, effigies of candidates being hung on a noose, or assassination plots, sheer hatred is spewing out of both ends of this country. Even beyond the “crazies” on both sides, there seems to be an utter lack of respect and unwillingness to grant legitimacy to another’s perspective, especially here at HLS. Just listening to people here and elsewhere, it would seem that either “Obama can do nothing wrong and McCain nothing right” or “Obama would run the country into the ground and McCain would keep it afloat.” In short, the one word that one cannot use to describe feelings and actions between the sides is “love.” You would think the election was between Satan and Jesus.

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