The Road We've Traveled

I tend to be sceptical about both advertising and politics, and even more so for political advertising. While I may be more critical of the advertising of my adversaries than I am my allies, I nevertheless tend to be scepctical to some degree of all political advertising.

So, it’s not surprising that when I watched the Obama film The Road We’ve Traveled (above), I began watching with all my filters up and charged. Things quickly changed.

The one thing that can get through my filters and lower my barriers is advertising that appeals both to my head and my heart. It’s not enough to talk about facts and figures, nor is enough to make me feel something, but ads that do both get my full attention. This video does that for me.

Obviously this video is designed to portray President Obama in the best possible light, but they’re right to crow about these particular things. All of the things they talk about are, in my opinion, successes they should be proud of.

My criticism is that they didn’t go far enough. For example, healthcare reform: Rather than having a “public option” that was jettisoned in the quixotic attempt at “bipartisanship” that was never going to happen, they should have tried for universal healthcare and, if necessary, settled for the public option. Fortune favours the bold, and all that. Still, the reform that was achieved, incomplete thought it may be, is more than any other president has been able to do.

While there are many promises to GLBT Americans that the president hasn’t fulfilled, the repeal of DADT is a pretty big one kept. If only he’d just evolve already and back marriage equality, as everyone—friend and foe alike—expects him to do eventually.

No one ever gets all they want from a politician. Ever. The question is, on balance, are things better than they would be otherwise? Absolutely—that’s a complete no-brainer. John McCain and Palin would have been a disaster for all Americans, including GLBT people. But all of the current Republican candidates would be even worse than the Republican Gruesome Twosome of 2008.

So, on balance, this presidency has been pretty good, all things considered. If President Obama wins a second term, particularly one with a Democratic Congress, there’s much more he can do.

I think that’s a road we should travel in 2012. Re-electing President Obama and electing a Democratic-controlled Congress are vital to moving the country forward. The alternative would mean leaving the road and driving off a cliff. Personally, I think moving forward is always the better option.