identity politics

In reading before bed last night some of the immediate reaction to the debate, I was startled that noone seems to have commented much on Clinton's discussion about her desire to make history as the first woman president and how that would represent a sea change in the way things are done in this country.

Obama, to the best of my recollection, has never done this with respect to his race, and has gone quite in the opposite direction to refuse to be painted as the African-American candidate, which is what Bill Clinton in particular tried to do in the run-up to the South Carolina primary.

The thing is that there is only one president at a time. And the different groups don't get to take turns. One term is not for the white guy, the next for the Latino, and the next for an Asian. Women don't get to alternate. It is not a good thing that we have had basically nothing but white Protestants (and Kennedy).

But the simple truth as I see it is that we don't improve things by electing a woman because she is a woman or a black man because he is black or a old guy because he is old. There isn't a women's America and a men's America, a young America and an old America. Obama touched on this deeply in his convention speech four years ago, and has unflinchingly refused to allow his campaign to delve into identity politics.

Last night, Clinton proved that she still couldn't. And in doing so, demonstrated why she really isn't ready for the job.