DNC 2008: The art of politics

This week I've been doing my best to take in the speeches being given at the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Denver, Colorado. And while I was raised by two democrats, in recent years I've been feeling more and more alienated by the politics of both parties, as they seem to have truly lost touch with the struggles of everyday Americans. Monday night's speeches at the DNC were less than electrifying. The exception being Ted Kennedy's speech, which was understandably emotional. But it was mainly emotional for me because it played on my sense of what America used to be, or what it promised to be. Senator Kennedy represents the old school idealism of the 1960s, the liberal movement that came of age during the civil rights movement and the Vietnam War. And quite honestly, a movement that failed to bring about the radical changes it boasted.

For years now I've viewed the Democratic and Republican parties in black and white. In doing so, I've tried my hardest to align myself with which party I believed was right for me. I've always leaned toward the Democratic party, mainly because I strongly disagree with core values of the Republican party, namely its emphasis on religion and all the socially judgemental views that asserts into their platform.

However, in theory, I agree with some of the ideas Republicans, namely conservative Republicans, put forth. Primary among them the idea that government is too invasive in our lives and that it needs to be less so. However, even the most dogged conservatives have lost faith in the current Republican party, as it continues to grow government.

Democrats are much the same. In campaigns they promise everything, just like Republicans, but have no realistic way to fulfill even 50% of what they set out in their campaign speeches or talking points. While Obama's speeches have captured my interest, and tapped into my far-too rampant idealism, I know he is promising too much. The notion of change can be big or small, so running on that idea alone has become frustrating to me. It is so painfully vague and easily adaptable to any person's situation.

But with all this said, I was pleasantly surprised by Joe Biden's moving speech last night. While I admit I am very unfamiliar with Biden's voting record, or his position on all the issues, his rhetoric is surprisingly sharp. He can talk, yes. But he can also put emotion behind it, emotion that seems to be real. His son Beau Biden, who introduced his father, seems proof of Biden's realism. But what most frustrates me about politics is, even after I feel moved by the way someone has spoken, or the things that have spoken about, I am still left wondering if I can believe any of it.