[Marxism] Driving Practice

[Joaquin Bustelo]

Anthony writes: "Joaquin's argument that voting for Obama would be a
profoundly political act applies equally well to a vote for Hillary Clinton.
Women were not even allowed to vote until the 20th century."

I think Anthony perhaps missed the point of my saying it was profoundly
political. Which is that politics is about relating to social layers and
forces in motion. But in a sense Anthony is right, in that there is a
clearly a layer of women mobilized around Hillary. Both the entry poll in
Iowa and the "slice of life"-type reports that have touched on her campaign
headquarters and operations very clearly reflect that. 

The question is, what is the character of that motion. That motion is about
how she can run the government just as competently as Bill did during his
terms in office. That just because she is a woman doesn't mean anything is
going to change. Hillary's support is centered around women over forty, and
especially in their 60's.

The character of the motion around Obama is entirely different. To a
significant degree the implicit argument is that Obama is an agent of change
BECAUSE he is Black, pretty much the opposite of the Hillary argument. 

And just to be clear: I am not arguing that Marxists or the Left should
"support" Obama or call for a vote for him in the primaries, "tactically" or
otherwise. I'm saying this big political phenomenon is taking place, there
seems to be certain motion developing which has a progressive aspect or side
to it (as well as a ton of unstated assumptions and illusions which
contradict the progressive aspect) and we need to discuss and figure out how
to relate to it so we can influence young people in a left direction as the
progressive aspirations behind "Obamamania" clash with reality as illusions
are shredded.

That said, I do not at all rule out --at least not "in principle"--
application of a Leninist tactic of "critical support" to this kind of
bourgeois politician, although I don't see much of a case for it right now.

Joaquín