A contest for new leadership
(From The Japan Times March 9 issue)

新しいリーダーシップを目指す争い

The Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama competition has gripped the attention of the world. And for good reason. The result is likely to affect the future course of global politics. A clear victor is not yet decided, but whoever ultimately wins, the shift in consciousness both candidates embody is important to consider. The widespread and continued interest in their dynamic race shows how political attitudes can be rejuvenated and how the impact of powerful countries can be changed for the better.

One sign of change is that voter turnout in America is higher than at any time since 1972, when 18-year-olds got the right to vote. In some states, increases of 30 percent to 50 percent over 2000 and 2004 show that American voters want to express their opinions. Equally important are the donations, which stand at record numbers. The cash flow is not a worsening of money-based politics, but rather the donations streaming in from people with small pocketbooks show their concerns over the future of the country. People are becoming involved at last.

The race has also gained attention around the world. Every country in the world is paying close attention to the results. This election, unlike any other before, is not just about what happens in America, but what will happen in the world. Politics can no longer be considered simply a local affair, or even just a national one. American politics especially has become an international affair. Actions taken on everything from subprime mortgages to the Iraq war and energy usage have effects that extend far across national borders. These two candidates know their campaigns are taking place concurrently in local precincts and on the global stage.

Most of what has drawn so much attention is the vision of politics the candidates hold. Obama offers hope and dreams while Clinton relies more on practicalities and policies. Both are needed, but in recent years the charisma of someone like Obama has been less in evidence than the everyday levelheadedness of Clinton. Despite their differences, both candidates offer a more up-to-date view of the problems and responsibilities of the United States. Whether discussing Iraq or international relations, both candidates offer a confident, flexible mind-set unafraid to confront realities. That idealistic vision and practical mind-set has been missing during the eight years of the Bush administration. It is nice to see it return.

Both candidates are also clear about how to lead. The overused term "leadership" starts to sound like a cliche after even a couple of campaign speeches, but what makes this race refreshing is that such terms are starting to carry meaning. What is most striking is less the fact that these primaries are the closest any woman or African-American has ever gotten to the presidency in America, but rather that both candidates articulate their political character in terms of action and change. They have moved beyond who they are to what the political debate should be. They put forward a new concept of the presidency, one that is not defensive or secretive but open-minded and filled with a can-do spirit.

People want leaders who offer hope for improvement. Those are the kinds of feelings at the basis of a truly participatory democracy. The result of poor leadership is not just mismanagement and bad decisions, but widespread apathy. Leadership is not simply about governing, but how to inspire. It is often said that people campaign in poetry and govern in prose. What has been lacking in America's recent leadership is the ability to balance the two. True leadership combines the prose of seasoned understanding with the poetry of energy and vision.

One hopes that the huge interest in this election may be permanent. Up to now, America's indifference to its own power has seemed adolescent at times, an attitude that can become dangerously irresponsible. The interest from outside the United States in this election is equally important. It reminds U.S. citizens how serious the privilege of exercising democratic rights and enjoying freedoms really is. Indifference is infectious, and infections are international. Enthusiasm and awareness can be even easier to catch. Voters around the world can learn a lesson from this Obama and Clinton contest: Participation, attention and concern matter deeply.

This American election is chronicling more than just the political pendulum swinging back from excesses in one direction to recovery in the other. When any pendulum swings, it can knock over plenty of people in its path. The results will, as always, be mixed. Yet, Japan and the world should continue to pay close attention to what happens in this crucial election, not only to discover the final result, but also to understand better how politics is being redefined, and seemingly for the better.

ヒラリー・クリントン氏とバラク・オバマ氏の戦いが世界の注目を集めている。選挙結果は地球全体の政治の流れに影響するのだから無理もない。この多大な関心は、政治意識をよみがえらせ、大国の影響力をよりよい方向に変えることが可能だということを示している。

アメリカでは、18歳以上が投票権を得た1972年以来、投票率が最高となっている。また、政治献金の額も記録的だ。それも、裕福でない層が国の将来を思って献金している。この選挙はアメリカだけでなく世界に関わりを持っている。サブプライム問題、イラク戦争、エネルギー問題など、すべて国境を越えて影響する。

最も注目を引いているのは、二人の候補者の政治ビジョンだ。オバマ氏は希望と夢、クリントン氏は実務と政策をより重んじる。だが、どちらも自信に満ち、柔軟な姿勢をとっている。ブッシュ政権では見られなかった態度だ。

使い古された「リーダーシップ」という言葉がまた意味を持ち始めた。女性、またはアフリカ系米国人の手が大統領職に届きかけているのは初めてだが、さらに重要なのは、二人とも、行動と変化という政治姿勢をはっきり打ち出していることだ。守りの姿勢に走る大統領ではなく、やる気に満ちた大統領を目指している。

人々は改革への希望を与えてくれる指導者を求めている。「選挙運動は詩で、政治は散文で行う」というが、優れた指導者は、経験に裏打ちされた散文に活力とビジョンという詩をうまく混ぜる。

今回の選挙への高い関心が永続的であることを望もう。無関心は伝染し、世界に広がる。だが、熱意と意識の高さはさらに容易に広がっていく。日本と世界は最終結果に注目するだけでなく、政治が問い直され、改善されていく経過をしっかり理解すべきだろう。