I have heard conservative radio and television talk show hosts complain about how they “just don’t get” the Obama-mania that buoys the presidential candidacy of the junior senator from Illinois. Not liking or voting for Obama is one thing, but not understanding his popularity is, well, hard to understand. To be sure the McCain-Romney ticket has my vote, not because I like McCain, but for one reason and one reason only and that is the Supreme Court. That said, this 58 year-old lifelong Republican was one gunshot away from being a Democrat. Forty years ago I was enchanted by Bobby, in defiance of course of my parents. When tragedy took hope and change away I did as people tend to and re-centered in the politics of my parents.
As a conservative it has been rocky since. Of course the gold standard was Reagan but those eight years passed far too quickly. Bush I was not Reagan, Dole said he would be Reagan lite, and Bush II tried to be Reagan heavy. Can’t anyone just be themselves and occasionally be right?
Enter Barack Obama, a first term senator with no experience, although just one term short of his rival Hillary Clinton, the “experience candidate,” who of course had no experience. Now John McCain, there is a man with experience, and by old rules this election would be a laugher.
But George W. Bush, has shown us the nonvalue of experience. Not his own, we knew he was “just” a Governor with royalty roots, but many on both sides of the aisle were assured when he went with experience in key positions. His veep, Dick Cheney, a long term congressman, Chief of Staff, Secretary of Defense – he had the credentials, as did Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell, wow, Bush knew how to pick’em.
So what exactly has experience gotten us? Supporter of the war or critic, it is hard to show how a less experienced hand would have more badly played our options. That’s McCain’s problem, he has to run away from his experience of old and be the candidate of, ahem, change.
Right. Now back to Obama. Seldom does a candidate have a pass on something so traditionally important. But with the talent he has…strong orator, bright and schooled, the unfairly so but all important national stage looks – Obama can run on the promise of good judgment and fresh ideas.
Every rock the old thinking members of my party throws at Obama stacks perfectly to build his wall of reasons why he should be the guy. No experience? Good, some fresh thinking sounds, er, refreshing. Too far left? We’ve just tried too far right, besides the House and Senate keep you from over-tilting. Big spending liberal? Can he really outspend a big spending conservative? He’ll talk to our enemies? It’s about damn time, he can always bomb later if the talks fail.
Hey, I get it. It feels good to be smarter than Rush, Sean, and Bill. Sometimes though I wish I could vote for fun instead of thinking it is so darned important. I’ve voted for a few Dems in my life, certainly Cecil Andrus was one of them. I have no idea who this young Barack Obama is going to turn out to be but he is fun to watch, refreshing to listen to, and he can’t be nearly as dangerous as I hear from the expert danger mongers.
For now and for Obama the game is on. Maybe, just maybe Bobby is looking down and calling a few plays.
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