Tuesday, March 11, 2008

2008 Democratic Primaries

I am convinced that Hillary Clinton is where she is in the race for the White House primarily because of her last name. Were it not for that, she would not have the muscle or the staying power for the campaign. Why I don't think she would even have run. I can't recall a memorable thing she has accomplished as a senator that would have suggested that she has the national recognition that would propel her in a presidential campaign.

No, I can't point to a thing Obama has done in the senate either, however, he energizes me when I read what he has written, he inspires me when he speaks. Barack Obama stands on his own merit. I strongly dispute Geraldine Ferraro's claim that melanin has a lot to do with his appeal & staying power. Let me present Iowa as exhibit #1. Exactly how many blacks are there in the corn fields?

I believe that Obama's campaign resonates with the population for he offers hope. If there is anything fortuitous for him it is timing. His message of hope, his exhortations are uplifting to the current American psyche that has been battered in more ways than one. Such a message would probably not have had the same effect in say 1988 -- for a country that was giddy with 8 years of Ronald Reagan.

But now in 2008, the headlines are filled with news of recession, the falling dollar, collosal climate changes, housing crises and we haven't even talked about Iraq, Afghanistan and terrorism. The title of Obama's second book "Audacity of Hope" epitomizes his message. Surrounded by doom and gloom he is audacious enough to offer...hope. And that is the job of a leader. To inspire, to lead, to guide.

That is not to say that he is a starry-eyed optimist seeing the glass as half full. He is not shy to call a spade a spade. He tells auto workers that their jobs aren't coming back. He talks of retraining. He acknowledges we have problems. That's the other thing that is refreshing about him. The honesty. His consistency. Not a message tailored for the campaign.

Hope and rah-rah chants alone won't ameliorate the problems, calls to keep hope alive only go so far. It does however inspire people, it is a call to action that energizes the population. The president alone cannot do much. In fact in reality, the president cannot do much at all. It is the Congress that has the power. The president is the head cheer leader and the coach that motivates and drives the team. It is the team that has to do the work.

His book (Audacity of Hope) shows a learned, educated man; a man who understands the constitution of this country. Hillary Clinton says she has 35 years of experience; that means, as George Will put it, every year since she was 25 counts as relevant experience. Experience is a good barometer of a person's mettle. However, the key measurement with that barometer is whether that person accomplished something with that experience. Given a choice between a person with decades of experience with nothing to show for it and one who is light on experience but made decisive moves during that short tenure, I would always go for the latter.

The US faces enormous challenges some cyclical and others not. We are not going to hear solutions during a stump speech any more than you are going to hear a game plan from a coach on ESPN. The point is, does you candidate have a plan and is it to your liking? I can't say I see eye-to-eye with every Obama proposal. It is however, superior to the other candidates'.

Another major distinction between the Hillary Clinton campaign and that of Barack Obama is that Clinton goes to great lengths to say why not to vote for Obama. Obama on the other hand spends most of his time with his stump speech and less lambasting his opponent. He seems to get into the fray only to dispute a Clinton claim. I know the campaign is only going to get dirtier, I just hope that Obama stays on the high horse.