McCain's Miscalculation

One has to feel at least a little sympathy for John McCain. In 2000, he ran for President as the straight-shootin’, no-nonsense pragmatist who wouldn’t kiss up to anyone or allow himself to be held captive by ideologues and special interests. He did what many of us like to think we would if given the opportunity—he cut through the crapfest and behaved like a genuine leader.

It made him the most popular politician in the country for a few years (before and after the campaign), but alas, it was not a good formula for capturing the Republican nomination. He was, of course, passed on the right by George Bush, a man who epitomized ideological blindness, displayed insulting disingenuousness, and held virtually no ethical scruples regarding campaign finance and political hypocrisy. By rubber-stamping every wish of Big Business, by resisting any reform of the corrupted election process, by pitting neighbor against neighbor, by doing or saying whatever the cynical back-room operatives told him to, and by embracing those who represent the ugliest side of our country’s religious identity, Bush became the most well-financed campaign juggernaut in history—and ended up sitting in what many felt was McCain’s chair.

Not to be fooled again, McCain clearly decided to follow the Bush model for his second wild ride. While it has been sickening to see him transform from maverick hero to incorporated powerhouse, who could blame him? He already tried once to run as the Real Thing, and he lost. This time, he’s running hard to the right—embracing divisive and intolerant ideologues, supporting Bush’s war 1000%, and consolidating cash from any source he can.

So now that he has it all figured out, the nomination is automatic, right? Wrong. In a cruel bait-and-switch, the country is shifting out from under him. McCain has bolted to the right, only to find himself passed by Rudolph Giuliani in the independent center—McCain’s abandoned territory. He has become Bush 2000, only to realize the country is now finally ready for McCain 2000. And it is too late to go back.

Much like Barack Obama’s steady gains against Hillary Clinton in Democratic polls, Giuliani’s strength is due to the nation’s longing for someone—anyone—who can be genuine, or at least seem so. John McCain once held that position like no other figure in the country. He’s abandoned it, just when we were finally ready for it.

Obama's Announcement

Standing near the Old Capitol Building in Springfield, Illinois, last Saturday—in single-digit weather, no less—I couldn’t help feeling I was a part of something special. Scores of politicians have hosted rallies in town squares over the years, and Presidential candidates have come and gone like failed sitcoms. But when Senator Barack Obama stepped up to the mike to share his vision for the nation, I felt I was witnessing the beginning of an important chapter in our history—the political and even spiritual reunification of our country.

I think most observers, from all points on the American political spectrum, recognize Senator Obama’s tremendous potential. But there is no guarantee he will live up to it. Just think of the accomplishments which could have come from a staggeringly talented Bill Clinton. And even though George Bush is not a dynamic political thinker—and doesn’t possess the unifying political philosophy necessary for true greatness—it pains one to think of the missed opportunities for national unity and international relations in the years following the terrorist attacks on our country.

But people seem to believe Senator Obama could meet that potential. Somebody does, once or twice a century. And he is the best chance we have seen in a generation.

This week, I called a lifelong friend—and a staunch Republican— in Iowa. He told me that he can’t stand most of the Democrats, especially Clinton and Edwards. But he just can’t bring himself to hate Obama. He can tell the guy knows what he’s talking about, and truly wants to heal this country.

I told my step mom to watch Oprah the day Barack was on. She called me later in the afternoon and told me she was ready to support him, all the way, no matter what. She could tell, she told me, that he truly wanted to find real solutions, and that he just might know how to do it.

My sister—the usually cynical, always sarcastic, borderline Republican—told me this week she is a proud member of the online group “Teachers for Obama.” The page turned for her when she had her students research the presidential candidates, using the newspapers and the candidates’ websites. The kids couldn’t for the life of them figure out where Hillary Clinton or John McCain stood on anything. But Obama was clear as crystal, and obviously telling the truth.

It all reminds me of what my uncle told me after the 2004 Presidential election. He said that all of his friends from work—no nonsense, blue-collar types—had voted for Bush, because they just didn’t think Kerry was genuine. Every single one of them said they would have voted for Howard Dean, had he been the nominee. Why? He said what he believed, and he meant what he said.

Senator Obama has that. He’s nothing if not genuine, and that is the only type of leader who can pull this country back together. I think people of all political stripes sense this is a person who could fundamentally change the public debate forever. The odds are against him, of course. The smart money would say that he won’t unseat juggernauts like McCain and Clinton, or conventional politicians like John Edwards and Mitt Romney.

But what if he does? What if he goes all the way? What if the country buys into the idea that that which unites us is greater than that which divides us? If it all comes to pass, then I will be able to tell my grandkids that I was there when it all started. That will make me proud. It already does.

Hypocrisy

The talk of the talking heads this morning centers on Barack Obama's admissions of drug use as a young man, and how badly this could hurt a potential White House run. Let me get this straight: We have no problem electing a man who is insultingly dishonest about his use of cocaine--and who clearly learned nothing from the experience but the importance of knocking it off if he wanted to play the politics game--but we won't accept a candidate who is candid and unashamed in speaking of his past, one who is willing to share his own experiences in order to address the serious issues of drug abuse, drug law, race, and young male identity. Wow. Every time you think the hypocrisy simply cannot be more brazen, they keep raising (or lowering) the bar.