Cool It on Obama

I have received a number of concerned emails from friends regarding Obama’s slide to the right. Being a political animal I have often been caught up in delirious enthusiasm for a candidate who seemed to be the “saviour” I was looking for. And yet in the course of the campaign I watched my saviour slip into the the robes of just another politician. Why does this happen?

I believe it reflects where the country is at at the time of the election. As suggested by Hamlet, people overwhelmingly want to stay with the troubles they know rather than move on to others that we know not of. What then makes for real change? When faced with a serious crisis that effects our everyday lives we begin to accept the notion of serious change. Our present day health care crisis is an example of a universal problem effecting an overwhelming number of citizens. But even the health crisis might not be enough to get us to accept the idea of a singular government-run system.

Obama made it plain for all to see that he was not going to lead a Nadar type campaign that might make some of us feel good, but not be electable. Now there’s the rub. Would we rather have a candidate say all the right things that the left would like to hear, or would we prefer that he or she get elected and then see how far one can push a left of center political agenda?

I remember FDR’s efforts at pushing a left of center agenda. What he learned early on was the need to prepare the country for changes to come. His fireside chats were his bully pulpit from which he tried valiantly to move his agenda forward. When the Supreme Court started to nullify some of the New Deal legislation, FDR tried to increase the number of judges. It became known as “packing the court.” It failed to win popular support. FDR gave up that idea, but continued his effort for change.

What is severely missing in our nations thinking is a program on the left that countervails the impact of the right wing juggernaught that has been in control for most of the last 25 years. Since the demise of the Soviet Union, and unfortunately with it the idea of socialism, there has not been serious discussion regarding an alternative to the present idea of Global Capitalism. I think this is what makes any serious discussion about alternatives to the present system untenable. This is why Obama has to walk on eggs in order not to appear as though he is a little to far left of center. As a candidate he can talk of “Change” until the cows come home, but here’s the rub. When it comes to having to cast his vote as a Senator, he has to get real. What does getting real mean? It means will his constituents, not just Illinois but the whole country, be willing to accept his position. His decision on wire tap legislation was probably to show that he is not a wimp when it comes to terrorism. Unfortunately, the Bush Rove Fox News crowd still have the electorate scared stiff over the terrorist threat. The latest bombardment is the Iran WMD Missile testing fever.

My paranoia does get the best of me at times like these. Just as the Iraq war seemed to be dying down a bit, a new “scarem” seemed to be needed. Here comes Israel with a fly by exercise in the Mediterranean as a warning to the Iranians. “Heah, we got the stuff to reach those nuclear sights.” Now the Iranians comeback with, “Oh yeah, watch our missiles fly over the sea.” We are once again being treated to the harem scarem formula to win an election. Obama has to walk a real tightrope in order not to look weak in the face of serious threats.

It is still a little early to see how this will play out on election day four and a half months from now. Lots of things are going to happen between now and then, some of which might even checkmate the WMD scarem stuff. Remember, we are a country that primarily reacts to “the economy stupid.” The home foreclosures, gas and food prices, bank failures, and G.M. stock at 10 bucks a share may very well take precedent over Iranian scarem with WMD stuff.

Okay, so this is the field that Obama is running in. Lets just all admit that it “ain’t gonna be easy.” At every turn there are minefields. That requires Barack Obama to be “Jack be nimble. Jack be quick. Jack jump over the candlestick.” Barack be nimble, Barack be quick, can not come across as weak on terrorists. Lets just hang in there with him as he makes his way through the minefields.

The last Blog asked for additional comments on what the next President will be confronted with. In case you missed them, here they are:
- Global climate change
- Structure, funding and delivery of universal health care
- Afganistan
- Food crisis, stemming in part from population growth
- Energy crisis

P.S. Can you believe the Bush administration folks asking the Congress to pass some laws regulating the banking industry? Good example of how things change in face of fiscal crisis.

Thank you Kate. N.H.W.Y.