Let us put political differences - and profound ones at that - aside and give credit to the amazing accomplishment of Barack Obama. He is the first African-American nominee of a major political party AND he toppled one of the most formidable teams in recent political memory.
Either achievement alone would be profoundly significant and worthy of much attention and analysis. Pulling off a two-for-one magnifies it more so.
While the Clinton campaign made mistakes, worthy of their own print and pixels, Obama's unique campaign will be studied by political professionals for some time and for multiple reasons, including this:
Atlanta businessman Kirk Dornbush has raised millions of dollars for the Democratic Party and its candidates over the past 16 years. Before campaign-finance laws banned unregulated soft money, he recalls, there were times he walked around with six-figure checks in both pockets of his jacket. But these days, he does much of his fund raising in a much humbler fashion: selling $3 key chains and $25 T shirts at Obama rallies. At the first merchandise table Dornbush set up for a Georgia event, "we were just completely sold out," he says. "There were lines of people. It was unbelievable."Dornbush's experience explains the second fundamental change Obama has brought to politics: his campaign was built from the bottom up. Even fund raising, once the realm of the richest in politics, became a grassroots organizational tool. At nearly every event this year, Team Obama set up little tabletop trinket shops, known as "chum stores" because all those little Obama-branded doodads aren't only keepsakes; they are also bait. Every person who buys a button or hat is recorded as a campaign donor. But the real goal of the chum operations was building a list of workers, supporters and their e-mail addresses.
That's a tactic, like a number of the Obama campaign's organizational tools, deserves to be emulated well below the Presidential level.
Posted by Eric Earling at June 05, 2008 07:13 PM | Email ThisBless you! Whatever your ideology, it would be disingenuous to not admit that Obama has indeed achieved an historic milestone. He, as a man of mixed racial heritage has defeated one of the most powerful political machines of recent history. Two very large accomplishments.
What if he could, just maybe, heal those deep wounds between "right" and "left", somehow make us realize that True Soldier and Duffer are both Americans, and both love their country deeply enough to engage in the political dialogue of this form.
This is what we truly long for, a healer from either left or right who will reunite us all as a single force, a force for good in this world.
Thanks for your post!
Posted by: Unkl Witz on June 5, 2008 08:21 PMIf he was a tenth of the man he promotes himself to be, this would be a milestone achievement, unfortunately, the reality doesn't square with his platitudes to the American public to this point and given his history, never will.
Pause? maybe Marvel? No.....I don't care about the pigment or the plumbing....it's the politics that matter. Obama's politics are dangerous to this country so forgive me if I don't celebrate his coronation. Leave the "identity" politics to the Democrats, as they seem to be fixated on the trivial oddities in life not unlike an infant going through the various stages of early childhood development.
Posted by: Rick D. on June 5, 2008 09:01 PMThe most important reason we can not, we must not call Obama "African-American" is this: how can a black man vote for Obama, when his ancestors were sold into slavery by Obama's muslim ancestors from E. Africa?
Posted by: barrackslawyer on June 5, 2008 09:15 PMHe got the gig over that moron Kucinich because he's slicker... and the D's can polish their bogus "diversity" cred by sacrificing him in the upcoming election... making it decades until another black (or, in this case, half-black) gets the nod.
Posted by: Hinton on June 5, 2008 09:32 PM"or is it only racist when the race card is played for a "negative" reason?"
Posted by: Hinton on June 5, 2008 09:35 PM"or is it only racist when the race card is played for a "negative" reason?"
Posted by: Hinton on June 5, 2008 10:00 PM"He, as a man of mixed racial heritage has defeated one of the most powerful political machines of recent history. Two very large accomplishments."
...As if I didn't need further proof that Obama's coronation is not one of the content of his character, but the color of his skin.
Kind of a perversion of Dr. King's message isn't it?
And then there's Obama's overt socialism and empty rhetoric. If only he stood for something valuable instead of just hope and change, he would actually get elected.
Maybe he will have a change of heart in the future. But how does a candidate that hangs out with the Marxist likes of William Ayers ever recover? Answer, he probably does not.
Posted by: Jeff B. on June 5, 2008 10:35 PMHuh? Kenya is part of Africa, so he is African-American. Just like a Chinese-American person can also be called Asian-American, a Kenyan-American can be called African-American. Americans tend to distinguish between country of ancestry for people from some countries, but usually not for African-Americans. In any case, Obama is, by definition, African-American.
It is true, of course, that Obama is not a descendant of slaves. I will leave it to others, particularly blacks, to weigh in on how important this distinction is -- I imagine it's a big difference in culture but not in how he is viewed by the white majority.
Posted by: Bruce on June 5, 2008 10:35 PMHarding and Kennedy being the first two. And we all know how those turned out. Harding is recognized as one of the worst Presidents in history. Kennedy, however, worked out okay.
The point is, the country usually doesn't elect Senators...because they have NO EXPERIENCE GOVERNING. None of these candidate know how to run a position of leadership. That is why, more often than not, elect governors.
Of course the same will apply to McCain, and would (will?) apply to Clinton.
Which makes this whole election all the more scary. None of these candidates will have clue as to what to do they day they take office.
Posted by: Dave on June 5, 2008 10:38 PMBillary was closely involved until she screwed up her grand healthcare plan. After that, she was relegated to First Lady duties. And while it's just a hunch, I rather doubt there was much pillow talk going on those 8 years.
VP's (Cheney excepted) are useless to a President. Once they are elected, their job is done. Algore did zilch for Clinton. You pick a VEEP to get votes you might not otherwise get. I can't name too many governors on Presidential tickets.
Posted by: Dave on June 6, 2008 12:27 AMBut beyond capturing the nomination, what has he actually _done_ during his term of office as US Senator or his terms of office in Illinois?
No disrespect, but he's a idiochameleon - he changes appearance depending upon what the _viewer_ wants to see.
I don't know who he is at all. Certainly he's not loyal or constant.
Posted by: steve miller on June 6, 2008 06:04 AMSome may scoff, but the on-line social aspect did allow for low-cost, local organization of events that especially helped in the caucus states. What will be interesting to see if the local "blog"/social sites can also assist local candidates. If the people who can connect locally don't also help on the local and state level, Obama's "new" campaign, grass-roots organization will go to waste. This is one area where Rove did shine at. Rove recognized the need for local grass-roots organization.
Posted by: tc on June 6, 2008 07:57 AMHeadlines the day after the election will either read, "The USA has just elected the first black President", or it will read, "America is still racist as it rejects black American Barrack Obama and chooses John McCain".
Anyone want to bet?
But yes, it is a great accomplishment for people of color- brown, yellow, black or mixes inbetween.
Posted by: swatter on June 6, 2008 08:11 AMIf obama was born in the US. How can he be a African/American?
Should it not be the other way?
Thanks to the PC fools, they can't even get that right.
(swatter)
I think your right, yet we have all seen, the MSN no-longer loves the Clintons and have made quite an effort to attack both of them.
How funny, the love didn't last long! LOL
Posted by: Army Medic/Vet on June 6, 2008 08:21 AMOn your headlines quote, let's hope that neither headline is appropriate and this country can move beyond race issues and decide the election on who speaks best to the issues that the majority of Americans feel most important. From the beginning, what I have wanted is an issues oriented race to really break beyond the partisan we-they mentality of the past. What is important is moving forward (i.e., solutions that will actually work).
Posted by: tc on June 6, 2008 09:25 AMPeggy Noonan gives a similar tribute that Eric did today, too. Thanking the voters of Alabama for his victory when it was a scant 40 years ago, the people of Alabama went after Martin Luther with hoses. The people in the United States of America should be proud of our country and nation. It is a time of triumph.
Eric, I think my breather is over and I am ready to engage.
Posted by: swatter on June 6, 2008 09:42 AMAgreed, my friend was born in NYC, she is a first generation American born from Chinese immigrants, she refers to herself as Asian American or in some cases a Twinkie because as she says "I'm Yellow on the outside and White on the inside" due to her Americanized upbringing.
People still give her strange looks when they hear perfect English coming from someone who is clearly of Asian decent. Seems even in this day and age people will always judge you by your ethnicity regardless of your upbringing.
Failure to do so will underestimate millions of voters.
Posted by: swatter on June 6, 2008 01:59 PM