Barack Obama For President
From the very beginning -- back when our torture chambers still had that new torture chamber smell; and before our chief executive's incompetence exploded like an M80 inside the clenched-fist of the world -- George W. Bush has been an embarrassment.
We know his disgraceful deeds and policies. But it's his utter lack of quality; his unsubstantial presence; his marble-mouthed oratorical retardation; his inability to inspire greatness; and his empty-suit absence of intellectual curiosity which preordained him to be the worst President of the United States in modern history.
Admittedly, when it comes to the presidency, my personal level of idealism rests somewhere between Frank Capra and Aaron Sorkin. I'm a presidential geek. One of my life goals is to work in the White House for one week. My Dad's old office at the Treasury Department used to look out over the east lawn, and when I was a kid I used to imagine that one day the president would invite me and my Dad for a ride on Marine One.
But after seven years in this Dark Age, I've almost forgotten what it was like to have a real president occupying the White House: a president who, even if I disagreed with his policies and ideology, dignified the office with a stature that symbolized the awesomeness of America.
Emerson wrote, "Every hero becomes a bore at last. Perhaps Voltaire was not bad-hearted, yet he said of the good Jesus, even, 'I pray you, let me never hear that man's name again.'"
We seem to experience this routine with almost every two-term president. But President Bush was never a hero in the first place and only grew more ridiculous with each subsequent crime against the Constitution, against human decency and against democracy itself. If there's any justice left in this nation, history will record that President Bush was an entirely inadequate tool; a bungling villain whose early popularity grew out of a traumatic and patriotic need to support the office regardless of who occupied it.
And when the flood waters literally rose up and washed away the disguise, the slack-jawed poseur was revealed -- the "bore" who had always been there, but who had been previously and cynically costumed in cowboy drag. Some of us recognized the charade from the beginning, but it required a second national tragedy, this time in New Orleans, to alert the media and the rest of America to his criminal incompetence.
American history is inextricably tied to the presidency. It's how we mentally assemble the chronology of our past. For going on eight years, we've endured a chief executive who never should have ascended to this post. Consequently, this decade has been an aberration; a time when Americans somehow championed an illegitimate, Orwellian hooplehead and, naturally, we suffered for our lack of vision. This is how most of the first decade of this century will be remembered.
Yet our generation is being offered another chance here -- an opportunity to set things straight and elect a president who not only illustrates the historical qualities of the office, but who also defines an energetic new approach.
The next president has to be Senator Barack Obama.
Senator Obama's intelligence, passion and quality of character can inspire us to recapture our own potential for greatness. And after all these years of darkness, there is no alternative other than to correct our trajectory with someone who can elevate our common goals -- the American Dream. For the American Dream to survive, this era demands a new president who will include all of us in the debate over our future, whether or not we agree on every issue.
And I'm proud to say that I don't agree with the senator on everything. But it doesn't matter because this campaign is about much more than individuals and their pet issues. This is about the reacquisition of an ideal -- of a benevolent greatness which has been stolen away from us.
I see in Senator Obama an historic character who fits within my persnickety and idealistic template for the presidency -- and this time around, it happens that my idealistic choice has a realistic chance to win. So this isn't necessarily an endorsement based on ideology, but an endorsement based on that which is required from an historical perspective.
The alternatives on either side of this campaign are ultimately redundant to what we have now.
On the Republican side, each frontrunner represents a rage-inducing aspect of the present Bush regime. The Romney Unit represents the Paris Hilton fiscal policy of the Bush administration; Giuliani is the unstable, crazy-ass hubristic gunslinger; and Mike Huckabee is the cross-bearing fundamentalist who floats in the same fantasy world as Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort.
On the Democratic side, John Edwards is a tough call because he has the right idea. But there was a thing with Edwards from 2004 that I can't seem to shake. And I've really, really tried. During one of the primary debates, Howard Dean stood up to answer a question. As was the campaign fashion at the time, Dean rolled up his sleeves. Then, behind him, I spotted John Edwards whose eyes suddenly widened at Dean's sleeve-rolling as if to say, Oh crap, I should roll up my sleeves now or else I won't be awesome like Howard. Then he quickly rolled up his sleeves. It was an awkwardly candid moment which revealed a lack of originality and, for my admittedly nitpicky tastes, a little too much of the staged illusion of it all. But most importantly, I imagined him exhibiting the same derivative behavior when voting with the president on Iraq.
Senator Clinton, meanwhile, is certainly more intelligent and centrist than President Bush, but there's a secretive, calculating DLC side to the senator which drifts too dangerously close to the universe of Dick Cheney than the fresh approach her husband, President Clinton, offered in 1992.
Speaking of which, President Clinton said this week that Senator Clinton would dispatch the first President Bush on a world tour in order to repair America's reputation abroad. First, 'the hell you say?! Second, wouldn't that be just like a Cheney -- to use a Bush as a political tool. Seriously, we can't have this. Not even as a speculative talking point. Not any more.
This is what we're desperately trying to escape, goddamn it. This is why it's imperative that Senator Obama win the nomination and ultimately the White House itself.
Naturally, the day might arrive when President Obama becomes Emerson's bore. One day, years from now, we'll likely be lamenting the traditional media's "Obama Fatigue" narrative. But, by that time, I think we'll be prepared for the next era in American history. Hopefully, after two terms and eight years, President Obama will hand over his legacy to his vice president. But for now he's the historical antidote to the darkness and division we've endured for too many years. He's our best hope to restore the national equilibrium and to fulfill both the expectation of greatness the presidency deserves and, thusly, the greatness of America.
And no. However awesome it'd be, I'm not saying these things in exchange for a flight aboard Marine One. I mean, I wouldn't turn it down, of course... but that's not why.
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Like Mr. Clean Jimmy Carter followed tricky Dick Nixon, the man of dreams Barack Obama will likely follow the vision challenged George W. Bush. American votes have a habit of voting for the exact opposite personality for president of the one being replaced. Lets just hope that Barack is far more effective than was Jimmy.
Nice...a post for Obama that doesn't contain some ridiculous smear against Clinton or Edwards. I like it. I'm still voting for Edwards, but I appreciate how positive the tone is.
Experience and savvy are still very important. Bush had no experience and look were we are now. Also Bush does not have the intelligencefor the job. Barama is a smart guy but will he surround himself with the best possible people. I like Barama but would like someone a little more seasoned. Anyone can talk a good game but if they do not have the experience can they hit a homerun?
I would rather have President Edwards than Obama, but either one would be a vast improvement over the Bush regime. The tyranny of Bush/Cheney is mind boggling, especially considering that they're getting away with it.
Bob,
I would support Obama if he wins the Democratic Nomination. IMO,however, Clinton is our best candidate. She is tougher and smarter than Obama. She could stand toe to toe with the best that the Repugnuts can throw at her and come out the victor.
We need a Winner this time and the winner is, Hillary Clinton!
What's really sad and pathetic are the legions
of voters (mostly Republican) that continue to support The Great American Crime Syndicate.
I don't know who Bobby C considers to be "our generation" but Obama has made his disdain for the entire baby-boom generation clear on more than one occasion.
I'll be happy to honor this opportunistic politician's views by not voting for him.
As a Texan, I knew from the beginning that Bush was a dense, mean-spirited clown who'd ruin America.
As for your insistence that Sen. Obama is the only answer, I respectfully disagree.
It took Bill Clinton to undo the damage (especially fiscal) that Bush 41 and Reagan inflicted on the nation, and I just can't see Michelle Obama having that much influence as the spouse of the president.
Like Nixon, Hillary's a bitch but she'd be our bitch. I think her temperament would cause our nation's enemies to think twice because she's not the type to rattle her sabre first.
Anyone running for president has to be disingenuous to be elected, but deep down I think Hillary's values will be restored once she's elected.
I love HuffPo but their anti Hillary bias gets tedious. Once she becomes the nominee, HuffPo presumably will have no choice but to support her in the general election.
Today your column reminded me of something the Bush administration has encouraged all of us to forget; the presidency of the United States is an office for people of honor. You reminded me of all the things the leader of this country should represent; the best of what it is to be an American. Without exaggeration, when I read your words played over the mental image of what it is now, I wept. I haven't done that since President Kennedy was killed.
George Bush has used the office of the president as his moral toilet. He has debased what was once noble and honorable, and he's done it with a cynicism that chills me to the core. The only solution to this national disgrace is impeachment of both he and his partner in this outrage, Dick Cheney.
So what if Nancy Pelosi is interim president? So what! As a country, we need a respite from this political nightmare. We need mental breathing room. We need time to think clearly enough to elect someone who deserves the honor. If Barack Obama is that person, fine. But we need a chance to let our rational mind take over from the fear engendered politics of the current administration. Our Congressional leaders owe us no less.
Polls have consistently demonstrated that Obama is the strongest candidate against any Republican, due to his appeal to Independents and moderate Republicans. The simple fact is the few morons that would not vote for him due to his race are going to vote Republican anyway, or not vote at all. And they are far outnumbered by those who would love to see Barack elected to point out that racism is no longer dominant in America.
As for Edwards, he could not be elected dogcatcher. He is far too divisive, too liberal, too anti-business to appeal to moderates. Let's face it, about 15-20% of the American people consider themselves liberal. Do you think that wins an election? How did McGovern do?
Get real. To win, you need someone who comes across as more centrist. Barack may be liberal in his heart, but he is more centrist in his head, and less divisive than Hillary or Edwards. That is why he will win.
As usual good stuff Bob, but I have to say that my distain for Bush started from the second I laid eyes on him, as governor of Texas. However there is an up side to his presidency, and that is that I don’t collect of Presidential Coins, and probably never will now, because I sure that their value is now in the Toilet, along with the value of the dollar, thanks in part, to that lying moron Bush.
Obamba says he is a leader, but what has he led. He didn't lead on Kyl Lieberman, he didn't even vote. He hid from it, and now he criticizes Hillary's vote. He says he is for change, but what change? He never says. Also hows he going to implement it? In a candidate like Obama, I think we have the modern generation of McGovern, Dukakis, Mondale and Stevenson. All of them were nice guys with honor, high ethics, and idealists. They had one more thing in common; They all lost by landslides. We need a candidate who is tough enough to win.
Bob, I love you man... but I firmly believe that Edwards is the best Candidate for President.
See Shelby Highsmith's Profile
Wow, I knew HuffPost was basically all Obama all the time, but I didn't realize it was going to come this close to endorsing him till I got the headline for this warm fuzzy fluff promoting a guy who I rarely hear actually explain to me WHY he should be president. "Change! Hope! Puppies and kittens!" I just don't see how that's enough to get this country right with the world without a dozen more experienced cabinet members holding Barack's hand.
get used to it dems....
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