Politics as Transcendence

Only once in a very long time does politics become more than politics, that is something more than partisan struggle, vote bartering, or arena of ambition. In ordinary times, ordinary political leaders suffice, more or less.

But on rare occasion, old arrangements and conventional wisdom come unstuck. This happens in periods of rapid if not revolutionary change. We find ourselves now in one of those periods. The forces of globalization, information, eroding sovereignties, and transformation of war ensure that traditional leaders and conventional politics can only muddle through at best and fail badly at worst.

But periods of upheaval also offer opportunities, opportunities to change our methods, our ideas, and our leaders. The rare leader capable of transforming threat to opportunity is one who welcomes transformation and sees it as a chance to abandon tradition and convention, to transcend that which is stale, unprofitable, and ineffective.

Periods of transformation require experimentation, innovation, and daring. America is a nation much more conservative than it thinks itself to be. Thus, its default position is to resist a forward leap even while applauding itself for its creativity. Al Capone said it best: "We don't want no trouble." But transformation is trouble in the best sense of the word, trouble that causes us to adapt to new conditions and circumstances and create new ways of governing.

Through some miracle of timing, luck, and good fortune Barack Obama has seized the moment. His mantra of "change" has been largely co-opted by lesser figures. He is in fact an agent of transformation. He is not operating on the same plane as ordinary politicians, and this makes him seem elusive to the conventional press and the traditional politicians. His instinct for the moment and the times is orders of magnitude more powerful than the experience claimed by others. Experience in the old ways is irrelevant experience.

In an age of great transformation, experience of the past is worthless because it is a barrier to the breakthrough gesture, the instant response in crisis, the instinctive bold decision in the face of totally new circumstances.

Some see Barack Obama as the long awaited champion finally come to slay the awful dragon of race. And they are right. Some see him as a new start for the Democratic Party and national politics. And they are right. Some see him as the walking embodiment of internationalism, ready to restore an honorable and respected place for America in the world. And they are right.

I see Barack Obama as a leader for this transcendent moment, the agent of transformation in an age of revolution, as a figure uniquely qualified to open the door to the 21st century and to convert threat to great new opportunity.

Comments

[mslindab]

Thanks Gary for the highmindedness. Good luck with the superdelegates: GO'BAMA!

[miltiades]

OK - there's hope with a Messiah here. Just seems a little too transcendent. My uncle taught me years ago the power of this country is at Wall St. not Washington, DC. Except now foreign money is influencing our economy. Can the powers in DC really affect that much change?

[rjcrane]

Here's a question I want both candidates to answer before I jump on the bandwagon declaring a new political transcendence: What plans do you have to hold the Bush Admin. accountable for any lies, frauds, or illegal actions taken on these issues: rendition, torture, FISA spying, selling of Iraq war based on known misleading and false intelligence and/or incomplete intelligence, mishandling of Iraq war and wasted monies, abuse of signing statements and other abuses of executive power, after Bush leaves office and how will your plans be implemented and who will conduct these investigations?

I am not willing to go along to get along if this means the BushCo crooks, liars, and warmongers, get away without paying any price for their deeds. My kumbaya moment will come watching these criminals being led away to prison where they belong.

RJ Crane, topplebush.com

[FOXYLADY]

It will be a huge disappointment if nothing is done to make Bush and Cheney pay for their wrong doings. It seems the "New Congress and Senate" headed by the Democrates we expected so much of......just can't seem to get the gd job done! Bush and Cheney will get off scotfree while the "average American Citizen" wallows in the crap they left behind!!

[Jonny38103]

If you want Reid and Pelosi to deliver, they need more Dems! A simple majority isn't enough. Don't forget the other races this year - increase the majorities in the House and the Senate!

[mbinKS]

AMEN. This country cannot get to any kind of 'reconciliation' it needs without just the kind of accountability you describe. Pelosi made her first MAJOR mistake in saying "impeachment is off the table." It is in fact ON the table if the Constitution still has any meaning.

[ConcernAmerican]

look Gary, you've been busted years ago with Donna Rice on your lap, what's your problem dude? You want to be relevant again? You and Dick Morris has a lot in common.

[quintus]

Your ad hominem attack on Hart does nothing to blunt or kill the truth behind his words.

Besides, Hart isn't the first one to make this point; a whole lot of people sense something big here.

[rbe1]

Actually, an ad hominem attack is any attack which tends to discredit your boy Obama. And an ad hominem attack on either of the Clintons is just what the bastards deserve for having the effrontery to challange your new hero, right ?

[DuffyJames]

It's "You and Dick Morris have" not has. Readers might better appreciate your partisan prejudice against Hart if you didn't come off sounding so ignorant, grammatically speaking, of course.

Hart's essay puts a lot of weight on the shoulders of young Obama. If anything, Hart's glowing flowing words demonstrate to me Hart's undying idealism. Too many stars in his eyes, perhaps, to see the flaws in Obama's candidacy. I like Obama, but I can't expect him to accomplish everything Hart lays out here.

[apogee2perogee]

You miss the point. It is the people who will create change. The leader unites them to a common vision. If you disengage following the election, then you are part of the problem. If many disengage after the election, then you will be right about less being accomplished, but not about the why.

[LoriAnn]

And are you qualified to "cast the first stone"? Unless you are the embodiment of the Christ himself then go ahead and rant....I have my doubts...Gary Hart has served his country just as any other political official and I think we owe him our thanks. He is every bit as relevant as anyone and has been around long enough to know and understand the conditions that are present in the country. The hunger for change and restoration of dignity and respect world wide is definately relevant and urgent!! YOu want irrelevant...think republican....Bush, Cheney and good "old" John McCain!!!!!!!!!

[melann830]

Don't you see, it is for this very reason, he supports Obama--so that people like him and real pimps like Dick Morris don't have to be accountable in any way for their indiscreet and inexplicable behavior. He is still pissed that he got caught with his pants down and he blames conservatives for it. At least Bill Clinton seems to have mended his fences with some of the conservative party-- And we expected objectivity from this opportunist???

[funnybones]

Agre. When it was Hart's turn to bring about change he failed to recognize the "transcendence" of it all and frittered away his promise with "Monkey Business" and Donna what's her name. In his arrogance and carelessness he betrayed many who supported his candidacy. I remember a friend who canvassed for Hart door to door in Detroit during the summer heat. Hart's endorsement means little.

[stageplay]

Wow. What Gary Hart has said here seems to be flying over the heads of a lot of people. I can understand, they support Hillary above all things. Me, I support America above all things. At this point in time, given the convergence of things that are happening in this world, Barack Obama is far better for America than Hillary Clinton or John McCain. The future is now. Let's leave the past behind, where it belongs. I'm an old guy, a Vietnam Vet, a former Republican. Two weeks ago I registered as Unaffiliated. I am voting for true change this time. I am voting for Barack Obama.

[Halz]

Gary Hart and Stageplay have hit the nail on the head...Hillary, Billary, boo, we need something new...America needs something new, and the world, after Bush's failure in Iraq, deserves something new...Hillary plainly states that she still supports her vote to invade Iraq and in fact supports "coercive diplomacy." Sounds like Hugo Chavez in drag...Hillary claims the experience of First lady but wants to deny the bad baggage of Bill Clinton, and to top it off, she refuses the transparency of releasing her income tax records after loaning her campaign $5 million out of her and Bill's petty cash...Hillary, Billary, BOO, we need something new...Vote Obama!!!

[frappe]

I agree. Obama's vision, charisma, and eloquence is special. The only objections that I hear from some quarters is that it comes "too easy" for him...that it is nothing more than a unique ability to deliver a "speech". Bullshit. It's more than that and I think Gary Hart has hit upon something significant here.

[sjl106]

What is the significance of obama stealing Hillarys policies? Because he has no substance of value, no matter how much crap he spews, obamabites dont have anything to ad but their garbage making them nothing but a bunch of pathetic little punks. Come up with somehthing that is important I know it is too hard for you to do anything that would take brain power.

http://www.groupnewsblog.net/2008/02/obama-cult-of-personality.html

"Obama's (economic) plan. is the most shameless piece of potential plagiarism that I have ever seen. He basically took Clinton's words and Clinton's policies and called them his own. If I were a professor I'd give him an F and try to get him kicked out of school," said Kevin Hassett, Sen. John McCain's economic advisor and the Director of Economic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

[frappe]

Boy, aren't you on the "defensive"? Where'd you come up with all of your hysterical criticisms? Are there any secret messages in my post that I'm unaware of?

If you want specifics, check out Obama's website. Personally, I like the inspirational nature of his speeches. And yes, specifics and positions and policy papers are important as well.

[frappe]

Quoting an economic adviser to John McCain is not going to give you any credibility here. In fact, just the opposite. McCain and his henchmen are already preparing to do battle with Obama as they see the handwriting on the wall...which you apparently do not.

[thesimulacra]

Hilarious. You quote an advisor to John McCain's campaign as an argument against Obama. What's next, are you going to quote Karl Rove on what he thinks about Hillary Clinton? Give me a break. Your argument is pathetic, vindictive, and all of the same kind of crap that's been eating America from within for the last 40 years. That's why you will lose. You will lose and you will lose badly.

You know why? You just denigrated the nearly 10,000,000 Americans who have voted for Barack Obama (last time I checked, just a tad more than anybody else in the entire race) as "a bunch of pathetic little punks". Who's the pathetic little punk? The one who can't make an argument and resorts to baseless accusations and ad hominem attacks, or the one who's bringing Americans together for the first time in half a century?

You can have your politics of old, because we don't want any anymore.

[getrealalready]

The fresh approach that Obama takes has invigorated me to feel my one vote matters. sj106, if there is a serious case for plagiarism here, it is Senator McCain's full metal jacket and/or politics as usual. The angrier you becomes each time Obama wins both popular and electoral votes, the more reason to question Hillary's less successful efforts getting "her original message" across though I wouldn't concede to his plagiarizing, whatsoever.

[RockingJamboree]

"Stealing Policies"? You talk about public policy like it's a patent or a pop song. Part of the reason candidates campaign and debate is to hammer out what the PARTY platform will be, what the SHARED policies are! If Obama's Economic Plan is similar to Hillary's, good for Hillary. That seems flattering. Then, if Hillary's policies are good economic policy, well, good for us all! It's not plagiarism to agree with someone.

Does each candidate have to come up with a list of entirely unique and original policies in a vacuum, without listening to anyone else? Once one candidate stakes out territory with some opinion, do the other candidates have to take a different opinion just to be different?

Economic policy is not some "secret formula." If one person has ideas, especially good ideas, there is NO reason somebody else shouldn't use them. And no, during a campaign, you don't have to footnote your ideas and give credit to your opponents.

Hillary and Obama are naturally going to have similar viewpoints. They are running for the leadership of the same country in the SAME party.

But, personally, I think the use of the word "transcendence" makes Obama out to be some kind of Messianic figure. He's not that. He's a guy, running for office. He's very charismatic; he does have a unique talent for connecting with and inspiring people. He is a brilliant speaker. But there is substance behind his words, even if that substance might sometimes be influenced by someone else.

[Bad actor]

Hart has used Obama to make a pitch for the New World Order with surrendering sovereignty and the rest of the plan including SPP which combines USA-Mexico-Canada into a North American Union.. Our civil liberties have been going through "change". Senate recently approved granting communication companies relief from lawsuits for illegally intercepting citizen calls. Only the House can stop this from becoming law. Pelosi should convene in Arlington atop the graves and let the Repos explain why privacy no longer matters.

[lavndrblue]

The vilification of Hillary Clinton has succeeded and it wouldn't matter if the woman running wasn't Hillary Clinton. Statistics coming out of the caucuses and primaries are showing that the majority of white men are voting for Obama. This just shows how white men really feel about a woman.......any woman gaining the presidency in our country.

[DeLuxe]

This is total garbage, imo. HRC is a terrible presidential candidate. She is excellent at holding, using, and exploiting the power w/in the establishmenet, but she is unappealing. She isn't interesting. She isn't funny. She isn't personable. She has no original ideas. She can't admit mistakes (Iraq). She insults everyone's intelligence. She demeans hope. That is why she is losing. It's not because she is a woman. Basically, the only reason to support Hillary is THAT she is a woman. That is the reason the "inevitable" HRC has been taken apart by a young upstart.

[Goldenllite]

EXCUSE ME!
The only constant is change...we will have a lot of change no matter who is nominated, it's really about INTENTION!

[TLV]

Thank you for this article. I heartily agree.

[jrterrier]

I'm a die hard democrat and respect the efforts of all our past presidential candidates to express their views on policy issues. But I'm getting somewhat weary about the analysis by those who were unsuccessful in their own attempts that explains how to win an election.

[jkminwa]

Maybe he learned something from his experience, and in the years since? Or maybe we should just take your advice?

[sjl106]

Does that transcendencey continually include the lies and smear campaign that comes from obama?

"Obama's (economic) plan. is the most shameless piece of potential plagiarism that I have ever seen. He basically took Clinton's words and Clinton's policies and called them his own. If I were a professor I'd give him an F and try to get him kicked out of school," said Kevin Hassett, Sen. John McCain's economic advisor and the Director of Economic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

[knerd]

I certainly can't argue with you, sj106.
Or even with jrterrier for that matter.
You expect argument and wouldn't recognize transcendence and transformation because your worldview is basically fundamentalist.

Horses like you don't have to drink, but please don't pretend we didn't lead you to water.

[my15minutes]

sjl106 -

you really think anyone should trust what the American Enterprise Institute has to say about this? :D

thanks! best joke i've read all day.

[Groobiecat]

Barack has influence that goes beyond anything I've seen in 25 years in Washington, DC:

A top adviser to John McCain said Wednesday that he will step down from the Arizona senator's presidential campaign if the presumed GOP nominee faces Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., in the general election.

"I would simply be uncomfortable being in a campaign that would be inevitably attacking Barack Obama," said McCain adviser Mark McKinnon in an interview with NPR's "All Things Considered." "I think it would be uncomfortable for me, and I think it would be bad for the McCain campaign."

This is nuts. Such an admission is unheard in the rough and tumble world of presidential politics.

Wow. I'm floored.

[sjl106]

MI ALLOCATED THEIR DELEGATES HILLARY WINS, FLORIDA ALLOCATES THEIR DELEGATES HILLARY WINS!! THE DNC WILL NOT DISENFRANCHISE 2.35 MILLION VOTERS, CRY ALL YOU WANT OBAMABITES WE WILL NOT BE OVERRUN BY A BUNCH OF PUNKS!

"Obama's (economic) plan. is the most shameless piece of potential plagiarism that I have ever seen. He basically took Clinton's words and Clinton's policies and called them his own. If I were a professor I'd give him an F and try to get him kicked out of school," said Kevin Hassett, Sen. John McCain's economic advisor and the Director of Economic Policy Studies at the American Enterprise Institute.

http://www.groupnewsblog.net/2008/02/obama-cult-of-personality.html

[LoriAnn]

MI chose to defy rules why should they be able to allocate delegates when other candidates either werent on the ballot or didnt campaign there because they were led to believe it wouldnt count. That smacks of lying and cheating on a grand scale!! Not an even playing field at all and shouldnt be allowed to defy rules and play the game........I will reluctantly vote for the democratic candidate but only if fairly chosen. Obama '08

[cheforacle]

What do you expect a McCain adviser to say?

[getrealalready]

As long as you vote Democrat, sj106, what's the fuss?

[TheIndependenceParty]

No need to shout, sjl106, ... Nor copy and paste your AEI reference for the third time, ... lest you be stamped as abusive.

As for Obama vs Clinton, ... Hillary supporters seem to come in two flavors, ... sincere, bitter and negative, or insincere bitter trolls. The only difference is that the trolls want Hillary to run under the Dems in the belief they have at least a slight chance of beating her. They are wrong in either case if, as appears likely, McCain is the standard bearer for the Reich.

McCain is Don Quixote, riding a Trojan Horse full of Neo-Con lunatics, ... including what will likely be an ultra-rightwing VEEP nominee, ... built on Cheney's rusted chassis. Can't wait to see how this campaign unfolds, with the Republicans eating their young.

[JaniceKWard]

Has it occurred to you that the biggest differences between the candidates' campaign speeches is that Barak Obama has a deep voice? That Obama speaks beautifully about what needs to be fixed while Clinton talks about the dull nuts and bolts of how she will actually fix things? We have the "Barnum effect" going on here. Senator Hart's comments are equally laden with rhetoric without pointing to any specific innovative ideas that Senator Obama has.
With George Bush we spent more and got less. McCain's solution is to spend less and get less. Obama wants to spend more to get more. Clinton wants to spend less and get more. Sound impossible. In the early 90s, the Internet was the realm of universities and big business. The Clinton Administration provided free classes at SBA offices all over the country to teach us how to conduct business on line. By giving the government access to greater competition through the Internet, we were able to save billions of dollars. In the midst of this the techie boom was born. There is a reason that most of us first used the Internet with Windows 95.
This is why Senator Obama does not want us to look back. Yes, it is Hillary running and not Bill, but Hillary's brilliance is undeniable, and the two-fer deal is still valid. If you compare the candidates on the issues, they both have the same goals, but have charted different courses of how to get there. Hillary Clinton's plans are filled with the innovative ideas that he wants you to believe that he has. In Senator Obama's plans I see increased spending and unintended consequences. In Clinton's plans I see waste reduction and targeted investment. I wonder if Senator Hart would care to review their plans again and tell us which plan he would pass, as is, on day one, and if so, why? Let's get more specific. This is an important choice, let's be responsible about it.
Hillary Clinton - change that works

[daveny]

If she was so brilliant, she would have been running a more effective campaign, and certainly wouldn't have had to loan herself 5 million. That's like... Mitt Romney level brilliance we're talking about.

Also, I missed her brilliant rationale for dodging ethics reform, proposing a flag-burning ammendment to the constitution, and supporting cluster bombing of civilian areas!

[JaniceKWard]

Imagine a candidate, no matter how brilliant, being campaigned against 24 hours a day seven days a week. The other candidate has the resources to defame you in a continuous infomercial that during any given time can be found somewhere on the TV schedule. That is what Senator Clinton is facing. Obama's "new kind of politics" are pretty easy to accomplish when John Edwards and the media are taking pot shots for you.
In the lead up to the Iraq War, the media wrapped themselves up in the American flag and pointed us in the direction of the bandwagon. 89% of Americans favored a multilateral invasion, were you one of them? (Hillary's vote is another debate and probably won't keep under 350 words) Now the media has wrapped themselves up in the flag of hope and pointed us to the bandwagon. Those of us who look past the convenient media and research the issues on our own feel helpless to stop the tide of emotion with rational arguments.

[thesimulacra]

The "Clinton Administration" was not responsible for the Internet boom. Al Gore was when he was a senator in Congress and he drafted and pushed through the two major pieces of legislation that made the internet more than just military/university technology. Clinton was, however, responsible for losing three straight congressional elections to Republicans, failing to reign in lending to prevent the dot.com bust, not doing enough against Al Qaeda after the 1998 bombings in Africa, and engaging in misconduct that made him vulnerable to the attacks which ensured that Al Gore would not be elected President in 2000. Do you really think Hillary's going to just be able to come up with another economic stimulus like the Internet boom? That's a once-in-a-­generation thing, if she has a great idea, then why not share it with the rest of us?

[JaniceKWard]

She has shared her ideas. It is the green collar jobs, they are the technological innovation needed to spur economic growth. It is investment in our education system. It is UNIVERSAL health care. It must be universal for us to realize the savings. If we paid per capita what other developed countries with UNIVERSAL health care did we would be saving $900 billion. Obama has said that his preference is a single payer system. Senator Clinton's plan, and the invisible hand of the economy, will result in a single payer system; as premiums go down insurance companies lower premiums to compete or get out of the system. Senator Obama's plan creates not one, but two new bureaucracies and would probably never get passed as is. Senator Clinton's plan builds on the already existing FEHBP. What Congressman would deny his constituents access to the health care that he has. Senator Obama's plan taxes businesses that don't participate, which ultimately we pay for with increased prices, lower wages, and outsourced jobs. Senator Clinton's plan offers access to the same program for businesses to help lower their costs and remain competitive.
The problem is that nobody's listening. Why bother when the press has freed us from independent thought by telling us that their plans are the same. The issues and plans are complex and don't fit in to 20 second sound bites. You really have to be paying close attention to hear what the candidates are actually proposing. Senator Obama because he rarely talks about how he will actually accomplish his vision and Hillary, because even in a debate, 30 - 60 seconds still isn't enough time to explain her plans to someone without a background in economics. Hillary has overestimated the American people by believing they wanted to hear about the issues instead of flowery rhetoric. She overestimated the media's sense of responsibility in covering the race.
As for the Al Quaeda thing, they launched a missile strike when they had actionable intelligence. The media and the public accused them of wagging the dog.
Dare to think for yourself. Go online and compare.

[JKZANG]

Janice, you are 100% correct. I don't understand some of the endorsements given to Obama because of his speaking powers....at this crucial time in our country, we need "nuts and bolts" as you indicated and not flowery speeches that say nothing other than "change". We need people to vote for Hillary and her innovative solutions to our problems. The more I listen to Obama's speeches, the less I understand the people who are jumping on the bandwagon for him including unfortunately the media. Your article is written beautifully !

[knerd]

Change that DOESN'T work:

Obama praised Reagan for being able to inspire the US to take a new direction; immediately, Hillary Clinton said that Obama claimed the Republicans had "better ideas" than the Democrats.

If this was Hillary's idea of a campaign strategy, she truly belongs to Bush and Rove.
If, however, she just didn't really pay attention to what Barack Obama was actually saying, her perceptions and actions as president would be "less than competent." George Bush all over again.

[dgscol]

It is sad, but there seems to be a large group of Americans who want our system to fail and fail badly. How could this happen?

Gary is philosophical on occasion. Perhaps he can answer this question. How can politicians who place their own self-interest above the national interest, ever fix this situation? Is this a failure in our system not forseen by the framers?

People are taking advantage, feeling that it is not up to them to sacrifice when so many other people are acting irresponsibly, but raking in profits from exploiting foreign labor in sweatshops that are uncontrolled, in conditions that would be illegal here in the US. It is treason, and this debases our countries values.

[dgscol]

I think this is an intentional attack on our system, and the PIGS are going for it, whole hog.
It is every bit as cogent as an airplane hitting a building, or a hit squad knocking off a leader with a car bomb.

[snt]

Beyond the great and convincing oratory what do we know about Senator Obama? In view of the looming economic problems and "incredible Bush budget deficits" where will we find the money to fund all the proposed programs, worthwhile as they might be? Senator Obbama must must provide greater detail if he expects our continued support.

The above notwithstanding I plan to vote for either Senator Obama or Senator Clinton this November. After the "seven year Bush disaster" the thought of another Republican presidency revolts me.

[thesimulacra]

You can find out on www.barackobama.com. Among other things, he will eliminate the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy and de-escalate the war, which will significantly increase government revenue (Reaganites be damned) and decrease government spending, making more funds available to be invested in healthcare, education, and small businesses.

[TankerRat]

Promises, promises. But little on the How. Oh Wait! "The Messiah will bring it all together where countless others have FAILED. And you Obamabots can't wait. Delusional, just absolutely delusional. Wish in one hand and crap in the other you sheep. You're gonna get exactly what you deserve. Another Democratic train wreck