Let me paint a picture for you. Imagine that you are the Republican leadership. The Republicans have had control of the executive and legislative branches of the government for the past eight years. Those past eight years and the policies of your party have embittered the citizenship of the entire United States. Mistakes were made; an unpopular war was initiated under your watch. Your party, the Republicans, supported the most unpopular president of all time, even when his leadership was virtually non-existent. The liberties for which our servicemen are dying to protect were eroded for the sake of security of an increasingly mislead nation. Worse yet, the strong economy which was inherited by your party is now limping along after being trampled by the mismanagement of the past eight years. How can you hope to become the next president of the United States?
There are basically only two choices. You could either save face, distance yourself from the current administration and their policies, expecting to lose this up coming election, and prepare your party for a comeback two years from now. This would take a tremendous amount of restraint and humility. Alternatively, you could lie, cheat, and manipulate in the most desperate of ways to win this election. Nothing less could even bring you close. Can you guess which of these two strategies I am going to suggest that John McCain is using?
The Republicans have proven that they are desperate not to lose this election - and that is their greatest weakness. Because of their desperation, they chose to run a woman with little political experience, Sarah Palin, as the vice presidential nominee. This choice could only be an attempt at syphoning off disgruntled Hilary Clinton supporters from Barak Obama. But it isn’t all about her - it is about how their whole campaign has ran.
Think back to every criticism the Republican party has made concerning Barak Obama; what attacks *didn’t* seem desperate? The controversy regarding his minister? Desperate. The repetitive inference that Barak is of Muslim faith? Also Desperate. The ads comparing Obama to Paris Hilton, claims that Obama will increase taxes, inferring that his support of educating young children about sexual predators is some how perverse…. These acts of desperation know no limits, apparently.
But lets not fool ourselves - we Democrats are desperate too. Desperate to see our troops brought home from Iraq, our military repaired, and our standing in the world as a great nation restored. We are desperate to fix an increasingly failing economy, to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil, and to provide adequate health care to the impoverished. We are so desperate that we are afraid to move, afraid to yell or scream, afraid to speak the truth regarding John McCain and his lies. And the recent polls seem to justify these fears: Obama and McCain are dead-even in the race for the presidency.
Well, I’m not so sure if those fears are truly justified. Sure, I’m as nervous as anyone else; I check election news once or twice daily in hopes to bolster my own confidence in the outcome of this election. But there is one thing that we need to keep in mind - keep drilling into our head. There are many more newly registered voters this season, and they are all energized and focused to make one Barak Obama our president. The polls don’t reflect these first time voters. The polls don’t mean anything.
So we should let the Republicans be desperate while we speak the truth unabashedly. Let them be desperate - and we can be hopeful.
First Image by Springhill2008. Second Photo by Derek Nola. Final Photo by Thomas Roche.
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September 18th, 2008 at 11:55 am
I don’t feel desperate.
Check AA on Hitchens a few says ago. http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/the-most-dang-2.html
Even if Obama wins, Liberalism is going to be faced with a bitter struggle within itself over the course of War. It’s not going to be pretty.
Even if the GOP loses, McCain’s set the ground for a revitalized GOP based on Internationalism, Reform, and Radical Democracy.
Watching post 60s Liberalism implode while leading the country will be unsettling, but the long run is optimistic. Far from desperate….
September 18th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Uhh, the Democrats have been in control of the legislative branch (Congress) for the last two years. That’s the problem. They have been labeled a “Do-Nothing” Congress. Took a five week vacation during the middle of an energy crisis. Can’t blame that on the Republicans. Democrats have NOT voted to bring troops home. They have done nothing on gas prices.
September 18th, 2008 at 6:21 pm
Further, why is Sarah Palin being attacked about lack of experience, as a Vice-Presidential candidate? Look at Obama, the Democratic PRESIDENTIAL candidate. True lack of experience. No vision being cast, other than I’ll be different than Bush.
Also, in Georgia, voter registration has increased 5.3%. 2 years ago, it increased 4.8%. Not much of a difference in voters.
September 19th, 2008 at 6:35 am
I’m an Australian, so it’s really none of my business. But how I hope Obama gets it.
I don’t think the Democrats are exactly great - just an improvement on the other lot.
October 12th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Hello Mr Baar,
I didn’t say you were desperate - I was referring to the Republican party as a whole and the Republican leadership in particular. On an individual level, I’m sure there are several Republicans who are thinking to themselves “This, too, shall pass.” Ron Paul is most likely among them. What I do know is that the Republican party four years from now will be vastly different than the party we know today - for better or for worse. It is no longer business as usual for politicians on either side of the aisle.
This has nothing to do with Liberal vs. Conservative. Yes, Obama is more liberal than McCain, and I can admit that I’m not ashamed to call myself a liberal, but it isn’t a conservative party that Obama is running against. The Republican party has become the party of the lowest common denominator. THAT is what Obama is running against - and that is why he is winning.
I do hope that the GOP is revitalized next election cycle - you conservatives keep us liberals honest. We need each other; we balance each other.
Namaste.
October 12th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Hello “Nobama”,
I haven’t exactly been thrilled with the last two years of the Democratic controlled Congress either, but let’s be honest - how much control do the Democrats actually have over Congress? Assuming that they have complete control due to a simple majority is more than a little short sighted. In order to effectively change anything, they would need to vote as a block and either have President Bush on board with them, or also carry a good portion of the Republicans too. Neither the Republicans in Congress nor President Bush has been very cooperative with the Democrats, and neither party is ever completely in lock-step. The current issues that we face is due to Republican mismanagement and hubris. Just saying that it is the Democrats fault doesn’t make it so.
And regarding Sarah Palin - I could over look her lack of experience if I saw strong leadership and decision making skills. However, I have to conclude she doesn’t from everything I’ve seen of her so far. Obama is visionary - he is an inspiring person. If it wasn’t for this fact, he wouldn’t have beat Clinton in the primaries.
I hope that, even if I haven’t convinced you, that you at least understand where I’m coming from.
Namaste.