It has been a lengthy period for me between articles about the 2008 Presidential Election. This is not due to lost interest. On the contrary, I remain as excited and intrigued by the continuing high jinks on the campaign trail as I can be. My delay is due to my neck being constantly snapped from one side to the other in viewing this tennis match-like display of American politics. I have been recuperating and trying to digest the meaning of all this marvelous mess.
By now you undoubtedly have been exposed to the rantings and ravings of one Jeremiah Wright, Senator Barack Obama’s former pastor. He is the candidate’s former pastor, not because Mr. Obama ran puking from the pews of Mr. Wright’s church upon hearing the gentleman’s pugnacious preachings from the pulpit, but because the Reverend is no longer an active minister.
You have also heard the wonderful retelling by candidate Clinton of her heroic actions on the Bosnian airstrip where between dodging sniper fire she managed to kiss several local children, greet brave American troops, single-handedly destroy three rebel machine gun nests, and persuade warring leaders to observe an immediate cease-fire which has led to an enduring peace.
Meanwhile, Senator John McCain attempts to appeal to all by telling them what they want to hear. He is in a bit of a bind because he must convince convicted conservatives to show up at the polls for him. He needs to negate the overly enthusiastic Democratic camp which simply cannot wait for its candidate to take up residency at 1600 Pennsylvania on January 20, 2009. McCain must also appeal to those much closer to the left side of the political spectrum, independents and democrats alike, to combat successfully what only months ago seemed to be inevitable Democratic victory.
But now there are a few chinks in the armor of the opposition.
Barack Obama was forced to respond to Jeremiah’s jeremiads. He did so eloquently, but as one pundit observed, he addressed it in a way that seemed to inoculate Mr. Wright and other blacks from spewing hate. Mr. Obama explained that we must appreciate the bias levied against Mr. Wright and those of his generation which was a seedbed for such deep-seated feelings. Mr. Obama also acknowledged that many whites have legitimate feelings of hurt, oppression, and limited employment and social opportunities. To his credit, Mr. Obama didn’t condone these views; however, he seemed to foreclose from future discussions any individual’s responsibility to rise above such harmful speech. If he wishes to lead us through our racial and social past, Mr. Obama needs to more firmly redirect the dialogue towards respect and reverence and far, far away from the rancor he mentioned somewhat blithely.
Add to all these developments the continuing cacophony between the Obama and Clinton camps and you have the ingredients for insidious infighting. Democrats believe it will tear apart their party and give McCain an advantage in November while Republicans merely sit back and observe this internecine battle with glee. I believe the Democratic dynamite will be of less significance come the General Election than pundits or party leaders propound.
In keeping with my penchant for fearless forecasts, here is how I anticipate the campaign concluding. Of course, this assumes, which may not be the case, that no new major candidate revelations surface, no terrorist attack occurs, and that no competitor makes a major gaffe, like saying we should work with Mexican President Hugo Chavez to combat his domestic terrorist threat in Western Pakistan.
Obama will win his Party’s nomination. If Clinton loses the April 22nd Pennsylvania primary, which is not expected, she will be forced to withdraw from the race. However, even if she wins, she cannot overcome Obama’s delegate lead, and it is inconceivable that the Democrats’ Super Delegates will vote against the popular vote leader – Obama – and anoint Hillary the standard-bearer. The Party’s position on the 2000 election, where Gore won the popular vote but barely lost the electoral battle to Bush, prevents it from taking a similar action even though Party rules permit it. Charges of hypocrisy would be heaped upon the Party so heavily that normal hypocrisy claims extant in our political system would dwarf in comparison.
Finally, on November 4, John McCain will barely beat Obama, and our country will again be torn -- Republican and Democrat, conservative and liberal -- as one candidate will have failed once again to secure the mandate needed to begin national healing and move us towards a brighter future.
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Fred W. Apelquist, III, M.Ed.
Approximately 755 words.
(c) March 29, 2008
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