Obama's new kind of politics is winning. He is proving that it is possible in America to have a political debate on issues without resorting to the sort of gutter tactics the public has come to get used to. As a young democrat, Obama is putting an end to an era of political cynicism and a mentality advocating a means-justifies-the-ends-approach to winning elections. Much better, Obama has led his campaign like a true seasoned conductor using all the right notes, at the right place, and the right place. Obama's bet is paying off after all as witnesses a recent endorsement from William D. Ruckelshaus, a republican and former Nixon administration cabinet official, as first reported by CNN Political Ticker.
(CNN) — From the politics/strange bedfellows file: Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has won an endorsement from Republican and former Nixon Watergate figure William D. Ruckelshaus.
Ruckelshaus was serving as deputy attorney general in 1973 when he made history as part of the infamous Saturday Night Massacre. He and his boss, Attorney General Elliot Richardson, were fired after they refused Nixon’s order to dismiss the independent counsel investigating the Watergate break-ins.
The former Nixon FBI director and secretary of the Environmental Protection Agency hopes to help Obama defeat Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton in the May 6 primary in Ruckelshaus’ homestate of Indiana. The state has been a longtime Republican stronghold in presidential politics.
"Senator Obama’s ability to attract not only Democrats, but also Republicans and Independents, makes him uniquely qualified to build the broad coalitions needed to address our nat
ion’s challenges," said Ruckelshaus in a statement.
It is clear that Obama's transformational approach to campaigning and governing makes more and more republicans comfortable about endorsing him or working with him to address pressing issues facing the nation. I expect more endorsements like this in the future. Nothing could be any truer than Obama's following assertion during a rallythis afternoon Raleigh, North Carolina :
Americans don’t want "do anything, anything goes, slash-and-burn politics" and voters will not be confused by "bamboozling" or "hoodwinking."
Obama speaks for us and makes politicking a noble exercise again.