I know lots of you wanted game-set-match last night with a wonderful Palin meltdown, but after seeing clips all week of her Alaska debates that probably wasn't in the cards. However, in our deepest desires we all wanted to see by debate's end a stretcher for the remains of the Wasilla warrior. But by the standards of conventional debates and candidates, it was obvious Joe Biden was the clear unequivocal winner. In a way, I'm glad the campaign didn't end last night.
A Palin meltdown would have meant that we would have spent the next month with the whole country processing Barack Obama as the next president. The last remnants of naked racism would have surely come out in droves. I immediately flashbacked to the New Hampshire primary. I think our campaign may have also become a bit complacent and possibly hurt our down ticket candidates. So all in all, I'm thrilled that Biden did exceptionally well--no blunders--even if Palin (as mediocre as she was) did not exactly pull a Couric on live television.
One look at the state of the race map tells us that the only real states in play at this moment are Bush/Red
states:
http://www.pollster.com/
I think when the whole thing is done we win all the Kerry states plus Iowa, Colorado, Nevada, Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Missouri and Indiana. Those are some serious electoral vote numbers for a Democrat in a two-candidate field (sorry Bill). They will help considerably with the mandate for governing. I firmly believe that November 4 will feel a lot like those 11 days in February rather than the war of attrition of this past spring.
Even neo-con wingnuts like Krauthammer are resigning themselves to the Age of Obama. Krauthammer cannot deny the man's intelligence, grace, temperament and judgment. Too bad for them they don't have such a man or woman on their bench. Obama will transform this country in dramatic and profound ways. I know some of my friends fret that he has to inherit the utter disaster of the Bush years. But guess what, the truly great presidents inherit TOUGH times--Lincoln, FDR. It is only in times of war or great economic upheaval that great leadership emerges or fails. Thank goodness we even have Barack Obama to lead us into a new age. I believe that centuries from now, this time will be known as the Age of Obama. When a country in serious decline changed course and restored not its empire but its democracy. That example will inspire millions around the world.
Finally, those of you who saw his potential in 2007 in that cold morning in Springfield, should be especially happy that the progressive wing of the Democratic Party has delivered not only a nominee but the next President of the United States. We saw a good woman in Hillary Clinton but knew we could not go to battle with the original sin of the AUMF. The same went for John Edwards whose guts I admire but not the convenience of so many of his 2008 positions compared to his Senate record. That progressive wing was mobilized out of the stupor that it had been in throughout the Clinton years and beyond by two men--George W. Bush and Howard Dean. Thank you Howard Dean, because the Age of Obama began that day
in California in 2003 when you courageously asked "What I want to know...."
Oh yeah and by the way...DONATE money, Volunteer your time, email, text, call friends, GOTV and Vote
for Obama-Biden. The only way the aforementioned can happen is if we continue doing the great work!