I'm ten minutes into Meet The Press, and I already want to vomit. Barack Obama is getting railed by people (save for some defense by Bob Shrum) who are stuck in this old mindset of where politics are at. It doesn't matter what the polls say, what the people say, what the actual numbers say, they all act like Obama is doomed. I even heard Mike Murphy, GOP wunderkind, say Obama is becoming the next Mike Dukakis.
Do these people live on planet Earth? Sure doesn't sound like it. Let's take a look at this below the jump.
Barack Obama speaks the truth, even when it's not pleasant to hear.
Barack Obama has not spun his comments.
Barack Obama has inspired millions of young voters to get involved, people who never have before.
Barack Obama has raised more money from more people than any candidate ever, despite our horrible economy. I myself, despite my horrid state, gave up my weekly treat for myself so I could donate to this man.
Barack Obama has been right on the issues far more than Hillary Clinton or John McCain, showing political courage like few Democrats did in 2002 over Iraq.
Barack Obama, when faced with a moment that could've killed his campaign in the Jeremiah Wright "controversy," responded with the speech of a lifetime, a speech that sought to educate us instead of spin us, a speech that sought to show the causes of such remarks, instead of merely apologize that they were spoken, a speech that spoke to us like we were actually intelligent, educated adults, instead of the kids that the Republican Party treats us as.
Barack Obama has not resorted to stupid photo-ops like riding in a tank to assert his credentials. Rather, he has built them by explaining to us in detail what he would do as president, including taking some worthwhile risks that nobody else would dare speak of, lest they offend the name-calling crowd in the GOP.
These are just some examples of how Barack Obama is different from other candidates. The fact is, he is the candidate for the times we live in. He isn't clinging to the status quo on a lot of issues, and that tends to make a good degree of people uncomfortable, and it shows in how they try to tag him with the smears of "elitist," "out of touch," "condescending," etc. The way they respond to a challenge to their system is to respond with what they know best, and they only know this hyperpartisan, buzzword smearing.
We are seeing a true positive, issue-based campaign, and it scares the living hell out of Washington. They have ramped up the attacks in the past month because they do know how to read numbers, and they see the turnout he's generated, how he's beaten the GOP in their own backyards, how he's outraised the world's champions of political fundraising by over 2-1, and they are terrified of his victory, because it means the end of Washington as they know it. He has strong coattails to bring in more fresh blood to Congress, and with the right allies, he can get his sort of people sitting on Congressional committees, the people who'll ignore the stupidity emanating from K Street, from shows like Meet the Press, and actually listen to their constituents.
This is a change election, and Democrats will have a real change candidate in Barack Obama, and God help John McCain when Obama can focus his full strength on him. This is not the same old political candidate. This is the new politics. This is the beginning of the first fundamental change in Washington in almost fifty years. This is our time.