I didn't see this diaried anywhere else, but at any rate, it deserves mentioning. Today, another Republican strategist for the McCain campaign resigned. That's not the big story. The big story is why.
In telling the Cox News Service last June that he would not work against an Obama candidacy, Mr. McKinnon had said that Mr. Obama’s election to the presidency "would send a great message to the country and the world." In that interview, Mr. McKinnon had said that he had policy differences with Mr. Obama, especially on Iraq, and that he believed Mr. McCain was best suited for the presidency because of his national security positions. But, he added, "I just don’t want to work against an Obama candidacy."
How amazing is that? I don't mean the obvious overwhelming abundance of integrity-- how often do you see somebody in politics actually carrying through with what they promise?-- no, I mean the overwhelming strength of the movement that Obama embodies. The Times article agrees:
Mr. McKinnon’s decision highlights challenges Mr. McCain may face in running against a man who will be the first black presidential candidate from a major American political party if he cinches the Democratic nomination.
Mr. McKinnon had told friends, and some journalists, that he did not want to be part of a hard-fought campaign against such a historic candidacy. In his interview with Cox, he had said of Mr. Obama: "I think he has a deep character and good judgment. I also think he’s wrong on some fundamental issues. But I believe he is honest and independent."
The Obama movement goes beyond the issues of the day-- beyond Iraq, beyond the economy, beyond healthcare, and beyond the petty politics that the MSM like to play. The heart of the movement is about our future-- America's future, our children's future, the future of the free world. Obama offers an amalgam of America's hopes and strengths, its inner contradictions, and the movement he's inspired is testament to our ability to face the challenges of the future. And testifying to that fact is that even Republican strategists know that campaigning against Obama is to run against all the hopes, strengths, and dreams that Obama represents.
To Mark McKinnon-- welcome to the fold. To my fellow Democrats-- welcome to the future, baby. It's gonna be a wild ride.
EDIT: People have pointed out-- rightly so-- that McKinnon used to work for Democrats. That is to say, he worked for Democrats in Texas, and THEN he worked for George Bush-- for 2 elections. For me, the point remains that McKinnon was, for the past 8 years, essentially a Republican, and if Obama wasn't the nominee, he was going to work for a Republican again. The point is that whatever the qualities of the Obama movement, they are compelling enough that Republican operatives are finding it hard to run against him!