I wrote the following in response to observations by Josh Marshall (and many others) about their belief that last night's convention was a failed opportunity. They thought it was a failed opportunity because it wasn't all about attacking Republicans.
This observation did not seem to become the "meme" until people like Chuck Todd reported that Republicans had said that they were pleased with the convention, because by not attacking McCain, it didn't "touch" them. Are we once again taking the lead from Republicans? We should not.
They were so wrong.
I believe that the convention was "attacking" Republicans, and McCain, at their very core. And I believe that it "touched" them in ways more profound than they will ever know--until we win in November.
Obama is "attacking" McCain the way Gandhi attacked the British soldiers--by standing up to their weapons, unflinching--by showing dignity in response to ugliness. The mirror that was held up to the ugliness made the British and the world turn away in shame--before they turned to Gandhi and admitted defeat.
Obama is attacking McCain the same way Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks and Civil Rights marchers "attacked" Bull Connor with his dogs and his hoses--by withstanding these assaults, unflinching, by showing dignity in the face of ugliness. Television cameras showed this ugliness and this dignity to the world, and America turned away in shame, before they turned to Civil Rights, enacting laws, breaking down barriers.
Obama is attacking McCain the same way Nelson Mandela and the freedom fighters attacked apartheid, by enduring years in jail, by withstanding assaults, unflinching, by showing dignity to those who tried to humiliate and break them. The world responded and South Africa responded, by turning away from apartheid, by electing Mandela as their leader.
Obama was "attacking" McCain tonight the way Obama "attacked" Hillary when he made her and her husband Bill blush with shame and mortified anger as their borderline racist and juvenile tactics were exposed. How? Simply by reacting with calm clear-eyed dignity, putting up a mirror to their actions and saying, "Look. Do you really want to behave that way? Aren't we better than this?"
He turned Hillary's tactics back at her--until decent Democrats the country over--Democrats who loved the Clintons and supported them throughout the 1990s backed away from her. Turned off by her tactics, they turned to Obama.
I saw the effectiveness of last night's "attack" in the speechlessness of a McCain operative on CNN.
I almost felt sorry for McCain, going on Jay Leno and competing with Michelle Obama's speech. What had at first seemed precedent-breaking, in your face--ballsy, if you will--all of a sudden, when compared to Michelle's speech--just looked incredibly tacky.
The tactics of non-violent resistance are definitely risky. They have not been used successfully in this country on a large scale since the 1960s, although we do have the recent success of Mandela to cheer us on. You have to be incredibly smart to use them well.
I'm starting to think that Obama and his people have those smarts.
It worked for Gandhi. It worked for Martin Luther King, Jr. And it worked for Nelson Mandela.
And maybe, just maybe, if we can pull this off, we can, as they say, take another small step for humanity.