When you write a diary these days, it just zooms down the list. It's like watching the credits on a made-for-TV movie. I thought my diary yesterday was pretty good. So snip, snip - a bit of editing - and presto! - a new diary. So why am I doing this? Well, I think it is just very important that Obama make three big speeches on three big subjects that should form the central rationale of his Presidency. He needs to lay out very clearly some big attainable goals that voters can relate to and support. He has to speak in a way that people understand that he knows the nature of the problems we face, what the solution looks like, and how he will take us toward the solution. The rest, believe me, is confetti. Below are the three speeches I think he should give.
- Energy independence. Both candidates talk about it. Only one candidate can deliver it. Obama has to give a major speech on energy, laying out how we achieve energy independence in 10 years and fossil fuel independence in 20 years. He should be giving this speech in Austin, Texas, in the aftermath of Ike. He should have Pickens introduce him, if possible. He has to link fossil fuels to hurricanes. This is a big issue. He can point to the future and chart a course on energy that is big and bold. He has sort of done this but as part of a laundry list of things. We need an uncluttered speech that lays this out in very stark terms.
- Declining Incomes. People are anxious about the future. We all get that, and actually feel it. Obama has to explain what he will do to reverse income decline among working people. In the 1970's, people stayed in the middle class because the wife went out to work. In the 80's, they both worked longer hours. In the 90's, they started saving less for retirement. In the last 10 years, they used their home equity. Now they are maxing out credit cards. Obama has to talk about the tax burden on this vast swathe of America. He has to talk about the costs they face. He has to lay out how we got to this point and how to get out of it. It's not enough to have a policy here and a policy there. It has to be a big vision clearly laid out on where we need to be, how to get there, and why McCain's ideas will not address that problem.
- International Threats and Obligations. The world can be a dangerous place. We all know that. We cannot control everything but our goal must be to work with others to decrease the danger to civilization. We all know that Obama rejects the easy sophistry of the Islamo-phobic school of foreign affairs. If we are serious about defending western ideals and our belief in a pluralistic society, then we have to commit to policies that are likely to achieve that. Obama needs a big speech that squarely confronts exactly where we are internationally and where we need to go. He needs, in fact, to enunciate an Obama Doctrine.