Why Obama's legislative record does not matter
Mon Feb 25, 2008 at 09:11:03 PM PDT
Since the beginning of the 20th century, despite the national name recognition that being a senator provides, only one person has been elected directly from the U.S. Senate into the White House -- John Kennedy.
Would you like to know why? It's things like this...
On the stump, Sen. John McCain often cites his work tackling the excesses of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff as evidence of his sturdy ethical compass.
A little-known document, however, shows that McCain may have taken steps to protect his Republican colleagues from the scope of his investigation.
22 years in the senate leaves an unavoidable and uneradicable trail of bills, votes, actions, letters, conversations, recommendations and sometimes accidental coincidences that can be revealed bit by bit to destroy a presidential campaign.
The Moribund Media has done its best to dismiss the notorious NYT article that introduced Vicki Iseman to the world. The short-term effect has been a backlash against the Times and a bump to McCain's campaign, but the long-term effect will be a slow drip of mini-scandals and revelations of the impurity of McCain's politics, ethics and ultimately the honor that he trades on so heavily.
Hillary has leaned on her experience as her most outstanding qualification for the presidency, but in fact, her years in the Senate have not helped her. If there was one action of her life that could be pointed to that most cost her the chance of being her party's nominee, it would be her vote to support the War in Iraq. A lengthy legislative record does more damage than good to a presidential candidate.
My point here is that Obama supporters weakly point to Obama's "substantial legislative record" when the question is raised. But let's face it, there are probably dozens, perhaps hundreds, of legislators in this country with legislative accomplishments comparable or superior to Obama's at the federal and/or state level. It's not about his accomplishments in the Senate, it never was and it never will be, and whatever his shortcomings are in terms of his accomplishments, they are not anything more time in the Senate will help him overcome without saddling him with other actions that will hurt him far more.
So Chris Matthews, bless his myopic soul, badgers a hapless state senator about Obama's legislative record. That question could not have been more beside the point. Obama's campaign is not about his accomplishments. People see in him promise. They see in him a deeply intelligent and profound person, an exciting and inspiring speaker and a man who cuts through all the bullshit that has been marring politics for decades, even centuries.
He has shown Teflon qualities, that the usual political mud doesn't stick to him. But those qualities are not like Reagan's, where his sunny optimism and loyal following simply ignored all the legitimate complaints raised about him. The shit won't stick to Obama because he refuses to accept the premises of the attacks.
About not wearing an American flag lapel pin, Obama said Republicans have no lock on patriotism.
"A party that presided over a war in which our troops did not get the body armor they needed, or were sending troops over who were untrained because of poor planning, or are not fulfilling the veterans' benefits that these troops need when they come home, or are undermining our Constitution with warrantless wiretaps that are unnecessary?
"That is a debate I am very happy to have. We'll see what the American people think is the true definition of patriotism."
This is precisely the correct response to such jingoistic rubbish. But no politician has ever tried to raise it. It requires a person to engage the philosophy of symbolism, and politics is never discussed in such rarefied terms. Symbols are a substitute for thought and shallow people cling to them fiercely. But Barack won't let them, and what's more, he makes his argument in very clear, eloquent words that are easily understood.
This is why their crap will not stick to him. It's because he's a better person than they are.
That's why his legislative record doesn't matter. Because his candidacy is not about his record. It is about him as a man.
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