The above video shows some encouraging signs to anyone hoping for an Obama primary win. I'm mostly posting it because in true Monty Python fashion, John Cleese randomly steps from the shadows halfway through (and now for something completely different).
Here is my argument for Obama:
There are those who argue that it is a bit romantic and idealistic to vote for the powerful speaker, the stylish orator who may be a master at rhetoric, but lacking in experience. But the true romantic idealists are the ones who believe, naively, that presidencies succeed on the merits of your policies, and the strength of your resume. Politics are a kind of wizardry -- a battle to shape the themes and narratives that define the collective unconsciousness of society. The Bush administration may be miserable at governing, but when it comes to seizing the narratives and maintaining power, they are psychic warriors.
All things being equal, I believe that Hillary would make a fine president. She has the intellect, the knowledge, and the vision to govern. But for whatever reason -- through intentional style, or just bad luck, she inspires animosity and hatred among the conservatives, and her presence both as a candidate or as a president would create an atmosphere of contentiousness and bitterness that would make leading excessively difficult, and ultimately tiring for the American people.
Yesterday Gail Collins wrote in the New York Times:
Some of the Democratic resistance to Obama’s magic comes from people who are wary of politicians who want to win their hearts. Every great candidate has golden moments when the campaign merges perfectly into the zeitgeist of the people. But sooner or later it passes, and you’re left with a tired, flawed human being making a pitch to crowds of slightly deflated citizens. One of Hillary’s selling points is that we’re pre-deflated. We’ve known her so well for so long.
Essentially, Collins is arguing that the "strength" of Hillary is that we're already sick of her. I don't see this as much of a selling point. But she does bring up the defining point of this election for me, even if she has a backwards interpretation. Hillary has no room to grow into her presidency. Electing her would be like moving back into the house you grew up in. The nostalgia quickly gives way to the forgotten realities -- the small closets, the leaky roof, the long walk to the bus stop.
How forgiving will voters be to Hillary, once she stumbles in office? How many second chances will they give her? How many more times will they want to see her photo on the front page, before they grow hungry for a new face?
Simply having the right policies isn't enough. You must be able to muster the political clout to enact those policies. If you lose the support of the voters, and if your enemies are grinding their axes, salivating over the chance to strike, it will only be a matter of time before your presidency collapses.
There is no question that this is a change election. We don't just need change in policy, we need change in style, in tone, in manners, in values. Hillary is correct that electing a woman would in itself represent some degree of change. However, electing an African American would be equally as dramatic.
Obama is the first Democrat in ages who truly understands the battlefield of politics. He understands it is a war of ideas, of values, of narratives. He understands that the success of our nation has long been tied to an abstraction -- that people possess inalienable rights, and inherent dignity, and that these essential qualities can be the basis of our society. Obama is not simply someone who understands this, he is someone who can remind us of it. And if there were ever a time we needed that reminder, it's now.
On the issues, there is little difference between Obama and Clinton. As for experience, John Cleese makes a good point in the video I posted above: There is experience working with the rich and powerful, and there is experience working with the common man. Cleese reminds us that Bush had plenty of experience working with the rich and powerful. And an audience member reminds us that Obama has more experience as an elected official.
But the reality is that no experience can truly prepare you for being president, even if you've already lived in the White House. There is no telling what kinds of unique challenges lay ahead, and Obama not only has the convictions, the conscience, and the presence of mind to meet them, but he also possesses the unique ability to inspire these same qualities in us all, which is why having him in the oval office would be the ultimate realization of democracy -- a presidency that reflects the hearts of the American people.