We are witnessing, in this election year, a political phenomena which few Americans have ever seen; perhaps not since the days of FDR and Huey Long. A messianic titan is striding the land and his name is Barack Obama.
Like it or not, Mr. Obama’s style and track-record are irrefutable. He is drawing enthusiastic, adoring throngs - by the tens of thousands - to primary events held in stadiums and arenas which, in any other general election year, would go unnoticed in the local VFW Hall.
His energized followers cross all lines and defy all stereotypes. They are young, old, white, black, brown, male, female, educated, unschooled, rich and poor, christian, jew and athiest. And the most recent primary exit polls show that he is winning in
all voter catagories .
Knowledgeable political pundits and experts on the right and the left are saying that they have never seen anything like it. Indeed, Hillary Clinton seems marginalized to one simple issue: when will she get out.
In Barack Obama, we may be looking at the next President of the United States. After only 24 months in the senate, he has earned “Most Liberal” status and praise from the ACLU and ADA. His speeches, awesomely delivered, call the nation to ‘change’ and ‘hope’; empty terms that mysteriously resonate in 2008. Never mind that those vapid buzz-words have little meaning. People adore him.
On the other hand, the heir-apparent of the GOP is struggling merely to unite his forces. John McCain, recently pilloried by the New York Times in one of the sleaziest pieces of journalistic innuendo in recent memory, has far worse critics. The NYT assassination piece
pales in comparison to what is being said about the republican standard-bearer in blogs across the country - not by liberals or democrats, but by republicans and conservatives!
In short, while Barack Obama is riding the crest of a tidal wave of approval - a wave which may carry him into the White House - John McCain is relentlessly hammered by conservatives who seem to take savage delight in repeating, again and again, his percieved sins and faults.
Traditionally, democrats unite behind a winner - any winner - as early as possible. Equally historic, republicans endlessly grouse about the ideology of thier candidate, sorting through and picking out flaws - with triumphant cries of
Ah Ha! - that disqualify this fellow or that one on the basis of conservative values.
Case in point: The democrats
expect that a winner will emerge before their convention. Conservatives still
pray that ours will be hopelessly dead-locked.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama is on a roll.