Only Obama can disinter party’s forgotten voters
“There’s no point in voting. It won’t change my life any.”
As I looked around the neighborhood of the woman who spoke these words to me, I was almost inclined to agree. The dilapidated homes looked too small to comfortably house even one family, yet each was divided into four or five separate apartments. This woman, who begrudgingly told me her name was Mary, stood in front of one such house, in a small yard filled with trash and crab grass, while I made my plea that she vote for Obama. Her small body seemed weary, as though burdened with more concerns than its frame could stand....
Barack Obama's ability to "unify" is a farce. He's a cookie cutter liberal regardless of the rhetoric he spews about "hope" "change" and "unity." People think he's unifying because they have NO IDEA what he stands for. If he wins the nomination, I suspect this will change fast.
On the one hand, perhaps Obama may motivate more liberals to come and vote and then, yes, should he win, more liberal policies will be enacted. If this means that the author will be satisfied with the new policies as significant accomplishments, then for a while his argument would hold.
In all likelihood, however, all Obama would create is a limited, slightly updated version of the Great Society. Then, just as the last time Democrats attempted to disguise moral hazard as a war on poverty, the policies will badly backfire, and Republicans will sweep right back in and undo them with room to spare.
I would bet anything, however, that regardless of what he does or how he does it, Obama can expect relentless and complete opposition from almost every Republican on every issue at all times.
Democrats have hoped for this magical increase in disaffected voters to come and support them since Nixon. Even if Obama marginally increases their participation, McCain would probably lose by 2-5% at most, and that's mainly because of a backlash against a sluggish economy and an unpopular war.
I really don't know if liberals at college are naive or overly optimistic, but the simple fact is that one can drive across any part of this country and realize that a very large number of people are very conservative. Now, they do not guarantee Republicans victory at all times, nor are the Democrats unable to compete, but they are not going away. Conservatism comes from family, religion, the military, business experience, or a slew of other important influences. Someone like Barack Obama, who would be easily the most left-wing President ever in America, will never create long-term changes in U.S. politics unless the demographics and culture of this country dramatically change. And the only way for that to happen would be for Americans to forget the superiority of capitalism and, overwhelmed by greed and fear, choose the empty promises of socialism.
If his comments in San Francisco, and those of his pastor are any clue, I seriously doubt his electability. Between Obama and Clinton, they're the best case for McCain.
I'm inclined to agree with you. Baack Obama not only has the power to unite, he will likely have the coattails to do it in a convincing way, capturing majorities in both the house and senate. It's a great time to be an American!