June 9, 2008
Getting Beyond Race (John Feehery)
Now that Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee for president, attention turns to the general election. The Democratic primary was all about history. Hillary Clinton, the first viable female candidate vs. Barack Obama, the first viable African-American candidate, was a race for the history books. Republicans have no choice but to concede the history made by the Democrats with the selection of Barack Obama.
Republicans now must make the case for their candidate and against Sen. Obama in a way that acknowledges the history made by the Democratic nominee, but moves beyond. There is a temptation, especially in the media, to make the race all about race. But for McCain to be successful, the debate must move beyond race.
The media has already raised questions about the motivations of Republicans and those Reagan Democrats who voted for Hillary. Basically, the media is calling them racist. Like Marxists who see everything in terms of class warfare, the media sees everything terms of race.
But there are compelling reasons for Republicans, Reagan Democrats and independents to vote against Obama that have nothing to do with race. Here are 10 of them:
1) Inexperience: Barack Obama will have the least experience of any president in modern political history. Four years as a United States senator is simply not enough time to learn all the ropes about how our government works.
2) Taxes: Obama promises to raise taxes to pay for more spending. He says he will raise taxes only on the rich, but he will define the rich very broadly to include just about anybody who has a job.
3) Spending: Does anyone seriously believe that Barack Obama will veto one spending bill coming from the Democratic Congress? When Mayor Daley of Chicago asks for pork for the Windy City, where do you think Obama will be? Outside of Obama’s own ambitious spending plans, with the Democrats running both the White House and the Congress, there will no way to slow down the spending.
4) Trade: Obama has promised to re-examine our trade agreements, but exports make up the fastest-growing part of our economy. His anti-trade philosophy could be the most dangerous part of his agenda. If you liked Smoot-Hawley, you will love Barack Obama.
5) National Security: Obama will try to declare a truce in the war on terror. He will surrender at the earliest possible moment in Iraq and he will dismantle many of our intelligence-gathering operations that have kept America safe since Sept. 11.
6) Conventional Politician: Obama is the product of Big City Chicago politics. He is a conventional politician who happens to give a great speech. But nothing in his past indicates that he will be anything more than that. His associates, including Tony Rezko, just convicted of several accounts of fraud and bribery, raise significant ethical concerns.
7) Supreme Court: Outside of the possibility of appointing Hillary Clinton to the Supreme Court, there are many other significant concerns about what an Obama presidency will mean for the highest court in the land.
Education: It is unlikely that Obama will take on the teachers unions to improve education in this country. He will likely remove any accountability standards, and our schools will suffer as a result.
9) Illegal Immigration and Crime: Obama has opposed efforts to crack down on illegal immigration, and has said nothing about supporting law enforcement to crack down on crime. He supports giving illegal immigrants driver’s licenses, and says that we should devote more resources to pay for healthcare for illegal immigrants.
10) Abortion Extremist: As Michael Gerson put it, “Obama’s record on abortion is extreme. He opposed the ban on partial-birth abortion — a practice a fellow Democrat, the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, once called “too close to infanticide.” Obama strongly criticized the Supreme Court decision upholding the partial-birth ban. In the Illinois state Senate, he opposed a bill similar to the Born Alive Infant Protection Act, which prevents the killing of infants mistakenly left alive by abortion. And now Obama has oddly claimed he would not want his daughters to be “punished with a baby” because of a crisis pregnancy — hardly a welcoming attitude toward new life.
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But, but … he's the man of change!! Change, that's what we'll all be begging for if this clown gets elected.
Comment by John Simmons — June 9, 2008 @ 10:27 am
Was is that historic? Or was it just another variation of PC run wild? Neither candidate has any real credentials which would qualify them for the office. I agree, that if McCain hits on those issues you mentioned he will make headway. He also should point out what will happen if Barack wins. Another army of bureaucrats will be created, to check on you, to create new empires within government, and to reduce your freedoms, one government form at a time.
Comment by Robert Rosencrans — June 9, 2008 @ 10:41 am
John;
After reading your post, you have made the case for Barack Obama. Let's look at each issue and score them.
1. Experience - Neither John McCain or Barack Obama has ever been president before so we'll look at judgement. On Iraq John McCain has been more worng that right.
2. Taxes - We are giving tax breaks to companies that send our jobs overseas. What thinking person feels that right. Multi-national corporation are giving tax breaks for being incorporated in an offshore island.
3. Spending - This administration was giving a budget surplus and with help from teh republican in congress proceed to spend it and spend more mooney. Look at teh rate of spending under Bush and the republican congrees. McCaion was part of that congress.
4. Trade- We must look at trade and trade according to our needs and our ideals. Good trae deals must benefit both parties.
5. National Security - Surely you jest. America lost the twin towers under whose watch. It wasn't the Democrat. George Bush has made our country less safe because of his screwups in teh middle east and McCain doesn't have a clue about how to get out.
I could go on but all the isuues you have raised poise liability for McCain, not Obama.
Comment by Mike Coleman — June 9, 2008 @ 11:18 am
Hello John–Happy monday to u too!!
Let me take a stab at your top ten list
1. Experience Well HRC tried it and failed, this is a change election and Obama attack McBush's third term.
2. Taxes I think you will see a more fiscally responsible Obama once he gets in office. He has proposed the repealment of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest 1% and expanding the social security tax-to shore up the program.
3.Spending very difficult to raise the tax and spend argument when the GOP inherited budget surplus and never saw a spending bill they did not like–and that 2 billion a week bill from Iraq? Good luck making the case to war weary electorate.
4)Trade Again you will prob see some modification on his stance, but some of the trade deals may get re-negotiated to protect local state economies, no different in how we protect some industries currently by levying heavy tarriffs on imports.
5) National Security I will disregard the "truce" commnent. Surrender what exactly..our "goal" was to remove Saddam and keep Iraq from devoloping WMDs, Mission accomplished! Again–good luck convincing the public.
6.Conventional Politician lets see, 1.5 million donors, 270 million raised mostly on the internet, no lobbyist dollars, community organzer who built a grass roots organization that has just defeated the most powerful family in Dem politics-yep I would call that conventional
7)Supreme Court HRC will not be selected for SCOTUS, no bench experience. Like how u say "significant concerns"–u mean appointing moderate non-partisan judges like Souter (Reagan)?
9) Illegal Immigration and Crime Dare u to make this an issue and piss off Latino swing voters..LOL!!
10)Abortion Extremist Another wedge issue, but again it will not be an issue since McCain wants to appeal to HRC's angry bunch.
Comment by Theard — June 9, 2008 @ 11:56 am
John, in addition to the 10 valid points you listed above McCain can easily hit Obama on at least a dozen others, but he must do it now. The only historic thing Democrats did this election year is in the middle of the war nominate someone one with questionable patriotism and a being half-Muslim.
Comment by Misha — June 9, 2008 @ 1:41 pm
John, these are mostly good points. McCain should be well prepared though to the typical Obama comebacks: on Iraq, he refuses to deal with the consequences of future withdrawal or his lack of judgment in proposing last year to withdraw by March 2008. Instead, he always deflects to being "wise" in opposing the war from the beginning. McCain should not let him get away with this, but first he needs to educate the public on the current situation in Iraq, which has been hidden by the MSM, and on McCain's view of the consequence of withdrawal. He can't do it in sound bites, and may have to start an educational campaign of speeches to be effective.
On taxes and spending, Obama's retort is always "George Bush's failed policies.". McCain needs to have some speeches on the benefits of low taxes vs. the nice sounding (to a lot of less than wealthy taxpayers) of raising them, along with dramatically increasing social spending. He should talk about the deficit and also simply contrast the consequences of the two economic plans. He also needs to address the "low taxes = failed George Bush's policies" head on.
I don't think McCain has any credibility on illegal immigration so he should stay away from this topic. He just can't win no matter what he says on it. I also doubt he could gain a lot of ground with the rest of the points. I wish he could lose his inhibitions on the anti-American aspect of Obama's persona and emphasize that instead of inexperience. I don't think experience will sell this year.
Comment by Igor R. — June 9, 2008 @ 2:14 pm
Regardless to the way you trivialized your concerns about Obama, he earned the nomination and deserves a fair chance.
As a reminder, he can surround himself with experience and expertise and there is no actual first hand experience to be president. Give him a chance.
Comment by Harold E. Wiggins — June 10, 2008 @ 11:36 am
John, Thanks for sharing information we don't get anywhere else. What is Barack Obama's personal religion?
Comment by Bob Diehl — June 10, 2008 @ 11:49 am
John,
Your arguments against Senator Obama assumes that you understand all that he wants to do. Some of your points are pure conjecture. No one man governs this country. As a scholar, surely, you understand the checks and balances that our forefathers gave us. The will work in an Obama Administration too.
You only get experience as presdent by having been one. Good judgement and the ability to surround yourself with talented people matters more than experience.
Then there is also some benefit to fresh ideas and a fresh look at old problems. Corporate America know this too well. Ask the young people who organized Google.
Comment by Blaksmith — June 10, 2008 @ 12:30 pm
Re: comment No. 1 by Theard that Hillary Clinton "failed" in her bit for the Democratic nomination. Usually we use "lose" or "win," but not "failed," which is a term I have seen on several pro-McCain blogs.
Give Hillary credit where it is due: she came really, really close to whupping Obama, and I will bet when the tally is complete, she will have won the popular vote.
We have a strange way of using delegates or "super-delegates" as the current popular term reads. What will they think of next to circumvent the will of the people?
I was a Democrat until the day after I voted in the Oregon primary; now I am an Independent after voting since JFK. I was not happy with Obama running as a black candidate since he is also half white. Since I have multi-racial kids in my family who respect both of their heritages, I was somewhat turned off by the "historic" tag. However, now I hear that Hillary's race was also "historic" (how generous) so I feel a wee bit better.
Still not sure who I will vote for in November or if I will vote. I am leaning toward writing in Hillary. Let the chips fall where they may! I think the media and pundits will be pulling their hair out until the last vote is counted!
Comment by Lilarose — June 10, 2008 @ 12:55 pm
Harold, Obama deserves a fair chance to lose. This anti-American Marxist terrorist sympathizer wouldn't be elected dog catcher outside of Berkeley back when patriotism meant something, and now look at his chin floating higher and higher, oblivious to how radical he really is in any historical context.
Comment by Igor R. — June 10, 2008 @ 1:46 pm
Lilarose-
I've moved on from the primaries, much more fun to debate conservatives!!
As for your quote:
I will vote for in November or if I will vote. I am leaning toward writing in Hillary.
U can read this letter by Time Wise posted in its entirety…good luck and hope u change your mind…
http://www.thevaneljournal.com/2008/06/open-letter-to-certain-white-women.html
Comment by Theard — June 10, 2008 @ 2:23 pm
Here is an interesting link to Obama's supporters
http://www.muslimsforobama08.com/
Comment by Dr.Pupsik — June 11, 2008 @ 1:34 am
Dream on McCain will win the White House Obama was selected he did not win. He can not rally the women and middle class.
Texas Democrat voting for McCain and 18 Million more.
Comment by Ann Chamberlain — June 17, 2008 @ 3:39 pm