The Democrats’ biggest problem this year is the failed economy that Barack Obama gives himself an “incomplete” on after four years in power. Their only way to overcome this is to somehow recapture the “hope and change” messianism that catapulted Obama to the presidency. In 2008, Obama wasn’t merely the Democratic alternative to the Republicans. He was the embodiment of the nation’s hopes for itself. His election was an intrinsic achievement for every voter since it reversed a legacy of racism and conferred a certain honor on everyone who took part in his elevation. More than that, he was a put forward as a near godlike figure that was above partisan politics.
Inevitably, the reality of Barack Obama collided with the messianism. Four years later, there is a noticeable drop in enthusiasm among the young voters and others who created the Obama surge. How could it be otherwise when the president’s conduct in office has been anything but post-partisan? Four years of massive government spending, liberal patent nostrums and business as usual have made his feet of clay all too apparent.
The Democrats have sought to counter this harsh dose of reality by stoking the partisan juices of their base with a first night of their convention that ignored the political center and stuck to efforts to appeal to the left. That meant a mantra of support for ObamaCare, gay marriage and abortion even though these positions are not only extreme but of doubtful utility in winning swing states where independents are key. But most of all they seemed desperate to rekindle the Obama worship that allowed their candidate to stride out in front of his 2008 convention amid fake Greek columns and promise to turn back the oceans and not be laughed out of the stadium.
That meant not just a routine pledge of allegiance to the president’s re-election from each speaker but a willingness to treat Obama as a magical figure. When keynote speaker Julian Castro acknowledged the power of individualism that Republicans celebrated last week with their “We built it” slogan, he countered on saying that such success can only be multiplied through the intercession of the godlike president.
First Lady Michelle Obama delivered the best speech of the evening for the Democrats but her moving stories of the first family were not meant to humanize Barack Obama as Ann Romney’s did for her husband Mitt but to do the opposite. Michelle’s husband was portrayed as not so much an ordinary guy but as a superhuman creature that cares for all. She strained credulity by claiming he listens to all and cares nothing for partisan labels — an assertion that bore no resemblance to the arrogant man Congressional Republicans have tried unsuccessfully to deal with — but it was all part of an effort to go back to the stained glass image that was crafted for Barack Obama in 2008.
The incessant flow of Obama worship played well in a hall full of party zealots. The Democrats will also have the advantage of a liberal mainstream media that assisted in the creation of that false image four years ago and may be willing to go back into the tank for the Democrat. But getting the rest of the country to buy back into the baloney and to go back to swooning over the president is a more difficult task. The Democrats had a successful night in Charlotte but it will take more than a nightlong worship service to convince a majority of Americans that the “incomplete” president is still the god of hope and change they once adored.
Can Obama rely on white guilt? This man would have never been elected unless countless numbers of voters desperately desired to prove they were not racist. Michelle Obama is a poorly educated woman who acquired phony degrees. She has been extremely wasteful with tax payer money. And yet, she may still be an major asset for her husband. Am I overly cynical? We will find out soon enough.
When will the Republicans go after him personally? All the material they need was neatly laid out for them in the NY Times article, Competitor-in-Chief, by Jodi Kantor. I've been studying him for almost 5 years making 100s of videos and even I didn't know the extent of his narcissism. n nDo we really want this unhinged person to continue as president? Republicans are going to find out what a bad decision it was to rely on focus groups. n nI've never held back on telling the truth as I honestly saw it but I'm a grain of sand….who happened to be the one who first coined the phrase "Fourth Best President" in a video and stopped the WH from continuing to take photos of Obama's feet on the desk after my many videos using them . I wish I hadn't helped them in that regard. Maybe they should say thank you. (That was an Obamism)
I would advise Mitt Romney not to personalize his attacks on Barack Obama. It is best to simply suggest he is a well-meaning man who is way over his head. We do not live in a fair world. I am convinced the president is a very nasty man—but most Americans disagree! They do not perceive him to be another Nixon or LBJ. White guilt pervades our culture. There are too many people who subconsciously believe that even mild criticisms of Obama are racially motivated. God help our country. Obama and his supporters are going to promiscuously employ the race card. I regretfully predict riots the day after Romney's victory.
It cannot bec disputed that Obama won because the country desperately wanted to show it is not racist- which it isn't! If Obama would be white, he would not have a snowball's chance in hell to be re-elected and he would be ten points behind by now. What carries him is white guilt and therefore, it is smart not to exarcebate white guilt. Play it as Ryan and Romney did- Obama is a nice man but he is totally incompetent. Use a jab here and there but let it be a rapier, not a broadsword. I think the Reublicans are doing OK right now. On to the debates.
michaelmas12, n nSince you make a confident and seemingly quantifiable claim that Obama "would be ten points behind by now [if he would be white]", perhaps you have some public opinion polling references to back up your claims? n
Did you apply the same standard to Harry Reid, when he said Romney didn't pay taxes for 10 years?
How would one conduct such a public poll without being called out as racist? Obama won the Dem nomination in 2008 by playing the race card against Hillary. Even so, he barely won and would have lost if Florida and Michigan votes were not disqualified shamelessly. And certainly would have lost without the adoring press ignoring Rev Wright and Bill Ayers association.
Mr. Tobin, you may be mistaking the root causes of the Left's lack of enthusiasm for Obama. While the bad economy can certainly account for some of it, the major factor for the Left is Obama's failure to deliver the Leftist goods to them in 4 years: he kept Gitmo open; he put more troops into Afghanistan; he has gone on a Drone rampage; he failed to put all those "Bush criminals" in jail for torture and abuse; he failed to shut down the coal and oil industries for the sake of Mother Earth etc… n nThis explains precisely why the Dem Convention is, so far, a Leftist coming out party. Obama knows his only hope is to get the Left ginned up like 2008 and he has to throw them all the Organic Soy Red Meat they can handle and then some. He can't worry about driving off center right voters. He's already lost them. He can only hope to get out the Left and the Center-Left and then do everything possible to depress conservative voter turnout. Not much of a strategy, but it's all he's got. Bet on some dirt being dug up on Romney that will find its way into the MSM in October.
One thing they're doing is to simply ignore everything and anything about Obama, the current administration, the White House and most of the substance of the convention. Click on any TV read any blog there's nothing actually there about Obama or the Administration or anything about its plans and goals going forward let alone its track record so far. All you see is heaps of hate and scorn and derision at the GOP often on the pettiest of stupid things like Paul Ryan's Marathon times.