What Happened?
A review of the Obama 2008 Victory
11/6/2008

The Positives

There are positive aspects to the Obama victory.  Take them for what they are worth:

• He won fair and square.  He made his case to the public and won decidedly.  While we will be on guard for Obama's socialist approach to the world, he now deserves a chance to judged fairly on the basis of his governance.
   
• This is a major symbolic victory for African-Americans.  While the Obama presidency might not translate to any substantive change for minorities, it is powerfully symbolic to win the presidency (you know, hope and all).
   
• While President Bush has been anything but the monster they have made him to be, it is good to have a clean sweep and start fresh once in a while.  There is real optimism among many Americans, for whatever reason.
   

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin turned out to be a poor pick for McCain.  Now, I know she energized the conservative base.  I know she created a lot of excitement.  I know there is potential with her.  I know she has conservative instincts.  I know that Obama doesn't have much more experience than she does.  And finally, I know that Vice Presidential picks aren't supposed to make a difference in the final analyses.  But she became a liability for McCain because in some ways she wasn't ready for the national spotlight.  While much of the criticism against her was unfounded, arrogant, and even rude, she ultimately didn't gain the confidence of many Americans, many of whom were swingers (swing voters - just seeing if you're paying attention.) 

While this might have been a matter of presentation, Americans seem to desire someone who has canned answers for even the simplest of questions, like, "what newspapers do you read?"

Palin delivered nicely on two major occasions, the convention speech and the debate.  Other than that she gave liberal hawks plenty of fodder to work with.  Perhaps if she would have demonstrated a better sense of the national issues, thus survived the early interviews with Couric and Gibson, she would have been a real boost for McCain.  But she wasn't ready.  Maybe in eight years.

John McCain

McCain won the hearts of many Americans, even some from the Obama flock.  He is recognized as an American hero and an all around good hearted guy.  But his campaign was seriously flawed.  He never presented a set of ideas to convince Americans he had a vision.  Meanwhile, Obama seemed to have every nook and cranny thought out.  While it might have been bologna, Obama's campaign was thought out and well presented.  McCain lacked such clarity thus didn't give Americans reasons to vote FOR him.

He also didn't give Americans enough reason to vote AGAINST Obama.  Oh, he floated a few negative ads, which mostly seemed petty.  But he lacked the commitment to attack Obama in every direction.  Attack attack attack!  Obama was vulnerable by his own words, among other reasons.  McCain could have intellectually demonstrated Obama's overstated rhetoric, twisted logic, and deceptive language.   Let me cite some examples:

• Obama claims to have been against the war in Iraq from the beginning.  Yet, McCain never pointed out that Obama was a state senator at the time.  McCain never pointed out that Obama was against the war even when everyone thought Saddam had wmd's!  Would President Obama allow Saddam Hussein to have a nuclear weapon?
   
• Obama claims that we give tax breaks to companies for shipping jobs overseas.  Bogus!
   
• Obama wants to toy with the tax system in a time of economic crisis.  Does the government not get enough money?  Is Obama playing politics with the tax code?  Did McCain point out the philosophical injustice of sticking it to the rich?  Did McCain ever point out the fairness of the Bush tax plan?  Did McCain ever point out that we need to curb our creeping towards socialism and over reliance upon the government?

The Economy

Obama was in cruise control once the election became centered upon the economic constriction that we are in.  He continued to fan the flames of discontent and additional blame towards President Bush.  He was successful at associating McCain with the supposed "failed policies" of the last eight years.  Yet McCain never called his bluff.  He never even asked the simple question, "what failed economic policy?"  Conjecture was all that Obama needed.

Would it have hurt for McCain to point out that Barack wants to penalize business?  Tax business?  Make it harder for business to succeed?  Shouldn't McCain have pointed out Barack's attack upon the American principles of free enterprise?  If Obama was going to blame Bush for the housing and financial crisis (which is very weak to begin with), should McCain not have pointed out the Democrat incompetence as well?

Not only did McCain fail to offer an economic vision that had legs, he could have also tried to keep things in perspective.  The economy is not the only issue.  Barack succeeded at diminishing focus upon the major issues of foreign policy.  And McCain followed right along.  In fact, McCain could have assured us that this slowdown will indeed pass, and he has a vision that doesn't involve shifting our free enterprise philosophy to a government centered one.  He could have pointed out that Obama wants to tax (something that affects everyone!) and spend our way to prosperity.

Change

Obama was all about change.  McCain decided he too was all about change.  Was that a fight he was going to win?  Would Americans seeking change pick an older, caucasian, Republican to follow the Bush administration, or a young, clever, Africa-American, Democrat?  By embracing "change" as the essential element, McCain was embracing Obama.  McCain should at least have been prepared to make clear distinctions of change with Obama.

Also, would it have hurt for McCain to point out that democrats would enjoy the trifecta of power with the presidency and both houses of congress?  Could he not have given pause to Americans on the basis of checks and balances?

Throwing Bush Under Bus

Americans are tired of President Bush and don't think he's done a whole lot.  Fine.  But Americans are also fair minded and a majority of voters supported Bush four years ago.  While Obama was flapping his gums (deceptively) to destroy Bush, would it not have been appropriate for McCain to stand up for him from time to time?  McCain should have pointed out some of the successes of the Bush Administration, like the war on terror, Afghanistan, the surge, etc?  At least give Americans something to think about in place of Obama's skeevy politicking.