Obama In Plain View

National Review Online: If McCain Presents A Competent And Reformist Conservative Alternative, He Can Prove The Dems Wrong

(National Review Online)  This column was written by The Editors Of National Review Online.

---

The Democrats have gone all the way. They have nominated arguably the most left-wing major party presidential nominee ever, certainly the most left-wing since George McGovern.

Barack Obama’s victory is a repudiation not just of the Clintons personally, but of Clintonism. Bill Clinton won the presidency based on the Democratic Leadership Council model of a new kind of Democratic politics that pivoted toward the center. Obama not only has had no Sister Souljah moment, he initially embraced his Sister Souljah (in the form of Rev. Jeremiah Wright, introduced to the American public in videotaped rants). He has made no creative policy departure on par with Bill Clinton’s advocacy of welfare reform in 1992 - in fact, has made no creative policy departure at all. He is the old wine of McGovernite liberalism poured into the alluring wineskin of “hope” and “unity.”

Democrats have done Republicans the favor of nominating one of the few Democrats this side of Dennis Kucinich who could lose this year. But he still has to be slightly favored over John McCain. Political conditions are grim for Republicans. Their two-term incumbent president is scorned, many of their policies are unpopular, and people have been departing their party in droves, if polling of party ID is to be believed. On top of this, there are Obama’s formidable personal talents. Not just an inspirational speaker, he ran a campaign in the primaries that was well-organized and strategically deft. He is not to be underestimated.

If he wins with the kind of larger Democratic majorities he is likely to see in the House and Senate, he will be in the strongest position of any Democratic president since LBJ in 1964. It will not be a replay of the Clinton presidency: Clinton styled himself a moderate and after 1994 spent the rest of his presidency triangulating off a Republican congressional majority. And the current Democratic Congress is more uniformly liberal than the Democratic Congress of 1993-94. Obama will be in a position to deal conservatism some of its worst setbacks in 40 years.

Standing in the way of this fate is John McCain. He took the fight to Obama in an aggressive and well-crafted (if poorly delivered) speech last night in New Orleans. He has to try to blunt Obama’s nebulous message of change as much as possible, by pointing out that McCain himself is the one who has actually taken political risks for bipartisanship, whereas Obama’s agenda is an antique liberalism. McCain must demonstrate that Obama’s record and biography are at odds with his current political persona as the national Pied Piper of unity.

McCain also has to raise doubts about Obama’s national-security credentials - but must avoid the temptation to run exclusively on the Iraq war and the war on terrorism. He needs, above all, to show that he has a compelling domestic reform agenda, which he has been slowly developing and talked about last night.

All while facing a strong political headwind. Obama will probably shoot up in the polls now that he has secured the nomination. Democrats will unify and the coverage will initially be dominated by the historic nature of his accomplishment as the first African-American nominee of a major party. We can all honor what his nomination says about the openness and dynamism of American society.

But by nominating Obama, the Democrats are betting that Clinton’s triangulation and Bush’s perceived failure have changed the country so much that an uncompromising liberalism is once again politically viable. If McCain presents a competent and reformist conservative alternative, he can prove the Democrats wrong.

[element51]

patriot12346....You''re sounding a little dramatic there. What do you think will bring on this "civil war" that you warn of? And I, for one, have never been more proud to be a Democrat. Although I know that racism is still stalking around out there I can also see that Americans are starting to see the light in larger numbers than ever before. It''s time that we reach out and embrace our black brothers and sisters and come together as one. Senator Obama will bring a light to politics and we will finally have the truth which has been absent for so long. Yes, I am proud to be a Democrat. If you chose to jump ship and give up on America I feel sorry for you.

[patriot12436]

samthetvcat
If obama has created all these jobs,where are they ?
Why are people losing their jobs, their homes by the thousands daily ? It can''t be thy are all bad financial planners.

[patriot12436]

McVet
All i can think of is a biblical saying
FORGIVE THEM LORD, FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO.
Now i wait for the civil war to begin. I have given up on any hope of the sysyem working again.

[patriot12436]

ubrew12
Vote democrat. After they have nominatd obama i doubt they could ever run anyone i would vote for ever again.

[patriot12436]

wiccantexan
Paul would never be seen on a ticket with someone like obama.

[patriot12436]

ausus
And what is the priviledge of being a democrat ? I f i were a democrat i would be so ashamed right now i wouldn''t admit it. I am non-partisan and will vote for a third party. I would have supported Hillary but no more. I have lost faith in our govt all together no9w and will wait for the civil war to begin.

[samthetvcat]

---"Sam the TV Cat, I misread your post. I am sorry for accusing you of being an anti-American repub, that was a bad insult. Accept my apologies and go Obama. I just ordered 10 bumper sticker from MoveOn.org"---
Posted by noloyalisti

Oh that happens all the time when I include somebody else''s quote - also, that''s a good thing if my sneaky-deaky shift towards packaging Barack in the GOP ''lingo'' sounded so convincing that you thought I was GOP . . . then hopefully the Independents won''t buy into the idea that he''s so ''far left''!

Dems 08! :)

[noloyalisti]

I agree that TruUSA is a moronic republican plant. Who else could be that ridiculously ignorant?

[noloyalisti]

Sam the TV Cat, I misread your post. I am sorry for accusing you of being an anti-American repub, that was a bad insult. Accept my apologies and go Obama. I just ordered 10 bumper sticker from MoveOn.org.

[noloyalisti]

Sam the TV Cat. You''re scared of Obama banrkrupting the country? What have the Government Of Pigs party been doing for us for the last 8 years? You must be kidding because no one could be that stupid and be able to feed themselves.

[samthetvcat]

PS Shoot, I should have used this part of your comment instead krisinal:

---""President Obama" and a Democrat majority in the House and Senate will ultimately bankrupt this country."---

[samthetvcat]

---"Good luck USA if Obama is elected. We probably won''''t live to regret it."---
Posted by krisinal

One of the Presidential candidates has established an organization which generates a broad, steady, self-sustaining stream of income that''s created lots of jobs and generated millions of dollars of income for businesses small and large across the country. That''s Barack.

The other Presidential candidate has notified the Government that he''s going to be needing welfare, and is desperately trying to save money by asking the other Presidential candidate for help in getting him exposure to big crowds and free publicity via ''town hall'' meetings. That would be McCain.

Democrats are the party of capitalism, prosperity, independence and limited government. GOP are the party of the incompetent government-dependent rich.

Look at Barack''s organization as evidenced by his speech and the surroundings on Tuesday. Then look at McCain''s which looks like it was shot via webcam in somebody''s basement.

Why would their leadership as President be any different?

[samthetvcat]

---"But by nominating Obama, the Democrats are betting that Clinton%u2019s triangulation and Bush%u2019s perceived failure have changed the country so much that an uncompromising liberalism is once again politically viable. If McCain presents a competent and reformist conservative alternative, he can prove the Democrats wrong."---

Why would the GOP assume we''re not going to triangulate? The general hasn''t even started yet - of course we''re going to triangulate!

If Independents never thought of the Dems as being the party of strength, security, control, choice, freedom, courage, leadership, winning, limited government, capitalism, family, tradition, guns, personal responsibility, Christianity, patriotism, and pro-life promotion, then hold onto your hats because we''re about to make your heads spin!

[ubrew12]

NRO: "Democrats have done Republicans the favor of nominating one of the few Democrats this side of Dennis Kucinich who could lose"

If Obama is a lefty, do you think he could possibly do something about this statistic?
Income bracket: %Change in income* (1970-2000):
Bottom 90%: -22.5%,
90-95%: 0.4%,
95-99%: 19.5%,
99-99.5% 47.0%,
99.5-99.9% 90.0%,
99.9-99.99% 227.0%,
Top 0.01% 412.0%
*as a share of ALL U.S. income. Source: ''''Perfectly legal'''' by David Cay Johnston

Its taken 30 years to make Americas poorest 90%, 20% POORER, compared to her wealthiest 10% (and, not coincidentally, put $10 trillion on the nations debt load). Does anyone actually think Obama could even BEGIN to address this robbery? I doubt it.

But, we need to pull away from giving the country away to our wealthiest 10%. The Dems are supposed to be the ones to help us do that, so vote Dem, for now.

[elz523]

===FDR was a far right conservative compared to the modern "screaming child" socialist leftwing party in America today.===
Posted by notblue


Are you kidding? Both parties have moved so far to the right there is no room there anymore.

[elz523]

I am a member of the new Puma PAC, People United Means Action.

We are democrats who are organizing against the underhanded methods of the DNC in your attempt to %u201Cappoint%u201D Barack Obama as the nominee for our party. The clear majority of voters in our party have chosen Hillary Clinton as the one we want to face John McCain.

We will not vote for Barack Obama in November. We will stay home, vote a third party, and in the swing states we will vote for John McCain.

There is still time to do the right thing. The DNC must do everything it can to convince the superdelegates that Hillary Clinton is the only Democrat who can win in November.

We are united against your usurpation of the will of Democratic voters. There will be no unity in the Democratic party until the votes and voices of the 18 million democrats in ALL 50 states are listened to.

We will not back down, be bullied or pandered into supporting a disastrous candidate like Barack Obama. He has been tainted by too many real scandals. He will lose in a landslide loss in all 50 states.

We will not vote for Barack Obama for president.

Puma Democrat

Your an idiot and I think that you are likely a ******* Republican trying to take advantage.

[elz523]

Why would anyone listen to what the fools at the NRO think regarding anything? They have been disgraced by their mindless support of the Bush Administration and the Iraq debacle.

[ubrew12]

Don''t worry, NRO:

All you boys need to do is set off a coupla terror attacks this Fall, and make lots of noise prosecuting the terrorists Bush has caught (note the timing on these prosecutions: I can see why the Republicans didn''t want them left to the Justice Department).

Your boy McCain will be a shoo-in.

[rafterman1]

===FDR was a far right conservative compared to the modern "screaming child" socialist leftwing party in America today.===
Posted by notblue

As opposed to the modern "screaming child" fascist rightwing party in America today?

[ausus-2009]

"Anyone who would vote for that sick crazy McSame is absolutely a moron and does not deserve the privalege of being a Democrat."

Judging by his or her poor spelling and reduction to childish name-calling, moron would be an apt term for noloyalist. One dictionary definition describes a moron as a person whose mental development of a 9 to 12 year old child.