American politicians are really good at doing politics as usual - the American people are really sick of it. But Barack Obama has promised to usher in a new era of American politics, and if his campaign is any indication, an Obama/Biden administration will restore our faith in American politicians and help to heal a divided nation.
Take for instance Obama’s grassroots approach to campaigning. Though his experience as a political organizer was repeatedly mocked during the Republican National Convention, Obama’s ability to reach out to and mobilize potential voters across party lines, race, age, and education has been one of his most valuable assets. Fueled in large part by $5 contributions to his website, Obama’s campaign has set the tone for an administration that is guided by the people, not by big oil companies and political cronyism. His impeccable operation (from his detailed, interactive website to his countless supporters on the phones and on the ground) demonstrates the ability of a leader with temperance, organization and consistency - qualities that seem to be lacking in the self-destructing McCain/Palin ticket.
Obama’s success in some of the historically conservative states (“real America” as Ms. Palin would call them) is again indicative of the Obama team’s grassroots efforts, as well as his own ability to unite Americans around a common cause and a sense of hope. This quality cannot be underestimated. The state of Virginia, once solidly Republican, is now leaning toward Obama. The state has not gone to a Democrat since Johnson. Beyond Virginia, John McCain has had to defend himself in states in which Bush beat Kerry by double digits. That’s remarkable.
As the final days of the campaign season come to a close, Americans look back on two very different candidates. One promised a clean campaign, but instead employed robo-hate calls and repeatedly charged his opponent as a terrorist. The second spoke primarily about the issues and the difference between his and his opponent’s policies. One claimed to be a “maverick” but hired Washington insiders and former Bush advisors to run his campaign, while the other rejected politics as usual and challenged some of the reddest states to hear his message and believe in the possibility of real change.
For those of us who are sick of modern American politics and campaigns that attack one another rather than address the issues, Obama is the clear choice. For those of us who are sick of big oil and the wealthiest Americans receiving huge tax cuts while the middle class wonders how it will make next month’s mortgage payment, again, Obama is the clear choice. And for those of us who want to leave behind a nation that is united in hope rather than divided in hatred, once again, Obama is the clear choice.
We've already tried politics as usual. It's time for a change.
