Respect.
Empower.
Include.
Those are the three main tenets of the Obama campaign. Staff and volunteers alike are expected to adhere to them. People attending rallies and other events are likewise expected to show respect at all times. Senator Obama himself models respect, even when he's heckled.
That's because he's not a maverick; he's an experienced leader.
Remember what happened when Sen. Obama was heckled by a photographer at a rally in Berea, Ohio?
Did Sen. Obama get testy and stand by limply while a heckler shouted hate and the crowd roiled to shut the heckler down? Nooooooooo. He took charge of the situation, he commanded the attention of his supporters, and he led the crowd to change the direction of its boos, shouts, and sussurations.
That's what an experienced leader does.
What does a maverick do when things get out of hand at his own campaign event?
That's right: He stands by impotently and loses control of his own presidential campaign rally while the surly supporter takes control, then he limply turns the power of the podium over to the angry hooligan without establishing that he -- and not the angry mob -- is the leader of the pack.
Our choice is clear: An experienced leader who commands the respect of his followers as well as his detractors because he respects, empowers, and includes everyone ... or a maverick who drops the reins of power when he's in over his head.
How can John McCain lead a divided nation when he can't even lead his own supporters?