I'm not a moderate democrat. I'm not a centrist Democrat. If there were more parties in this country, I would likely vote far to the left of the Democratic Party. I'm a fired up, angry leftist partisan, and very proud to say so.
That being said, like every one here, I've known too many people, and read too much history to be sure that I'm right about everything, or to disregard every conservative or Republican in office.
The free-market, unitary-executive "conservative" experiment of the last eight years has failed beyond anyone's expectations (and my expectations of their failure were very high). So now we'll have at least four years with an Obama Presidency, and a Dem lead congress and senate. We'll also have challenges like few other eras have had to deal with.
This is a great, if precarious oppurtunity, and one that can't be wasted. It's hard to think about priorities right now, though, when so many absolute necesities rear their heads. Clearly the economic crises must be dealt with, and the war must be ended. After that, it seems that Barack may be saddled with too many limitations to enact the reform that's needed. But it may also be that this hardship will allow us to flip extremes for a time. People reacting against the last eight years may very well give Obama the support to implement some radical changes, that could take decades for the Republicans to start unraveling.
Health Care, for instance. If America can find the money, pushing through a comprehensive system will be difficult, but incredibly rewarding. Even in conservative parts of Canada, no one touches the health care system. It's a source of National Pride. The list of worthy programs and initiatives are endless, and the human tendency to jump from one extreme view to another might make things palatable that were previously political suicide. People may be very open to the idea of their government actually doing something for them.
The most important initiative, in my mind, is bringing to justice the neo-conservative movement that conspired for so long to hold the powers of a dicator. Mark my words, if they are not punished, in the courts as well as the polls, than they are just going on vacation for the moment. They have only gained power, and without any accountability, they will bide their time and return. Did anybody really think the neo-cons wanted the presidency this year? I don't think they wanted to lose all three houses, but even before this financial crises they had been seetting a legislative and economic trap for the next president. This is one of the true tragedies of Reagan conservatives. By spending themselves into such enormous deficits, they have forced center-left parties around the world to drift rightward, if only to salvage their economies.
I think that's a big part of McCains neo-con support. If they won, then fine, they have a hawk in the Whitehouse that would let them run the domestic policies as they saw fit. If his presidency was remembered to be as pathetic as his predecessors, or if he lost, than they'd have destroyed someone I don't believe they ever thought was their friend.
As much as I dislike John McCains campaign, during the years leading up to it he was one of the very few Republican Leaders I had any grudging respect for. That campaign itself, as disgusting as it's been, has clearly not been directed by his hand (sadly, embarassingly obvious). This is no defense for McCain. It's seems to me that McCain has been uncomfortable with the tactics he has employed. They lack congruence (the guy is not a gifted liar, watch his last few Daily Show appearances for proof of that). I think this is one of the reasons why the public have not been at all been sympathetic to his attacks. They don't believe him, not because he's untrustworthy, but because he's a terrible liar, who's been forced into positions he either doesn't agree with or understand.
McCain will lose this election. This will be a landslide, transformative decision.
The Republicans endorsing Obama is not completely unexpected. The Dems won support from conservatives in 2004, too, which to my recollection seemed just as important of an election as this. The way he has been endorsed, and some of the people who have led the way, has surprised me, though, and I think it shows the real possibility of an Obama president.
When people like Colin Powell, and Scotty the Nefarious Press Monkey, endorse a man who is very much the opposite of their former boss, it means something. They aren't just going on shows and talking sadly about the Republicans inevitable loss, they are joining a very real movement. They are taking responsibility for it. The significance is overwhelming! Barack Obama voted against the Iraq War, and has pledged to end it. His brilliance and charisma aside, how much wherewithal does it take to admit you were wrong, on such a deep level, that you'll join in a movement designed to correct it?
We will need these republicans. We will need them, not only to enact the legislation that is needed to end this debacle, but to be involved. The fixing of the country, the necessary letting of blood, must be a truly national endeavor. We will need them to retake their party, and to help isolate and destroy the Neo-Conservative cabal that led to this. I'll never vote republican, but I know that someday there will be another Repub President. Their party must be rebuilt.
We need John McCain. As the campaign nears it's end, I can't help but feel a bit of the sympathy I'd had for the man return. I think his party abandoned him weeks ago, content to build a political start more to their tastes for 2010. Now that I'm more confident he will be destroyed on election day, I've started thinking about his career afterward. If Barack Obama is the man I think he is, his acceptance speech will lay out some very strong arguments for his competitor. I think you will hear a genuine appeal to America to look at John McCains career as a whole. I hope he will talk directly to the senator, remind him that he does have a record of reaching across the isle, and that whatever hurt feelings there are after a campaign, the his country needs him right now more than ever.
I think John McCain will be less marjinalized under Barack then he was under Bush, and if he isn't too bitter, could be a powerful force for good in the next eight years.
Maybe not.
What are all of your thoughts on John McCains career after this election?