The resistible rise of Barack Obama
Robert Zaller
Issue date: 2/29/08 Section: Ed-Op
There is, however, another aspect of Obama that makes his campaign unprecedented. He is not, like Powell, a famous general with a comfortably Anglo-Irish name that the public has long been familiar with. He is a freshman senator plucked out of the obscurity of the Illinois State Legislature to give a single speech four years ago to demonstrate his party's racial inclusiveness while it nominated the usual two white males. Powell's resumé included Army Chief of Staff and decorated war hero. Obama's begins with "community organizer." He has the thinnest public record of any man to seek the presidency on a major party ticket since Abraham Lincoln, with whom he is already not unfavorably compared.
It's happened before, only not here. In 1848, France elected a president for its newly-declared republic. The candidates included a general, popular with the bourgeoisie for having slaughtered 10,000 workers in Paris; a mediocre politician; and a poet. The race was won, however, by a late-declaring candidate, an ex-revolutionary and jailbird who spoke a halting and atrocious French, and whose last occupation had been as a policeman in London.
Of course, his name was Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte. Not Barack Hussein Obama.
Some parts of Obama's success can be conventionally explained. He has fought a classic insurgent's campaign, putting an army of volunteers on the ground in every state of the Union and cultivating a wide base of Internet contributors to whom he can return. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, counted on wrapping up the nomination by the Super Tuesday primaries Feb. 5, and had virtually no organization beyond that. When she failed to deliver a knockout blow despite capturing New York and California, the road was clear for a string of virtually uncontested Obama victories.
And Obama's political talents are, unquestionably, of the first order. But he has not come this far and broken so many barriers on savvy organization and a glib tongue alone. He has the great good fortune of running in the wake of the worst presidency in our history, a regime, very likely unelected, that has sickened many millions of Americans to the point of despair.
It's happened before, only not here. In 1848, France elected a president for its newly-declared republic. The candidates included a general, popular with the bourgeoisie for having slaughtered 10,000 workers in Paris; a mediocre politician; and a poet. The race was won, however, by a late-declaring candidate, an ex-revolutionary and jailbird who spoke a halting and atrocious French, and whose last occupation had been as a policeman in London.
Of course, his name was Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte. Not Barack Hussein Obama.
Some parts of Obama's success can be conventionally explained. He has fought a classic insurgent's campaign, putting an army of volunteers on the ground in every state of the Union and cultivating a wide base of Internet contributors to whom he can return. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, counted on wrapping up the nomination by the Super Tuesday primaries Feb. 5, and had virtually no organization beyond that. When she failed to deliver a knockout blow despite capturing New York and California, the road was clear for a string of virtually uncontested Obama victories.
And Obama's political talents are, unquestionably, of the first order. But he has not come this far and broken so many barriers on savvy organization and a glib tongue alone. He has the great good fortune of running in the wake of the worst presidency in our history, a regime, very likely unelected, that has sickened many millions of Americans to the point of despair.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
olive
posted 2/29/08 @ 11:45 PM EST
ya... Obama must be win coz he will stop iraq war. I think that's d biggest problem in america. I think that Clinton doesnt have a better solution 4 this thing. (Continued…)
jim
posted 3/01/08 @ 6:45 PM EST
>>Of course, he counts as black, because if you are a member of a despised minority, a single tincture of that minority's blood will turn you its color. (Continued…)
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