"They're Paying Attention Now"
Peggy Noonan
Why is it a real race now, with John McCain rising in the polls and Barack Obama falling? There are many answers, but here I think is an essential one: The American people have begun paying attention.
It's hard for our political class to remember that Mr. Obama has been famous in America only since the winter of '08. America met him barely six months ago! The political class first interviewed him, or read the interview, in 2003 or '04, when he was a rising star. They know him. Everyone else is still absorbing.
This is what they see:
An attractive, intelligent man, interesting, but—he's hard to categorize. Is he Gen. Obama? No, no military background. Brilliant Businessman Obama? No, he never worked in business. Famous Name Obama? No, it's a new name, an unusual one. Longtime Southern Governor Obama? No. He's a community organizer (what's that?), then a lawyer (boo), then a state legislator (so what, so's my cousin), then U.S. senator (less than four years!).
There is no pre-existing category for him.
Add to that the wear and tear of Jeremiah Wright, secret Muslim rumors, media darling and, this week, abortion.
It took a toll, which led to a readjustment. His uniqueness, once his great power, is now his great problem.
And over there is Mr. McCain, and—well, we know him. He's POW/senator/prickly, irritating John McCain.
Read all of it.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
There is no pre-existing category for him.
"Demagogical Chicago Machine Democrat" doesn't fit?
I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls.
~~V.P.  Richard B. Cheney
Maggie, this is one of the rare times I agree with Cheney (although not on the topic on which he commented), who paraphrased Mark Twain's: There's lies, damned lies, and statistics. I vehemently disagree with him on almost every issue, but Cheney is not stupid.
Usually, pollsters are frustrated politicians as are literary critics frustrated writers. Even when Obama was several points ahead, I took a "wait and see" attitude.
Both conservatives and progressives must participate for the party in which they believe and see how November 4th shakes down.
Post a Comment