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The Unintended Benefits of a Interminable Campaign
Like everybody else, I'm beat. Emotionally and physically exhausted by this two year nominating process. It wasn't until today, though, that I realized how thankful I am for it.
In a contest as highly orchestrated and market-tested as a presidential campaign the only real insight comes from seeing through cracks in the facade, the short bursts of honesty before spokespeople clarify "what the Senator really meant."
Slowly the things that started as one-off gaffes coalesce into characteristics, characteristics add up to character and eventually, given enough time the character actually replaces the candidate (or at least their own version of themselves).
Last year, while the race was still between Rudy and Hillary, I liked this kid Barack Obama, but on pure policy preferred Dennis Kucinich. But after watching and listening and working for a year I am more confident than ever that we picked the right guy.
At the same time the mirror image of this was occurring on the other side, how many among us last year would have would have, without a great deal of protest, resigned ourselves to a McCain presidency? I know that personally it wasn't until he reversed himself on torture and immigration that I realized he was not the candidate I found myself respecting in 2000.
This grueling process has shown us how each man leads. How they make decisions. How they deal with adversity, if not out and out crisis. But mostly it shows, however unintentionally, the character that becomes the candidate and, God willing, the candidate that becomes the president.
Comments (2)
Well said.
The rougher things have gotten the more sound Obama looks, and the more desperate and unhinged McCain looks. Perhaps the strain is between McCain's preferences and the campaign advice, but why does he accept that advice? How is it country first to become despicable inorder to win?
I've only learned about McCain, close up, during the debates. He scares me, looking much like Nixon.
October 8, 2008 7:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yep. Just wish it didn't cost a half billion dollars in the process.
Because the more expensive it is for politicians, the more beholden to lobbyists, the less free they are to actually vote their consciences, the less time they have to actually study, learn, become real legislators.
Truly sad.
October 8, 2008 9:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
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