One very interesting aspect of Obama's campaign is that while it would be easy, and very helpful to him, to brand John McCain as a Republican, he generally refrains from doing so: he avoids tying McCain to the word "Republican".

Instead, Obama talks about McCain's wrong-headed philosophy. He talks about McCain's ill-conceived Iraq policy. He ties McCain's policies to Bush. He talks about McCain's regressive tax plans. What Obama almost never does is utter McCain's name and the word "Republican" in the same sentence Nor does Obama generally tie himself to the Democratic party. In fact, the words "Republican" and "Democrat" rarely cross Obama's lips, except when calling for bipartisanship.

It would be very easy to tie McCain to the Republicans for the obvious reason that John McCain is a Republican. And it would be very helpful to Obama because after 8 years of a Republican president and almost as much of a Republican Senate, the Republican brand, right now, is mud. Nevertheless, Obama refrains from doing so.

Of course, this is all part of Obama's portrayal of his approach as post-partisan. That conclusion seems straightforward enough. But how much does this cost Obama in the campaign? Given how poor the Republican brand is right now, surely it costs Obama quite a lot.

And that's the interesting point: that Obama is willing to forgo very significant electoral advantage for the sake of his post-partisan approach. Obama is willing to pay a big price for it, a price that might be big enough to cost him the election (current polls let us hope it won't actually cost him the election!). This is really quite serious.

It tells us two things. First, it shows the depth of Obama's commitment to a non-partisan approach. This is far more than a convenient electoral strategy to be discarded after the election. Second, if Obama is that serious about it, we are observing something that is not just about his electoral campaign, but also about his prospective governance style.

One potential consequence during the election? Obama is not using the history of the Clinton years to help his campaign. This may annoy Bill Clinton.

One small prediction for after the election? Obama will have Republicans in his cabinet, even though he will have absolutely no political need to do so.

The most important point? I am beginning to believe that Obama really will change the nature of politics in America.

In the last few days, a Senator with 26 years of experience, running a national campaign, decided he would sort out Capitol Hill as he took credit for a major bailout, and cancel or postpone the first presidential debate. He moved aggressively to achieve both.

He got neither.

A much younger Senator routed him completely. Quietly, but with astonishing speed and efficiency, the younger Senator noiselessly eviscerated him.

I'm buying the story that Obama totally knew what he was doing when he pulled his punches and said "John is right" a dozen times at the debate. Who knows for sure, but right now, I'm believing that Obama's political instincts are being vastly underrated by those of us (including me!) who over-worry and over-fret.
 

This was posted as a comment, but it deserves its own entry, email this out as much as you can! It's hilarious.

The link to the original comment, by Libertine, is here.

And the posted story is this:

Turtle Soup?

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old rancher who's hand was caught in the gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Palin and her bid.

The old rancher said, "Well, ya know, Palin is a 'Post Turtle'".

Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was.

The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top - that's a 'post turtle".

The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain. "You know she didn't get up there by herself, she doesn't belong up there, and she doesn't know what to do while she's up there, and you just wonder what kind of dummy put her up there to begin with".

The original article, published in Spanish on 18-Sep-08 in Spain's leading newspaper, EL PAIS, is here:

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/internacional/candidato/republicano/compromete/ver/Zapatero/gana/elpepiint/20080918elpepiint_9/Tes

I am not a professional translator, but I am a native Spanish speaker. The translation follows:


The republican candidate to the White House, John McCain, eluded up to four times committing to meet with the Head of the Spanish Government, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, if he were to become the next president of the United States.

"I would meet with those leaders that are our friends and that want to work with us in cooperative action," answered McCain, in an interview with the broadcasters of Union Radio group, of which the SER Chain is a part.

When the question was insisted on, he limited himself to evasive answers. "I can assure you that I will establish closer relationships with our friends and that I will face off against those that wish to harm the United States," he answered on one occasion. "I would meet any leader that has the same principles and philosophy that we do: human rights, democracy and freedom. And I will stand against those that don't," he added on another occasion.

Asked about it yesterday, Zapatero diminished the importance of McCain's vagueness. "It is logical for him to have the necessary prudence, there is a [pending] electoral process," he said.

"It is true that I have not had a formal encounter with president [George W.] Bush," insisted Zapatero, alluding to the anomaly that can be supposed from the lack of a meeting at the highest level between the two governments, "but this has not impeded the work we have done." He added that he will work together with the new Adiministration in the U.S. "no matter its color," and that he will do it "with a constructive and loyal attitude, as is appropriate for countries that deem themselves partners."

These declarations of McCain contrast with the ones he made to EL PAIS last April, when he said "it is time to leave behind differences with Spain." And he added: "I would like [president Zapatero] to visit the United States." Among diplomatic circles, the republican candidate's attitude was being attributed to a misunderstanding, for the interview was centered on relations with Latin America, and the journalist had to remind him that Spain is a European country when he insisted on putting Mexico forth as an example. In the best of cases, he would be making evident his ignorance with respect to Zapatero.

A meeting between the two presidents is a priority of spanish diplomacy. It is taken for granted that the meeting will not take place until well into 2009, for the winner of the november elections will take posession in January and must put their team together and attend to more urgent problems than paying attention to Spain. But it is desired that Zapatero go to Washington before the first semester of 2010, when the new resident of the White House will come to the US-European Union summit in Spain. Next week Zapatero will go to New York for the UN General Assembly, but the most that is expected is some contact between minister Miguel Angel Moratinos with his homologue, Condoleezza Rice.

I propose we dub Palin "the Earmark Queen".

According to the Washington Post, she obtained $27 million in earmarks for a population of 6,700 while she was mayor of Wasilla.

  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/01/AR2008090103148.html?nav=hcmodule

That's about $4,000 per person.

Wow. She's really good at that.

Last night, the top news story on abcnews.com was about Palin's membership in the Alaska Independence Party. "Did Palin Want Her State to Secede?" asked the headline. A very relevant question for someone who is running for national office.

By this morning, the story is no longer the top story, in fact it can no longer be seen on the online front page at all. The story is still there, it hasn't been taken down (it's under Politics -> Political Punch). But this story needs to be played up! It needs to be heard!

If Palin really was a member of the AIP, then that really needs to be known by the general public. It is very very relevant for somebody who would be expected to uphold the territorial integrity of the U.S.

Let's not go crazy with distraction over Palin. Attention on her is important, to be sure-- but we really want most of the attention on Obama vs. McCain.

Let's follow Obama's cue, keep our eyes on the ball, and not make this big election about small things. ("Waterbreakgate" -- are you kidding me? How could Palin's water breaking, a personal affair, compare to Watergate, a major consitutional issue? Wooten maybe, for abuse of power, but "waterbreakgate"? A distraction if I ever saw one.)

McCain is a Republican. 8 years of Republicans is enough. If you want more of the same, choose McCain. If you want change, choose Obama.

If we keep our eyes on the ball with that story line, we just can't lose.
 

I am watching John McCain on Fox News right now. In response to questions about how Palin's experience matches up to Obama, he answered that she has much more executive experience, and that she's stood up to leaders of her own party, whereas Obama hasn't.

But Obama *has* demonstrated enormous capacity and experience in a very major test.

That's what national primaries are: they are difficult, nation-sized, presidential-sized, tests. Obama passed that national test. In the process, he stood up, for many months in a grueling and difficult campaign, against leaders of his party. He passed with flying colors: by all reports, he managed an extremely efficient and well-run major organization. He won millions of votes-- he won about 30 more votes than there are inhabitants in Alaska. Ultimately, he won the nomination.

Palin has never faced anything remotely like that.
No one, I don't think even Palin herself, believes that if Sarah Palin had run for president she would have gotten anywhere.

I am watching John McCain on Fox News right now. In response to questions about how Palin's experience matches up to Obama, he answered that she has much more executive experience, and that she's stood up to leaders of her own party, whereas Obama hasn't.

But Obama *has* demonstrated enormous capacity and experience in a very major test.

That's what national primaries are: they are difficult, nation-sized, presidential-sized, tests. Obama passed that national test. In the process, he stood up, for many months in a grueling and difficult campaign, against leaders of his party. He passed with flying colors: by all reports, he managed an extremely efficient and well-run major organization. He won millions of votes-- he won about 30 more votes than there are inhabitants in Alaska. Ultimately, he won the nomination.

Palin has never faced anything remotely like that.
No one, I don't think even Palin herself, believes that if Sarah Palin had run for president she would have gotten anywhere.

I am watching John McCain on Fox News right now. In response to questions about how Palin's experience matches up to Obama, he answered that she has much more executive experience, and that she's stood up to leaders of her own party, whereas Obama hasn't.

But Obama *has* demonstrated enormous capacity and experience in a very major test.

That's what national primaries are: they are difficult, nation-sized, presidential-sized, tests. Obama passed that national test. In the process, he stood up, for many months in a grueling and difficult campaign, against leaders of his party. He passed with flying colors: by all reports, he managed an extremely efficient and well-run major organization. He won millions of votes-- he won about 30 more votes than there are inhabitants in Alaska. Ultimately, he won the nomination.

Palin has never faced anything remotely like that.
No one, I don't think even Palin herself, believes that if Sarah Palin had run for president she would have gotten anywhere.