Republicans second-guess themselves with Obama
Obamicans, beware: We can’t let the smooth-speaking Barack Obama confuse those of us disillusioned with the Republican Party.
Last week, I had a fiscally conservative (as in minimal social programs) professor tell the class that he liked Obama, was intrigued by him and was even considering voting for him. In the end, he said he probably wouldn’t, but it was still an intriguing comment.
I’ve found myself thinking the same thing many times. Maybe I will vote for him – he’s such a dynamic and energizing figure. He lacks the divisive baggage of all the other candidates.
Unlike Hillary Clinton, his message isn’t a negative one imbued with a vitriolic hate for the other side. He is looking forward and letting the past go, promising a future that all Americans will be proud of.
And as we move further into the election cycle, polls are indicating many Republicans are thinking about jumping ship. Some results have suggested that as many as 8 percent of Republican voters would consider voting for Obama. This is a troubling statistic for the just-right-of-center John McCain and a troubling message for all Republicans.
Obama’s message of change reminds many of the revered John F. Kennedy, and that is a very good comparison for Obama to be earning. Kennedy once said, “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard…because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”
This is what Obama promises when he says, “Yes we can.” We can do it because we want to, no matter what it is. This is, at its heart, an American statement, and it is a message that is resonating with the disheartened and disillusioned of both parties.
Maybe Obama is what the country needs: a new kind of candidate who isn’t as much a part of the system as everyone else.
For Republicans, this is causing a serious crisis of conscience. Obama promises hope for a better future, but is it a future we right-wingers want? Obama promises to fight for tax reform, health care reform, retirement plan reform, trade reform and on and on that is, at every level, non-conservative. He is, by a good measure, the most liberal candidate the left is offering.
Our country needs strong leadership. It would be great to have a leader with the energy and promise Obama brings.
If Obama wins, though, is the country he’s going to shape an America that conservatives will be happy about? I don’t know for sure, but I’m skeptical.
Shane Steinbauer is a columnist for The Nevada Sagebrush. He can be reached at editor@nevadasagebrush.com.
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February 22nd, 2008 at 2:22 pm
Great Article. I’m glad the Sagebrush found someone who can actually write!
February 22nd, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Obama is hte man. He will be the change this country needs at a difficult time.