A Race of Issues

In the 24-hour period following Sarah Palin’s acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention, the Obama campaign reported that it had raised a staggering $10,000,000 – a one-day record for the campaign. A good sign, no doubt, but after choosing to run without public funding, the campaign has a lot of fund raising to do.

The McCain campaign, combining the $84,000,000 it opted to receive in public funding with the RNC’s bank account, claims to have about $300,000,000 at its disposal for the campaign. Although there are some limits to what McCain can do with that money (the McCain campaign only has control over the $84M – the RNC must spend the money independent of the McCain campaign or split the cost of hybrid ads that promote other Republicans further down the ticket as well), it still forces the Obama campaign to focus more on fund raising.

The unbelievably huge sums to be spent on these campaigns aside (and those numbers do not take primary spending into account), the Obama campaign starts off this campaign with a miniscule advantage in most polls (some polls show McCain with a slim lead).

In recent national campaigns an incredible amount of media attention is given to tracking various polls, and a scant amount of time is given to discussing each candidate’s social, economic, judicial, governing, etc. policy. I, for one, think that this is a crying shame.

Sure, it’s important for the public to gauge how well each candidate is doing within various groups of demographics, but wouldn’t it be more appropriate for the media to discuss the similarities and differences between the candidates on policy? To explain to the public the subtleties, nuances and potential pros and cons of each campaign’s proposals?

You probably think that the general public knows the differences between the candidates on various policy issues. I at least assume that many people do. But I might be completely wrong. Reuters released a poll on Sept. 9 showing a huge change in the preference of one particular demographic: white women.

Prior to the Republican Convention, Mr. Obama had an 8 point lead over Mr. McCain among white women. After the Convention, that number had shifted to a 12 point McCain lead.

Perhaps white women were swayed by new, fresh Republican policy revealed at the convention, but since I saw only Democrat-bashing and McCain-praising (as conventions are wont to display) this poll can only mean one thing: white women took their support away from Barack Obama and threw it to John McCain.

Many Hillary Clinton supporters expressed frustration at her both her loss and at the nomination of Joseph Biden as VP candidate, and subsequently threatened to support Mr. McCain over Mr. Obama.

It is understandable to be upset that your candidate did not win the primary. But it makes absolutely no sense to abandon her political and ideological (almost) match to support her political and ideological antithesis.

This shift may have occurred because Sarah Palin is a woman, and women want to see a woman become the second most powerful person in the world.

It may also be explained by the lack of media coverage given to policy and positions.

Sarah Palin is just about as opposite Hillary Clinton as you can get politically, and some people may not realize it.

Obama’s campaign has forever been talking about a new style of politics. What better way to back that up than by discussing policy for the entire campaign? Especially this campaign. A race that Rick Davis (McCain’s campaign manager) claims “is not about issues.”

The Democrats must make this race about issues. About change. About inspiration.

I know that this seems idealistic and perhaps not at all feasible, but in order to recruit independent voters and sway states into the blue, it seems to me that showing how starkly different John McCain’s policies and positions are from Barack Obama’s makes significantly more sense than letting this race be about sex and, well, race.

The debates should be incredibly interesting to watch, and if the Democrats want to display the inadequacies of their opponents, the debates are surely the venue to do so.

The Democrats must educate the public about the candidates and have some faith in the good judgment of people. Let the voters be swayed by policy discussion, not negative advertising and fear.

I just hope I’m right.

Thanks for reading,

Paul

A Call to Action

There’s been a lot of negative talk this past week about John McCain selecting Sarah Palin as his running mate. But in spite of her shortcomings, Sarah Palin has been wildly successful at doing one thing: Rallying the conservative base of the Republican Party.

Those of you that watched any of the Republican National Convention saw politician after politician take the stage and spew vicious and cutting rhetoric (without actually talking much about policy) that cut down the Democratic Ticket and labeled McCain and Palin as political mavericks.

This came to a head last night as Sarah Palin mocked Barack Obama’s experience while celebrating her own "accomplishments."

The crowd leapt to its feet in cathartic cheering at every jab. The conservative base loves this woman.

The far right (or so I’ve been told by my conservative friends) votes primarily on two issues : abortion and gay rights. Sure, war and immigration are also important issues, but they fail to mobilize conservative voters in the same way.

The conservative base has outvoted moderates and liberals in every election in recent memory (with that streak ending with the 2006 midterms. Way to go Dems). Their incredibly strong voting record is the reason that they have power.

Conservatives run this country because conservatives vote.

For too long have young Democrats and Independents sat idly by as the conservative base of the Republican Party has taken over national politics and altered this country's political landscape.

For too long has political fear mongering reigned supreme.

For too long has nothing been done.

I will not let my incredible frustration with the Republican Party strip me of my ability to rise above their cheap politics of insults and fear-mongering.

Instead, I propose a call to action.

Now is the time to do something, to make something happen.

I implore all of you that, like me, believe wholeheartedly that Barack Obama should be the next President (or at least are terrified of a John McCain presidency) to get out there and VOTE.

But don’t stop there. Encourage your friends! Call people you know in Southern and swing states. Help out somewhere, somehow.

Now, more than ever, this country needs to live up to the ideals of Democracy. Now is the time to show the world that America wants to get back on track. Now is the time to take back our standing as the world’s greatest nation.

Now is the time to make your voice heard.

Thanks for reading.
-Paul