The Future of the Democratic Party
By David J. Shaw
Election Day, Tuesday, November 2, 2004, was a disappointing day for Democrats. John Kerry lost; so did Tom Daschle. George W. Bush won a majority of the popular vote. The Democrats have now been the minority party in the House for a decade. After the Republican gains in the House, Democrats look to remain in the minority for years to come. The Republicans also made gains in the Senate, picking up a net total of four Democratic seats. Yet, in all this, there was one bright spot for Democrats. In the race for the open Senate seat in Illinois, Democrat Barack Obama trounced Republican Alan Keyes by a margin of 70 percent of the vote to 27. Democrats, not unreasonably, see Obama's election as a harbinger of things to come.
Meet the future of the Democratic Party. Barack Obama is, perhaps, the perfect candidate. Tall and handsome, he possesses a deep voice that resonates well on television and radio and he moves with a youthful earnestness. After spending eight years in
the Illinois state senate, his colleagues praise him as effective. And in the corrupt world of Illinois politics, where the former governor is under federal indictment and two of Obama's opponents in the Senate race were effectively forced out of it because of scandals stemming from unsealed divorce records, no one has even alleged anything corrupt or sordid against Obama. Winsome and charismatic, Obama has qualities reminiscent of Ronald Reagan. You may not agree with him, but you will be hard pressed not to like him. His persona is warm and sincere. He seems to connect with people and, while coming across as passionate, he does so with good humor and doesn't take himself too seriously. When introducing himself he jokes that his name rhymes with "yo mama."
A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, as well as a professor at the University of Chicago, Obama is smart and articulate. He more than held his own in debates against Alan Keyes. the Republican candidate, and delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Obama's intelligence isn't limited to law and theoretical knowledge; he is politically shrewd. Confident of victory in Illinois, Obama spent the summer and part of the fall raising money and campaigning for other Democratic candidates around the country. He enters the United States Senate with a host of favors to call in whenever he needs them.
What makes Obama most unique, though, is his ability to transcend racial politics. Barack Obama is the son of a black father and a white mother. He is embraced by the African American community, but unlike a Jesse Jackson or an Al Sharpton, he isn't limited by it. In a city as racially charged as Chicago, Obama was able to win the votes of poor African Americans, rich white liberals, moderate white suburbanites, and blue collar white ethnics. To echo the Economist, Obama is a "post-racial" candidate. The Illinois Republicans' decision to bring in Alan Keyes, who is also black, to run against Obama only served to highlight this fact. Undoubtedly, some of Obama's success so far was
serendipitous. Shortly before the Democratic primary in March, unsealed divorce records revealed that Blair Hull, a former investment banker who had spent close to $30 million on his Senate bid, had hit his wife. During the general election, Republican candidate Jack Ryan withdrew from the race after embarrassing allegations made against him by his former wife came to light, also from unsealed divorce records. Obama's biggest break came when the Illinois GOP decided to bring in Alan Keyes from Maryland to replace Jack Ryan. Alan Keyes is a smart man, but he tends to say unwise things. Take, for instance, his suggestion that Jesus wouldn't vote for Obama. Quotable and pithy, to be sure, but it was an utterly ridiculous and inappropriate thing to say in the context of a Senate race.Good luck—which is to say unsealed divorce records and discussions of Jesus' voting preferences— aside, Obama seized the opportunities afforded him and maximized them. Machiavelli noted that Fortune is a woman and that she prefers those who handle her forcefully. Barack Obama has proved forceful so far.
Election Day, Tuesday, November 2, 2004, was a disappointing day for Democrats. John Kerry lost; so did Tom Daschle. George W. Bush won a majority of the popular vote. The Democrats have now been the minority party in the House for a decade. After the Republican gains in the House, Democrats look to remain in the minority for years to come. The Republicans also made gains in the Senate, picking up a net total of four Democratic seats. Yet, in all this, there was one bright spot for Democrats. In the race for the open Senate seat in Illinois, Democrat Barack Obama trounced Republican Alan Keyes by a margin of 70 percent of the vote to 27. Democrats, not unreasonably, see Obama's election as a harbinger of things to come.
Meet the future of the Democratic Party. Barack Obama is, perhaps, the perfect candidate. Tall and handsome, he possesses a deep voice that resonates well on television and radio and he moves with a youthful earnestness. After spending eight years in
the Illinois state senate, his colleagues praise him as effective. And in the corrupt world of Illinois politics, where the former governor is under federal indictment and two of Obama's opponents in the Senate race were effectively forced out of it because of scandals stemming from unsealed divorce records, no one has even alleged anything corrupt or sordid against Obama. Winsome and charismatic, Obama has qualities reminiscent of Ronald Reagan. You may not agree with him, but you will be hard pressed not to like him. His persona is warm and sincere. He seems to connect with people and, while coming across as passionate, he does so with good humor and doesn't take himself too seriously. When introducing himself he jokes that his name rhymes with "yo mama."
A graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, as well as a professor at the University of Chicago, Obama is smart and articulate. He more than held his own in debates against Alan Keyes. the Republican candidate, and delivered the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Obama's intelligence isn't limited to law and theoretical knowledge; he is politically shrewd. Confident of victory in Illinois, Obama spent the summer and part of the fall raising money and campaigning for other Democratic candidates around the country. He enters the United States Senate with a host of favors to call in whenever he needs them.
What makes Obama most unique, though, is his ability to transcend racial politics. Barack Obama is the son of a black father and a white mother. He is embraced by the African American community, but unlike a Jesse Jackson or an Al Sharpton, he isn't limited by it. In a city as racially charged as Chicago, Obama was able to win the votes of poor African Americans, rich white liberals, moderate white suburbanites, and blue collar white ethnics. To echo the Economist, Obama is a "post-racial" candidate. The Illinois Republicans' decision to bring in Alan Keyes, who is also black, to run against Obama only served to highlight this fact. Undoubtedly, some of Obama's success so far was
serendipitous. Shortly before the Democratic primary in March, unsealed divorce records revealed that Blair Hull, a former investment banker who had spent close to $30 million on his Senate bid, had hit his wife. During the general election, Republican candidate Jack Ryan withdrew from the race after embarrassing allegations made against him by his former wife came to light, also from unsealed divorce records. Obama's biggest break came when the Illinois GOP decided to bring in Alan Keyes from Maryland to replace Jack Ryan. Alan Keyes is a smart man, but he tends to say unwise things. Take, for instance, his suggestion that Jesus wouldn't vote for Obama. Quotable and pithy, to be sure, but it was an utterly ridiculous and inappropriate thing to say in the context of a Senate race.Good luck—which is to say unsealed divorce records and discussions of Jesus' voting preferences— aside, Obama seized the opportunities afforded him and maximized them. Machiavelli noted that Fortune is a woman and that she prefers those who handle her forcefully. Barack Obama has proved forceful so far.
posted by Tim Hoskins at 6:00 PM
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