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09 September 2010
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A FIRST HAND LOOK AT THE US ELECTION RACE
By Tony Leon MP
BOSTON - Last week I attended a political rally, not an exceptional event in my life. But its locale, downtown Boston Common, and the speaker, US Senator Barack Obama, were certainly far removed from my normal experience and expectations.
My presence, among nearly 10 000 people gathered in this urban parkland on an unseasonably balmy Fall evening, had been arranged on the Internet - where much of the 2008 Presidential election is fought - from fundraising to messaging, all part of what is termed the “netroots revolution”. But it is not simply the technology, which is cutting edge, the election itself is singularly different. It is the first since 1928 where neither major party has an incumbent President or Vice President seeking election and it also offers a tantalising array of other firsts: Obama would be the first African American in the White House, Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton the first woman occupant; And Republican favourites offer their own exceptionalisms: Mitt Romney would be the first Mormon, Rudy Giuliani the most married (or divorced) President, while John McCain would be the oldest.
When the Rally finally gets underway, some one and a half hours after its scheduled commencement, I soon realise why Obama, with only three years experience in the US Senate, is such a powerful candidate. He has the ability to sprinkle magic dust in the eyes of his audience. His speech, without notes, is almost flawless in its simultaneous invocation of the “better angels” of the American character, first invoked by Abraham Lincoln, and his powerful plea for unity (“there is no conservative America, no liberal America, only the United States of America”) goes down a treat among the assembled throng. But he really lights a fire in the predominantly young audience when he takes on the war in Iraq, and reminds the crowd that he opposed the war “before it began”, a not-so-subtle dig at his leading party rival, Senator Clinton, who voted in favour of it
South Africa’s recent recapture of the Rugby World Cup provided us with a compelling reminder of sports’ power to bind and unite. Sports-mad Boston is the home of the Red Sox baseball team, who were on course that night to win the World Series. Obama, who hails from Chicago, announced himself upfront as a White Sox supporter (his local team). This drew a collective groan, which soon turned to laughter when he intoned that “at least, I’m a principled sports fan”. In a city where sport and politics are conjoined in exciting passionate partisanship, he was (again by inference) hitting out at Giuliani, who the day before had visited Boston. The former New York Mayor had stunned his audience by announcing that, since the New York Yankees were out of contention for baseball’s coveted prize, he too backed the Red Sox. This immediately led to accusations of gross pandering - not the only time this accusation has been flung at him.
I left the rally convinced that Obama offered those who yearn to rescue America from the neocon triumphalism and unilateralism, which has been the signature tune of the Bush administration, a powerful and compelling choice. Yet, for all the excitement he generates, he is fully 20% behind Clinton in the national polls, although the race is much tighter in Midwestern Iowa, where party caucuses, the first in the nation, commence in just nine weeks time - on January 3.
A few days later I attended a seminar at the Kennedy School of Government, where some of the country’s leading political pundits and journalists gathered to slice and dice the presidential race. Charlie Cook, editor of a national political report pronounced that Obama’s problem was that “he’s 46 years old, but looks 33. He’s widely seen to be unready from day one.” This is, of course, where Hillary Clinton scores. She might lack his passion and freshness, but she is widely perceived to be e
| Posted on 8/11/2007
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