Presumably the Republican strategists have been reading the tea leaves and daily poll results notwithstanding, understand now more than ever that Barack Obama will win the presidential election this November. I think the lights went on for them during Senator Obama’s acceptance speech, when he reminded us all that this election was never about him; that it was in fact about something in the hearts and minds of the American people who are sick and tired of being sick and tired and want a government that respects them and is more responsive to their needs. The words resonated and left many people in the audience and at home nodding in agreement. It is indeed about us, the hardworking, decent people who have been the backbone of this country, but increasingly have been made to feel as if we have to come hat in hand to beg for some fairness and equity from the companies, corporations and even our own government with whom we have invested our time, talent and even our trust. Senator Obama was purely the medium by which the change that we have all been yearning for will come to fruition.
Having accepted this fact, the next step was to lay out the reality to John McCain. Mitt Romney did not want to job of VP because he has his own agenda and does not want to be linked to a failed campaign, the same goes for Governor Pawlenty. The only option left then was a cynical one, to select a running mate who would send shockwaves around the country and especially through the media, which it did and in so doing also provided John McCain with an exit strategy for when disaster comes knocking in November.
The choice of Saran Palin gives John McCain enough cover with the pundits who will attempt to provide every explanation known to man, as to why he lost the election, with the inevitable conclusion being the inexperience and relative anonymity of his running mate. Conversely, this will also provide McCain with the ability to still claim his “maverick” title because he will have sacrificed his campaign by having taken the bold step of choosing a woman for his running mate. A very clever move if I do say so myself and one the Republican party is more than willing to accept, while they give themselves time to come up with a candidate who more closely adheres to the tenets of their party.
What this means is that once elected, Senator Obama will have to hit the ground running from day one if he is to put some of his proposals into play. He simply does not have the luxury of a honeymoon period because the Republicans will be doing their level best to box him in. It is not a coincidence that the date set to begin troop withdrawal from Iraq is 2012, which pretty much covers the first 4 years of an Obama presidency and continues the $11 billion per month payout, much of which Senator Obama plans to pull from to implement some of his plans stateside.
By stalling the process, Senator Obama’s programs will also be stalled, which will set him up for a bold attack in 2012 from a regrouped Republican party, as they field new challengers using his own words and promises against him. No one will remember that George Bush ran the country into the ground and any arguments to that end will be seen as whining. With that in mind we the people have a mandate this election, it is to see that the House of Representatives is securely in the hands of the Democrats who can help Senator Obama begin to implement the changes he has spoken about once he is elected. It is in fact the only way to ensure John McCain and the Republicans exit strategy fails, while setting us on the path toward a two-term presidency for the Senator from Illinois.
