Obama: New politics triumphs over old

By Weekly Archive On Jan 9, 2008

It’s
easy to conclude that the presidential campaign begins and ends with
the Iowa caucuses. But that would be a big mistake.

Whoever
wins the Iowa caucuses doesn’t always become the nominee of the
party. And 1976 was the last time a Democrat who won the Iowa
caucuses actually went on to become president of the United States.
In 1992, Bill Clinton didn’t even compete in Iowa, out of respect for
favorite-son candidate Sen. Tom Harkin.

So
the importance of Iowa is often overstated. Nevertheless, make no
mistake about it: Barack Obama’s decisive win in this year’s Iowa
caucuses represents a huge victory for him, a remarkable step forward
for the United States, and a strong signal to the rest of the world.

For
Obama, it’s a stunning personal and political triumph. Only four
years ago, he was an Illinois state senator nobody had ever heard of;
today, he’s stands on the threshold of the White House. Only four
months ago, his campaign was being written off as stuck in the mud;
today, he has electrified an entire nation. What happened?

Nothing
less than a very effective campaign and a young, attractive and
articulate candidate. Obama hasn’t put out a stack of policy papers.
He remains pretty vague on most of the issues. No matter. Clearly,
his overall message of change resonates with voters. After eight
disastrous years of George W. Bush, Americans are desperate for new
leadership, new direction and new faces. They want to believe in
America again, be proud of themselves again. And Obama, more than any
other candidate, and despite his lack of experience, personifies hope
of a new and better day.

Clinton
and Edwards, on the other hand, represent more of the same. They are
both gifted politicians. Either would make an outstanding president.
They’re on the right side of every issue. They each have more
experience than Obama. Their problem is, they’ve been around too
long. They don’t offer a complete break with the past. For most
people, Clinton and Edwards stand for "politics as usual."

Of
course, that’s unfair to both. Edwards, too, promises change: change
from the Washington tradition of cozying up to corporate lobbyists.
And Clinton’s all about change. Electing our first female president
would be as dramatic a change as electing our first African-American.
But Clinton and Edwards are old, familiar faces. They simply can’t
stand for change as authentically as the fresh-faced Obama.

There’s
no escaping the significance of Obama’s victory for America. Seeing
an African-American prevail in one of the whitest states in the union
may not wipe out racism in this country, but it sure puts one hell of
a dent in it. "A young, 46-year-old black man, with a black
family, before an all-white crowd, hailing his victory — that’s a
remarkable image," Obama supporter Congressman Artur Davis told
The Washington Post. Indeed it is — and it proves, I believe, that
America is ready to elect an African-American president of the United
States.

To
our allies around the world, Obama’s win is equally significant. It
not only shows that Americans are determined to end the war in Iraq.
It also says that we are ready, once again, to reach out to other
nations as true partners in solving global problems, and no longer
treat them as client states of Bush and Cheney’s American Empire.

Voting
in the Democratic primaries has barely begun, and a lot could happen
between now and Super Tuesday on Feb. 5. There’s no guarantee Barack
Obama will go on to become the party’s nominee. The Clintons are
famously resilient. Hillary Clinton has the resources, the machine
and the moxie to become the next Comeback Kid. It’s less likely, but
John Edwards could still emerge as the alternative to both Clinton
and Obama.

This
is only step one. But whatever happens from here on out, Barack
Obama’s victory in the Iowa caucuses has made political history —
and should make all Americans proud.

Bill
Press is host of a nationally syndicated radio show and author of a
new book, "How
the Republicans Stole Religion."
You can hear "The Bill Press Show" at billpressshow.com.
His email address is: bill@billpress.com. His Web site is:
www.billpress.com.