How Obama Can Avoid Landmines In Denver
August 24th 2008 22:15
There haven’t been this many television cameras trained on Denver since the last time the Broncos were in the Super Bowl. Unlike the Super Bowl, however, this occasion may prove to be violent and messy. Politics is a rough business. So when the Democratic National Convention kicks off in the Mile High City later today, be sure to keep an eye out for the fireworks. Events like this tend to bring the crazies out of the woodwork.
The DNC will be the coronation ceremony for Barack Obama. It’s been a long time coming. Bringing the primaries earlier and earlier has meant that the presumptive nominee has been running as a candidate for months before he is officially confirmed. Gone are the days when the Convention actually had a bit of intrigue about it. No. These days it’s more of a giant political rally. If anything, most of the intrigue in the lead-up came from who Obama was going to name as his Vice Presidential candidate. A little while ago I ran down the list of possibilities and I’m happy to say Obama took my advice and picked Delaware Senator Joe Biden as a running mate. Yes. I’m going to take credit for that pick. Someone has to. Obama made the right decision in making his pick. Biden is a rabid attack dog and brings much needed gravitas to the ticket. Obama has had a lot of problems making connections to working class white voters that had flocked en masse to Hillary Clinton, and despite the fact that Biden has been a D.C. politician for decades he still has an affability that will help the ticket draw some of that support back and make sure the working class white folk don’t stay home on voting day. The only problem Obama has with Biden is in the event he does get into office. Biden is a big character. He has a lot more experience in politics than Obama, a lot more friends in the international community and a lot more friends on Capitol Hill. Obama might have just stepped into the same trap that George W. Bush did 8 years ago. The last two presidential terms have drastically altered the role of VP and made it exponentially more of an active job. Having Biden as his number two may mean that Obama will have to turn to the VP more often to get jobs done that he himself struggles with, and in doing so cede more duties onto Biden than he may wish. Biden may bring a different demographic to the ticket. But Obama may find that he turns out to be a poisoned chalice to his presidency more often than not.
Biden’s first major test will be the DNC and how he and Obama work together to rally the troops and unify a party that’s been scarred by a rough and tumble primary campaign. McCain already has TV ads out blasting Obama for not picking Hillary as his VP because, as McCain asserts, Hillary insulted Obama during the campaign and he didn’t like to hear the truth. Now, Hillary has come out and denounced the ad, saying it certainly doesn’t reflect the truth and she’s looking forward to helping unify the party. But one has to wonder. The Clinton’s are known for their political grudges and taking politics very personally. The primaries took a lot out of Obama and you couldn’t blame them for being a little bitter about the young upstart that came out of nowhere to destroy what should have been a sure-bet for the nomination. Hillary voters say they are still going to symbolically show their support by voting for her at the Convention. While it may be the honourable thing to do for someone who fought such a spectacular campaign, it will only serve to expose the gaping wounds festering in the Democratic Party.
Besides the Clinton stoush, there are other issues going awry in Denver. Thousands of anti-war protesters are showing up, apparently unconcerned that the Democrats are actually the ones that want to withdraw from Iraq. You all know my feelings on protesters. They have a very vague relationship with logic. Then Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s hotel gets evacuated because a man walked in with a virtual cache of weapons attached to himself. Like I said, politics brings the crazies out. Not only crazies from outside the political world too. The Republicans have set up shop across the road from the location of the DNC, led by McCain’s top VP contender Mitt Romney, and are planning their own simultaneous convention at which they will watch proceedings from the DNC and rebut them in real time. With media coverage of the Democrats due to block the Republicans out of the game for the next week, it’s a valid grab for at least some media attention. Even moreso if Romney does turn out to be the VP pick. He’s boosting his profile, possibly with a goal to announce his new position at the climax of the alternate-conference. Time will soon tell.
So there you have it. The players are all in place and the DNC is kicking off in a matter of hours. It will be interesting to see Obama-Biden lay out their game plan for the rest of the campaign. Whispers have it that Obama is going to take a hard line against McCain and Bush, which is sure to appease the base and play to the crowd. But he must be careful. The people who voted for Obama did so because they thought he was a different breed of politician. That he didn’t descend to the levels of the typical Washingtonian. He starts throwing mud, there’s sure to be some that splashes back on him.
If he can avoid a Clinton mutiny, the anti-war protesters, the Republicans across the road, the troubles of a more experienced VP and the danger of slinging mud he might just come through this alive.
The DNC will be the coronation ceremony for Barack Obama. It’s been a long time coming. Bringing the primaries earlier and earlier has meant that the presumptive nominee has been running as a candidate for months before he is officially confirmed. Gone are the days when the Convention actually had a bit of intrigue about it. No. These days it’s more of a giant political rally. If anything, most of the intrigue in the lead-up came from who Obama was going to name as his Vice Presidential candidate. A little while ago I ran down the list of possibilities and I’m happy to say Obama took my advice and picked Delaware Senator Joe Biden as a running mate. Yes. I’m going to take credit for that pick. Someone has to. Obama made the right decision in making his pick. Biden is a rabid attack dog and brings much needed gravitas to the ticket. Obama has had a lot of problems making connections to working class white voters that had flocked en masse to Hillary Clinton, and despite the fact that Biden has been a D.C. politician for decades he still has an affability that will help the ticket draw some of that support back and make sure the working class white folk don’t stay home on voting day. The only problem Obama has with Biden is in the event he does get into office. Biden is a big character. He has a lot more experience in politics than Obama, a lot more friends in the international community and a lot more friends on Capitol Hill. Obama might have just stepped into the same trap that George W. Bush did 8 years ago. The last two presidential terms have drastically altered the role of VP and made it exponentially more of an active job. Having Biden as his number two may mean that Obama will have to turn to the VP more often to get jobs done that he himself struggles with, and in doing so cede more duties onto Biden than he may wish. Biden may bring a different demographic to the ticket. But Obama may find that he turns out to be a poisoned chalice to his presidency more often than not.
Biden’s first major test will be the DNC and how he and Obama work together to rally the troops and unify a party that’s been scarred by a rough and tumble primary campaign. McCain already has TV ads out blasting Obama for not picking Hillary as his VP because, as McCain asserts, Hillary insulted Obama during the campaign and he didn’t like to hear the truth. Now, Hillary has come out and denounced the ad, saying it certainly doesn’t reflect the truth and she’s looking forward to helping unify the party. But one has to wonder. The Clinton’s are known for their political grudges and taking politics very personally. The primaries took a lot out of Obama and you couldn’t blame them for being a little bitter about the young upstart that came out of nowhere to destroy what should have been a sure-bet for the nomination. Hillary voters say they are still going to symbolically show their support by voting for her at the Convention. While it may be the honourable thing to do for someone who fought such a spectacular campaign, it will only serve to expose the gaping wounds festering in the Democratic Party.
Besides the Clinton stoush, there are other issues going awry in Denver. Thousands of anti-war protesters are showing up, apparently unconcerned that the Democrats are actually the ones that want to withdraw from Iraq. You all know my feelings on protesters. They have a very vague relationship with logic. Then Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s hotel gets evacuated because a man walked in with a virtual cache of weapons attached to himself. Like I said, politics brings the crazies out. Not only crazies from outside the political world too. The Republicans have set up shop across the road from the location of the DNC, led by McCain’s top VP contender Mitt Romney, and are planning their own simultaneous convention at which they will watch proceedings from the DNC and rebut them in real time. With media coverage of the Democrats due to block the Republicans out of the game for the next week, it’s a valid grab for at least some media attention. Even moreso if Romney does turn out to be the VP pick. He’s boosting his profile, possibly with a goal to announce his new position at the climax of the alternate-conference. Time will soon tell.
So there you have it. The players are all in place and the DNC is kicking off in a matter of hours. It will be interesting to see Obama-Biden lay out their game plan for the rest of the campaign. Whispers have it that Obama is going to take a hard line against McCain and Bush, which is sure to appease the base and play to the crowd. But he must be careful. The people who voted for Obama did so because they thought he was a different breed of politician. That he didn’t descend to the levels of the typical Washingtonian. He starts throwing mud, there’s sure to be some that splashes back on him.
If he can avoid a Clinton mutiny, the anti-war protesters, the Republicans across the road, the troubles of a more experienced VP and the danger of slinging mud he might just come through this alive.
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