An Olive Branch

Posted by LK on 4/30/08 • Categorized as Politics

As is clear from the last 5 posts, I’ve been disappointed lately in both my favorite candidate for the presidency and his brain trust (an expression I much prefer to “handlers”).

I also know that if one expects a relationship to be perfect, without any bumps in the road, one won’t stay in a relationship for long. Belief in the Hollywood claptrap of perfection has caused relatively compatible partners to part company, and many parents to be disappointed in good kids whose main imperfections were likely caused by their parent’s unrealistic expectations and unwarranted disappointment in them.

So, in the Judeo-Christian spirit of forgiveness, let me make a few suggestions that may be of some help to Obama and Co.

1. Continue along the lines of the new ad running in Indiana and the posture lauded by Thomas Friedman in his Wednesday NY Times op-ed piece.

2. Straight talk can both deliver a big picture message and shift seamlessly into specific issues. Less overarching preaching and a more benevolent, empathetic presentation of policy points will separate Barack from the usual political suspects he’s running against, and will also present a stylistic contrast to his earlier modes of campaigning that clearly didn’t play to blue-collar America, while having the added benefit of further separating him from the Reverend Wrong. This isn’t going to lose him his base: young people who are truly concerned about the future as well as better educated folks of all races and creeds.

3. If there are any other Reverend Wrongs in the closet, say Tony Rezko for example, get out ahead of them, way ahead of them. And never again forget that it is the perception of the facts, and not the facts themselves, that often matter most in an election. It’s not unlike professional wrestling in that it’s what the ref sees that defines the outcome of the match, not what actually happens. This may be the one thing that George W. knows that’s worth knowing. As I’ve said in a previous post, Oprah displayed the acumen of a savvy public figure and left the Rev’s church, while Barack didn’t.

4. Why haven’t you made it more obvious to the blue collar voter that they’ve got much more in common with Barack than they do with McCain or Hillary? McCain, by admitting that he was less than a stellar student at Annapolis, also implied that his privileged Admiral daddy probably pulled a few strings to get him admitted there. Wish I had that kind of juice behind me when I was a kid. And Clinton’s father had a small but successful textile business; he didn’t sit around weaving as she implied in the PA campaign. Then, take a look at Hillary’s Wellesley thesis. Next to her early radical rants, the Reverend sounds like a moderate and Barack like George Will. This from a young woman who 7 years earlier was a fervent Goldwater supporter. Hmmm. She seems easily influenced by her surroundings. Can’t you politicos extrapolate on that a bit? That’s not to say that people don’t grow and change, but Barack grew and changed without access to an influential parent, and played basketball while traipsing around the world in a non-nuclear family while Hillary played tennis in the suburbs.

The lapses of the past two weeks may cost him the ultimate political price, cost you some coveted White House jobs, and most importantly, may cost all of us our best hope for a national turnaround.

Don’t let that happen. Re-read The Art of War and get back to work.

Your friend, LK.