When truth beats fiction
James Forsyth 3:19pm
Flicking between the news stations just now, I came across a channel showing the episode of the West Wing in which Matt Santos, a Latino candidate, is elected president. But when you think about Obama’s story it is more remarkable than any TV or film script. Indeed, in fiction it would seem implausible.
Four and a bit years ago, a black Senate candidate with an usual name addressed the Democratic National Convention. The sheer power of his rhetoric transformed him from an aspiring local politician to a national figure. He spoke to a widespread yearning for unity.
A couple of years later, after a book tour in which he had drawn crowds that would be the envy of candidates running for any office, he decided to take on the most powerful machine in the Democratic party and run for the party’s nomination. For months, polls showed him far behind Hillary Clinton. But the Obama campaign didn’t panic and he pulled off a remarkable win in Iowa. Then, Hillary came back from apparent political death in New Hampshire. Obama responded with possibly the best speech of his career and kept on keeping on with the strategy he mapped out. This moment seems more significant than ever this morning; it was the time when Obama displayed the calm temperament and the ability to handle a set back that are so essential for a president.
A historic and thumping win in South Carolina, a state where the scourge of racism has taken a particularly vicious toll, set the stage for Obama’s February run which was born of brilliant organisation and left Hillary with too big a gap to close.
As the Democratic nominee in the political environment of 2008, Obama was always favoured to win. The financial crisis put rocket boosters under the Obama campaign and killed off McCain’s chances. There can be little doubt that Obama needed to demonstrate more political skills to win the nomination than the White House. But he also deserves immense credit for an election strategy that identified pick up opportunities—for instance, Indiana—that no one saw.
With his election, Obama has transformed America. Never again will it be credible for anyone to tell a little black boy that he cannot grow up to be president. This does not mean that racism has disappeared from American life. But no one can say racism has a veto on political change. Indeed, in the key swing states of Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia, those who said that race was a factor in their vote went for Obama by significant margins.
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Brad Brzezinski
November 5th, 2008 4:11pm Report this commentHe speaks of unity but his campaign was based on the demonisation of the incumbent.
Now, his opponents congratulate him as his party never did the incumbent; instead they intensified the campaign rhetoric and kept it going for 8 years. I doubt they're about to stop.
Murk
November 5th, 2008 4:36pm Report this commentInterestingly, the writers of the West Wing went and studied a certain up and coming senator when generating the Santos plot.
The west wing was great - I do miss it (though, if there had been a season 8, I'd have wanted to see a Vinick Whitehouse to mix things up a bit)
Ganpat Ram
November 5th, 2008 4:58pm Report this commentIt was a measly victory, just over 50 per cent in extreme circumstances of Repuiblican failure and discredit.
The US working class only very reluctantly - some of them - sided with Obama, at the very end.
Nothing to write home about.
Disillusion will follow.
David
November 5th, 2008 5:00pm Report this commentI'm not quite sure why they should congratulate an utter disaster of an incumbant, nor why they should have refrained from pointing this out during the campaign.
David
November 5th, 2008 5:11pm Report this commentMurk is right - apparently Santos was partially based on Obama. And the man who is set to become his CoS was also an inspiration for Josh Lyman.
Also, don't forget that Vinnick was going to win until John Spencer died; they thought it would be too depressing for Santos to lose at the end after that. I was a Vinick man myself.
seasurfer1
November 5th, 2008 5:18pm Report this commentThe African Americans have had their hopes raised high with rhetoric. It is not possible to satisfy such hopes and dreams.
America could be heavily divided within two years!
Water
November 5th, 2008 6:12pm Report this commentSome times truth is better then fiction, but not on this occasion. He became a president like many others (and due to some ideas churned through many times it is a pity).
But I wish him good fortune none the less because the future of his countrymen and women lie with him for the immediate future.
Good luck to the Americans, but now for the elections on this side that many people are itching for.
Susan Hill
November 5th, 2008 7:16pm Report this commentBut he isn`t a black American as in black Americans, he is of mixed race and came from Kenya. And if a white President had a pro-whites policy what would he be called by everyone ? Obama isn`t stupid... he knows he lives in a world where he can`t favour blacks over whites or vice versa. I saw a woman on TV shouting this was the New Jerusalem ' 'Obama`s going to make us rich. Obama`s going to give us justice and my children will never be disadvantaged again.'
When they`re still where they are now in 4 years time, who can fulfil their dream then poor things ? No wonder he has already started saying nobody can live up to all these expectations.
The Founding Father
November 5th, 2008 8:41pm Report this commentLast nigh was certainly historic... Its not every day your able to see a re-run of a #9 team upset a #1. Great night to say the least!
www.themantuary.com
Cogito Ergosum
November 5th, 2008 10:36pm Report this commentIt reminds me of Harold Wilson being elected in 1964 after he verbally put in the boot against the Conservatives. Many people had high hopes of Wilson, and were eventually hugely disappointed.
I hope, for the sake of the UK, that Obama unlike Wilson is more than just an eloquent speaker.
Chris
November 6th, 2008 12:09am Report this comment>But when you think about Obama’s story it is more remarkable than any TV or film script. Indeed, in fiction it would seem implausible.
As Ambrose Bierce (or H. L. Mencken, can't be bothered to check) said, 'Nobody ever got poor by underestimating the intelligence of the American public.' Today is a historic day, the Republicans deserved to lose, and I'm delighted that America is ready to elect a black president; but I despair that it's ready to elect this woefully unqualified, extreme leftist expert in hypocritical doublespeak. (See Brad Brzezinski's comment.) Still, at least it's now the turn of us on the right (at least those of us who are not Obama lemmings) to say 'Stupid f*cking Americans,' with reference to the outcome of a presidential election.
shirtbloke
November 6th, 2008 2:49pm Report this commentThe first Obama insults have appeared.
I've just seen him described as a "Halfrican American."
saffron_75
November 9th, 2008 7:11am Report this commentBrad, take a break. Even McCain shunned W in this election.
Ganpat Ram, please stop being a sore loser. No point in imposing your wishful thinking on the whole electorate. Are you yearning for 'disillusion' just to prove a point. The US elects its President on electoral votes and not on percentage of popular votes. Based on your standards W wasn't supposed to be President.
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