D'Oh...

The normally silver tongued Obama came out of the gates with a stumble. Though not major, the misstep was embarrassing due to its poor taste. Here are some good rules to follow if you intend to be a bipartisan statesman:

1. Never make a joke at the expense of someone's spouse.

2. Make fun of seances.

3. Don't make fun of Nancy Reagan if you want to make conservative friends. You may as well say you hate the Gipper.

4. Don't ignore Fox News, unless it is someone from Fox and Friends.

5. If you are the President-Elect, be sure to point out there is only one President.

6. If you must answer questions about the First Dog (cringe), make sure you mock the questions with faux seriousness and excessive deliberation.

7. Don't answer serious questions with less seriousness and deliberation than you would use to answer questions about the First Dog (cringe).

Obviously not a complete list, but it is a start. The scorecard: 3 good moves, 3 bad, 1 arguable (maybe it is good to ignore Fox).

Why McCain Lost: He Ran Away from Himself

Though those who know me well would quickly acknowledge that I am pragmatic centrist, some have mistakenly taken me as a raving liberal (mostly for my defense of socially liberal policies). I am not alone as a pragmatic centrist, I firmly believe I am typical of most of America.

"Pragmatic centrist" was one way to describe Sen. John McCain prior to his 2008 Presidential bid, or at least a viable narrative of his career. Sen. McCain attempted to forge practical solutions to his pet problems. For example, McCain-Feingold (though much of it found to be unconstitutional) strived for practical, tangible, understandable measures to manage the perception of inappropriate campaign finance methods.

McCain developed a reputation of ignoring his party leadership when he thought they were wrong, lending credence to the mythology of a man unconstrained by partisan fetters. He also sought alliances throughout the Senate to develop paths to success through any party.

But McCain as the "pragmatic centrist" McCain learned a very important lesson from his 2000 Presidential try: one will not be a Republican nominee by being a centrist. McCain's understanding of the essentiality of gaining approval from the right wing of the Republicans led him to turn right during the primary. His fear of the effect of his maverick reputation compelled him to continually campaign to the right, away from the center, and away from his nature.

McCain is not Reagan, not Romney, and (thankfully) not Palin. McCain was attractive as McCain: the right-leaning pragmatist who would abandon ideological solutions if they didn't make sense.

Though the failing economy didn't help his chances, and blaming his loss on the economy makes conservative ideologues feel better, McCain lost because he didn't understand his role. He didn't understand his relationship to the Republican party, he didn't understand his strategic message, and he didn't understand the tactical steps to pursue a winning strategy. 

Nothing typified his confusions more than his VP pick. Mrs. Palin seemed unprepared, too conservative, too divisive, too inexperienced, too little of nearly every required attribute. Palin proved he didn't understand his audience (hint: it wasn't the extreme right).

Personally, McCain is inspiring and admirable. Unfortunately for him, he couldn't effectively communicate his pragmatic, centrist, principled political instincts to the right demographic. But he deserves congratulations, if for nothing else than his honorable and gracious concession.

 

A Singular Historical Moment

Two events are sometimes sufficient to draw an arc through history. For me, prior to November 4th, the death of Dr. M. L. King marked a point of despair and hopelessness in American history. It marked the end of the organized, non-violent struggle for social and civic justice. The attached picture, just moments before Dr. King's death, shows hope, leadership, and promise in the faces of Dr. King and his key aides. It is the one I think of when I think of Dr. King's death. 

On the night of November 4th, 2008, Dr. King's death was transformed into something different for me. It marked another beginning, a realization of Dr. King's dream. Dr. King's vocation to live and nurture the Christian social gospel planted seeds of hope throughout the country, one of which blossomed the night of the 4th.

For those who worked with Dr. King, seeing President-Elect Obama must have been ineffably fulfilling, an unimaginable reward for often thankless labor. Perhaps no image captured the toll of that struggle or completed the historical arc more clearly than Rev. Jesse Jackson's tears.