Barack Obama is closing in on the presidency and, for the 90th Saturday in a row, I'm cheering him on.
I applaud the fact that he and his campaign has outworked the competition for 630 days, and counting. If it wasn't conceiving the most effective strategy for winning and being able to govern after victory, it was implementing it from the ground up and building an unparalleled organization. The candidate himself is incredibly appealing, but the underlying work ethic, seriousness of purpose and sheer endurance of this enterprise has been the foundation for his strength all along. It has used our money wisely, encouraging us to give more. Barack has more than held up his end of the bargain. Thank you, sir.
I applaud No Drama Obama, who strikes me as a hell of a guy to work for. 90 weeks, and not a hint of dissension, backbiting, or recriminations. Amazing, for any of us who have tried to get five people to pull a sled in the same direction at any point in our professional lives. He has said many times, want to know how I'll run my White House, watch how I run my campaign. It's a line that he no longer even has to use, so great is the respect that he has built up for his organization in the minds of so many.
Contrast the Obama campaign with of John McCain. Mr. McCain, you are outmatched this year, but that's not entirely your fault. Being outworked, that's another story. Your nomination has been assured since February, and you were content to watch Hillary and Barack go at each other. For four solid weeks, there was even the possibility that Rev. Wright would torpedo the Democratic nominee. What were you doing at the time? Nothing more than snorting to yourself with pleasure, to judge the sad state of affairs your organization finds itself in right now. Maybe your party can start reading up on how to make the most of early voting for 2012.
I applaud the grit and determination that kept this thing alive when it could have died. Obama might make it look easy, but we know it hasn't been. There was a time in the primaries where it looked as if no amount of effort would make a difference in the minds of too many voters. The stretch from March 4 (Texas and Ohio) through April 22 (Pennsylvania) would have downsized the dreams of just about any politician. With all of his organzational and financial advantages, Obama couldn't break through with a lot of working class voters and he was pilloried for it. And it was during this period that the Greatest Hits of Rev. Wright took center stage. It looked like he had changed the subject with his March 18 speech on race, only to have Wright re-emerge as a problem two weeks later. It was that speech that made it possible for him cut those ties without offending anyone. An act of political necessity was rendered with an uncommon sincerity and, yes, convincing vulnerability. None of it was staged; all of it was real.
I applaud the fact that, through it all, Barack kept it together. He is strong, but not distant. Calm, but not insensitive. Caring, but not indulgent. Calculating, but not manipulative. His humanity has come through each and every one of these 630 days. Amazing.
People will say it was the financial crisis that put Barack in a position to win. What it really did was encourage many people in the middle to carefully review their options. Barack Obama and his campaign were in a position to benefit from a crisis because of who the candidate is and how he and his organization have conducted themselves for 90 weeks. That's the reality that will get us through the 91st week and to November 4.
:patriot:
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