Today Obama introduced his running mate, Joe Biden. In that introduction Obama seemed to show that he has learned how to make a Democratic stump speech and deliver it with passion. Twice he attacked Bush and McCain for their “bluster” over the Russian response to Georgia. Then he turned the mic over to Biden, who went on to praise McCain but then say that we needed more than a good soldier, we need a wise leader. Both made effective attacks on McCain in his area of perceived strength.
This was the second positive development in as many days. Yesterday, (Friday, 8-22-’08,) conservative commentator Pat Buchanan wrote an opinion piece, And None Dare Call It Treason that appeared on Yahoo news, among other places. In this piece Buchanan, who has impeccable conservative credentials dating back to the Nixon Administration,(Nattering Nabobs of Negativism” was his line,) accused McCain’s chief foreign policy advisor, Randy Scheunemamm, of Treason:
“He is a dual loyalist, a foreign agent whose assignment is to get America committed to spilling the blood of her sons for client regimes who have made this moral mercenary a rich man.”
A better placed and more forceful messenger than Pat Buchanan would be hard to find. He appears on half of the political talk shows originating from the US east coast. Now the Democrats have to have the courage to pick up this bludgeon and use it on McCain. Then maybe their ticket will have a chance. (More below the fold)
When I was a teenager I belonged to a chapter of the Masonic youth organization, DeMolay, in Shidler, Oklahoma. For several years we had the state champion team for the Installation of Officers ceremony and traveled across the state by car to perform installations. On one of these trips the subject of gang fights arose, probably from media coverage, as there was no gang problem in rural Oklahoma in the 50s. Every one was stating their preference for what weapon they would prefer in a gang fight, knife, chain, club… Before I said anything the advisor, who was driving spoke:
“You know what I would recommend you choose?” He asked.
“What!” We all responded.
“A piece of greased string.” He said.
“A piece of greased string! Why would you want that?”
We asked.
“So that when they take it away from you and cram it up your ass, it won’t hurt so much!” He responded. End of discussion.
Since November of 2006 that seems to have described the attitude of the Democrats in Congress. While the Bush Administration has conducted a systematic assault on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, attempted to produce a Permanent Republican Majority by intimidating the lobbyists into only supporting Republicans and began asserting doctrines appropriate to Absolutist Monarchies of the 18th Century, such as The President Can Do No Wrong, the Democrats were afraid to challenge them for fear of having any challenge turned against them. Their preferred weapon has been the piece of greased string. That is a strategy for survival, not for victory. Perhaps this will now change.
During the primaries my favorite candidates were Biden, Dodd and Richardson. I didn’t think any could win the nomination and so I hoped for Edwards. Good that I didn’t get my wish! I preferred Hillary over Barack. I liked Barack, liked his style and oratory, but was dismayed by his campaign’s disdain of specifics and was afraid that he might be too high minded to win the Presidency. I feared that he would be the perfect candidate to win the nomination and then, again, loose the race. He seemed to lack passion and toughness. But he did appeal to independents, many Republicans and some Libertarians.
Fortunately, my concern and that of others of like mind for the survival of even the forms of democratic government in the USA have been shared by people across the spectrum: Pat Buchanan, as cited above, Susan Eisenhower, Larry Hunter, Lincoln Chafee, Jim Leach, Doug Kmeic and many other lifelong Republicans have endorsed Obama out of concern and alarm at the direction the country has taken. Tom Bernstein, classmate at Yale and co-owner of the Texas Rangers with Bush and Matthew Dowd, Bush’s chief campaign strategist in 2004 have both come out for Obama. CEO Scott Flanders of libertarian publisher R. C. Hoiles supports Obama.
All of these support Obama out of deep concern for the direction of the country and the dire consequences of another four years with Rove and/or his proteges will seal our doom in an Orwellian state. But it is still necessary that the Obama campaign confront McCain and the Bush Administration over Bush’s attacks on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, their policy of endless war waged for purposes of domestic political advantage, their looting of the economy and, therefore, McCain’s embrace of G. W. Bush.
What is it to be, the piece of greased string that Denny and Nancy have put forward or the cudgel provided by Buchanan and the support of patriotic Republicans and Libertarians? I think I know what Joe will do. What about Barack? He must be able either to find the necessary toughness within or to borrow enough from Joe Biden to do what he must in order to win. This is not a case of ends justifying means. The means can only be justified in terms of the ends they produce. There can be no justification for a McCain victory.