Talk and speculation of an Obama / Clinton “Dream Team” has died down in the past few weeks as the Democratic rivals have focused on “unity” instead of “team.” Filling campaign war chests, constructing battle strategies and preparing for the brutal campaign clash are the priorities of the McCain and Obama forces, with the question of the vice presidential nominee’s name subordinate to the development of a winning foreign policy and domestic strategy. This November’s presidential election will more likely hinge on the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the nation’s economic status (“it’s still the economy, stupid!”) than who holds the #2 slot on each ticket.
Early signs indicate that this year’s campaign battle will be the most expensive and, likely, most bitter presidential encounter ever. Why? As much as Americans tell pollsters they dislike negative campaigning, campaign staffs also know how effective critical, unfavorable advertising is.
Following his “let’s take the gloves off” primary battle with Hillary, Obama is a more tested warrior: McCain’s hiring of Rove disciple Steve Schmidt speaks for itself – lets get ready to rumble! The folks who gave us the Swift Boat campaign have not gone away, and MoveOn.org has demonstrated its ability to get down and dirty (remember General BetrayUs?). Themes of racism and ageism with the lingering sexism will persist long past the November election and are eternally contemporary themes within the United States.
The total cost of this year’s election, combining the primaries and general election, is likely to exceed $1 billion. Can you think of a better way to spend a billion dollars?
In his Farewell Address, George Washington warned against partisan politics (factions). The message of this speech, still read annually in the US Senate, has not been accepted. We are a divided nation, fighting over strategies in the War on Terror, economics, public education, cultural issues, immigration and the environment.
But it is never too late for the Democrats to remember that the Republicans are not their enemy, or vice versa. We are in an economic crisis – with 90 million US resident living at or below the poverty live. We are in an energy crisis – with the price of gasoline reaching new highs almost daily and the long-term effects of the price of oil on all portions of our nation uncertain. We are in an environmental crisis – with the growing realization that Global Warming is not a political issue but a looming threat to the survival of hundreds of billions of persons. We are in a War on Terror crisis – with the enemy winning the hearts and minds of the world’s population while we fight a different war with conventional weapons, relaxed standards of torture and failed military invasions.
Prior to the adoption of the Twelfth Amendment of the US Constitution, the candidate who received the second most votes in the election (electoral college, to be precise) became the vice president. This is how John Adams and Thomas Jefferson were selected as the first and second, respectively, vice presidents of the US. Within a decade it became clear that this was not working: the nature of the relationship between victor and vanquished impeded cooperation between the two rivals. Further, this situation provided the motivation, in least in theory, for a scenario where the “one heart beat” could lead to a coup d’état. The Twelfth Amendment, passed in 1804, eliminated this possibility by electing the President and Vice Presidents as a team rather than as opponents.
What characteristics do most political commentators assume Obama will be looking for in a running mate? An older, more experienced, especially in foreign affairs, leader who can balance Obama’s youth and energy. What characteristics do most political commentators assume McCain will be looking for in a running mate? A younger, more dynamic leader who can balance McCain’s wisdom and experience. Who fits these descriptions?
Imagine Obama and McCain choosing each other as their running mates (If this is legally unacceptable, let them choose straw candidates who would resign following the election thus paving the way for the defeated rival). Picture a McCain / Obama team, or Obama / McCain: visualize a moment in history where US leaders put partisan politics aside and chose to tackle the elephant sized problems our nation is facing together rather than clashing over ant sized issues separating the two parties.
Who would be the winner in this scenario? I submit to your judgment that the American people and people of the world will be the winners. And, hence, the improbability of its reality – because we live in a nation where gaining power and office seems more important than perfecting this grand experiment in democracy and freedom.
