Letter From America
McCain's nomination good news for Dems
FOR the first time in 48 years, a senator will be elected president of the United States of America on November 4. Since Massachusetts senator John F. Kennedy's election as the nation's highest executive in 1960, several other Senators tried to emulate him, among them Barry Goldwater (1964), George McGovern (1972), Bob Dole (1996), and John Kerry (2004). Sitting presidents, former vice-presidents or former governors defeated them all.
This year, one among the trio of sitting senators -- Senator John McCain, Senator Hillary Clinton and Senator Barack Obama -- will be elected president. And the chances are that America will elect either its first woman or its first black, president.
With the exception of Ronald Reagan, a consummate actor, America has not treated elderly presidential candidates kindly. Reagan was 69 when he was elected president in 1980. On August 29, 2008, John McCain will turn 72. Hillary Clinton is 60 and Barack Obama is 46.
When there was that much of a gap in age, the younger candidates defeated even sitting presidents. Eleven years younger Jimmy Carter defeated sitting President Gerald Ford in 1976. Twenty-two years younger Bill Clinton dethroned the sitting President George Herbert Walker Bush in 1992. And when the 23 years older Bob Dole challenged Clinton in 1996, it was no contest. Democrats are salivating at the prospect of 26-year younger Barack Obama, he of chiseled physique and golden voice, taking on the grizzly and gruff-voiced McCain.
America also has an eye for good looks and an ear for a good voice. Kennedy, Reagan and Clinton were not only more handsome but were also more articulate than their opponents. It is said that in the 1960 presidential election, American women voted for Kennedy because he was handsome and American men voted for him because he had a pretty wife!
America also has fascination for height. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Reagan and Clinton were much taller than their opponents. Among the three candidates this year, Obama is clearly the winner on looks although Hillary Clinton is also a good-looking woman. Advantage Democrats. Obama is the one with the golden voice. Hillary cackles and claps too much, and McCain speaks in a sonorous monotone. Advantage Obama. When they stand side by side, Obama dwarfs McCain. So, clearly, advantage Obama.
What about the fact that Obama is black? America will never elect a black man president, goes the conventional wisdom. Interestingly, many whites are questioning why, with a black father and white mother, Obama is labeled "black." Logically, he could just as well be labeled "white."
Although Barack has not made a fuss about it, but golf legend Tiger Woods has about his being labeled "black." Woods' dad, the late Earl Woods, was a black man with some caucasian blood. Tiger's mother, Kultida, is Thai. If he is labeled only "black," that is disrespectful to his mother, Tiger says. Tiger coined the term "Cablasian" to describe his heritage. ("Ca" for caucasian, "bl" for black, "asian" for Asian.)
The truth is, to many Americans, Barack Obama does not come across as all that black. His language, intonation, and mannerisms are more mainstream than black. America has never seen a black candidate like Obama. Or a candidate like him, period. In his crossover appeal, Barack Obama is like Tiger Woods. Perhaps it takes a qualified candidate like Barack Obama for America to demonstrate that American racism is exaggerated.
Historians will write many volumes on how Hillary Clinton's front-runner status and the "inevitability" towards the Democratic party presidential nomination got derailed by one Barack Obama peddling "hope." The Clinton campaign was so haughty, so certain that they would wrap-up the nomination on February 5 that they did not make plans for February 6 and beyond. Obama did.
Barack Obama's campaign is better organised, has more troops on the ground, more money and much more enthusiasm going forward. It is true that the Clintons are most dangerous when they are cornered. But, right now, Barack Obama has 130 more pledged delegates, has won twice as many states, and leads in the popular votes cast count.
Despite the Clintons' mastery of sophistry, it will be extremely difficult for them to convince the super-delegates to support Hillary Clinton when Barack Obama leads in every important category.
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