Political analysts break down every small denouement into its atomized particles. One such exercise is tracking demographics of American voters. And the Obama campaign is of particular interest as it represents a whole new phylum for probing, deliberating, deconstructing. The excitement is palpable, world interest contagious.
Shelby Steele, author of A Bound Man, and a Fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institute is well-situated to render an opinion. He is also the child of a racially-mixed marriage and has grown to his own maturity via paths similar to Obama's. He knows the tensions associated with alienation that comes from never owning a true spot to call
home. He knows Barack's struggle reconciling those polar spheres. As a black candidate for public office--thrust into the position of courting black and white constituents--he must tread lightly to appease both, offend neither.
Steele writes eloquently about this dilemma in the opening chapter of A Bound Man. Race issues became hurdles in a life lived between cultures which have rarely, if ever, blended into mutual understanding. He feels that this biracial element has eclipsed Obama, the officer seeker, from Obama, the individual man. The excerpts can be found online with other biographical information.
In today's hotly-contested primaries, the same contented intellectuals are enamored of Obama's message for change versus stagnation. Much support also comes from younger white voters, flush with opportunities afforded by a good life premised
on a good economy for decades. They have never truly experienced bad times, been tested; their rallying cry (as voiced in a TV ad) is "I want it all! I want it now!"
They are self-confident and impatient. A defining sentiment seems to be a need for instant gratification. Now the future looks sour; they demand a quick-fix. Obama seems good-to-go and is closer to their own generation. He will make it better. He says so and the media, caught up in the hyperbole, chortle 24/7 about his potential. "Happy Days Are Here Again." Should we wonder about any simplistic invocation of the old days? The past was always the territory of senior citizens and always seen as
a pointless flight of fancy.
We do not have the luxury of experimenting with radical social change. Barack Obama may be a good man but his reach has outstripped his readiness. He needs more seasoning, more hands-on experience with the realities that threaten our country in a troubled world. Hope is a fine thing when it is leveraged by practical sense and sensibility.
I think Senator Hillary Clinton is more of a known quantity and should be handed the reins of government in November. I have heard many on the Democratic side say to give Obama the benefit of the doubt. Alright, I will. I doubt seriously that he is up to the task.
And I am curious as to who invented his candidacy. The Pentecostal ferver which follows every campaign rally should give us pause. Such ardor is illusory, rarely lasting beyond the first autumn frost.
