Pray, then kill, then pray again: Analysing the Obama victory

Nov 08, 2008 Freddie Kissoon

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For those who use the Internet daily, they would have seen a plethora of assessments on the Obama victory.  Many in Guyana may not have seen those voluminous arguments as to why Obama won, because they may not have access either to the Internet and/or foreign newspapers.
For those folks, here is a summary of the developments in American society that led to Obama’s success. I have left out a few crucial but minor areas, like Obama’s huge campaign fund.
First, the demographics: The Evangelical Right defeated John Kerry in 2004. These are people who are extreme conservatives. They believe in guns, war, old time American values, and God. Whichever candidate supported the Iraqi war got their votes. Sarah Palin was drafted in to deliver those people to John Mc Cain.
It didn’t work, because there is a large percentage of young people in the U.S. who can now negate the electoral strength of this constituency. John Kerry failed to galvanise them in 2004, but the fantastic campaign machine of the Obama workers got to them.
It must be noted that the Evangelical Right kept the faith with Mc Cain, but the younger generation that wanted a break with the past rooted for Obama. This explained why Obama won conservative states that went to George Bush the last time. The list included Virginia, which no Democratic presidential candidate had won since 1964.
Secondly, the ghost of Bush: The current American President, at the time of the election campaign, had a rating that was even lower than Richard Nixon’s. For any success to come John McCain’s way, he had to distance himself from George Bush. But Mc Cain ideologically was uncomfortable with such a stance.
Mr. Obama virtually killed the Mc Cain campaign with his stuck record of a vote for Mc Cain was a vote for George Bush. That stuck record stuck in the ears of voters, and Mc Cain never recovered.
To be noted is that McCain did not help himself. He refused to denounce the Iraqi war, and he committed political suicide when, in the face of the worst economic crisis in the U.S. since the Great Depression of 1929, he announced that the fundamentals of the economy were in order.
Americans who were suffering must have been really mad when they heard that.
Thirdly, the Sarah Palin albatross: I have read an interesting analysis that says that Mrs. Palin was rammed down the throat of Mr. McCain. That writer opined that the Evangelical Right was suspicious of the maverick nature of McCain and wanted him to prove his loyalty by accepting a dyed-in-the-wool conservative as his running mate.
There was nothing wrong with Mrs. Palin as a person. It was just that, as the days wore on and the media pressed her, she came over as a person not knowledgeable about complex domestic and foreign issues.
In contrast, her competitor, Joseph Biden, appeared more presidential. Those who didn’t like the closeness between Mc Cain and Bush finally parted ways with McCain after they saw Palin perform. Palin took a huge beating from the media.
Fourthly, the economy: Mr. Obama got a generous gift that few humans in history ever received.
When times are tough, the sitting government gets the blame. In the case of the U.S. presidential election, although Obama was the front-runner, his victory was assured because the U.S. economy had collapsed. Mr. McCain’s campaign collapsed with it because, in his eyes, there was no disaster; he told the public the fundamentals of the economy were in shape.
Fifthly, a substantial percentage of voters, but particularly young people, saw the waning of America under eight years of Republican rule. The economy, democracy, the rule of law — quintessential American values — were lacerated under Mr. Bush. The dream was to break with that sordid politics.
Obama knew that was what his message had to be, because it was the only message the American people wanted to hear. Mc Cain didn’t stand a chance.
Sixthly, and finally, Barack Obama was a phenomenon: Mr. Mc Cain was a loser from the start.
There could not have been a comparison. The American people were fascinated by this man’s history, his life story, his oratory and his promise. Mr. Obama appeared in the eyes of the American press and the American people as a unique, unusual person that may be the saviour they were looking for.
Everything about him was right – family life, clean political record, non-racial appeal, reliable politics, integrity of character, humble and unostentatious style. He lived simply and stayed clear of Washington conspiracies. He unapologetically championed the cause of the classes that weren’t doing well in wealthy America. He came across as a man for all seasons.

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