So Far, So Boring

After an extra long primary season wound down to a triumvirate of the Courageous Maverick, the Charismatic Change Agent and the Great Female Hope, the Lady was edged out, but left the stage reluctantly and ungracefully.

Since then, the two survivors have been waging a disappointingly dull war of words, innuendoes, accusations, denials and counter-charges, without yet engaging on their respective ideas for addressing the important issues we face.

Probably the most we can do for now is watch how both men conduct themselves through this stage of the ordeal, in order to learn more about them personally. McCain is a political dinosaur. Obama is a political phenomenon. In spite of the difference in age and experience of the candidates, most Americans who care enough to vote are now looking with fresh eyes equally at both of them.

McCain has managed to show his true colors. He has flipped and flopped so much already, in pandering to the right wing base, that voters can see his supposed independence is actually an absence of basic philosophy on many issues. His most consistent position is war hawk, not surprising for the son and grandson of Admirals, whose very career is founded on having been a downed aviator war prisoner, as he constantly reminds us. When General Wes Clark accurately responded that being shot down and imprisoned is not a per se qualification for President, outrage ensued, which is what McCain wants, since talk of his naval service plays to his strong suit and distracts the conversation from the real issues.

Obama has tried to put forth some new ideas, but they seem to be more designed to appeal to the middle and to refute the lie that he is the most liberal member of the Senate. Perhaps because of the realities of what it takes nowadays for a Democrat, particularly one of color, to be elected President, Obama has to move to the middle, and if elected he will probably have to govern from the middle, and if elected to a second term, then maybe he can bring the country to a more progressive position. He is showing himself to be a realist, which is a good quality for a President.

The polls seem to agree Obama has a slight lead, but that the country favors a generic Democrat over Obama. As he begins to get his personal story known to more voters, concerns about his background and experience should diminish. His advantage in campaign finances should help get the story out.

How the respective Vice Presidential choices are made will help shape voters images of the decision making skill of the Presidential candidates. Whatever debates actually take place will also be very important, a chance for voters to compare the candidates side by side. Clever advertising, especially from the Obama side, can also enhance the differences by showing comparison clips of the candidates to the advantage of Obama.

We need to hang in and be patient. This most wide open Presidential race in decades, coming at a time of so many challenges to our nation, has to get more interesting. Hopefully, the interest will come in the form of more voters learning who both men really are, making the comparisons, and deciding that we really do need a change toward freshness, youth, new ideas, more diversity and openness and renewed progress toward restoring the American dream at home and the American image abroad.