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Blog of Adam Daifallah -- author, journalist, law student. Lover of politics, writing, golf, curling, fitness, fashion, bacon and maple products -- not necessarily (but probably) in that order. Partisan of the Anglosphere. Contact me via email at adam@daifallah.com.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The present moment
So many elections, so little time. A Canadian federal, now one in Quebec, the U.S. presidential -- and a Liberal party leadership.
The American election was something to behold, wasn't it? A pleasure to watch. Barack Obama ran a flawless, safe campaign and with the mainstream media pushing for him every step of the way, he pulled off what can almost, but not quite, be called a landslide victory. There are always lots of "ifs" after a campaign -- If the mess on Wall St. hadn't hit at the time it did, if John McCain had put forward a sensible alternative to the bailout proposal, if he hadn't done that nonsense about "suspending" his campaign -- the race might have been a lot closer. But it seemed like the Arizona senator had a death wish from the moment he was nominated.
The fact is no Republican could have won the presidency in 2008, particularly given the economic situation. Even Elizabeth Dole couldn't hold onto her Senate seat in North Carolina. If anyone could have won it, it was McCain -- one of the most unRepublican Republicans in Washington. Another candidate would probably have lost by the same margin or worse.
I do not begrudge McCain for picking Sarah Palin as running mate. In hindsight, maybe it was a bad choice. But at the time, it was imperative that McCain make a pick that would send an electroshock across the nation. Picking Palin did. At once he rejuvenated the conservative base of the GOP, sent fundraising through the roof and got him some much needed media focus. Mistakes were made in the way she was handled and her performances in the few TV interviews she did were sub-par, but at the time, I still think McCain made the right move.
I was always lukewarm about McCain. I admire his courage and patriotism. I preferred him in the 2000 Republican primaries to George W. Bush (I knew my first choice, Steve Forbes, never had a legitimate shot, but let's hope he reconsiders for 2012.) But McCain's constant harangues against his own Republican colleagues during the Bush years became tiresome. He took the "maverick" shtick too far.
As for Obama, I am ambivalent. I never bought into the excitement surrounding him. I saw him, and still do see him, as an empty shell. He strikes me as being devoid of serious convictions. He seems overly-malleable, which will result in another poll-driven presidency like Clinton's. I have never been attracted to that kind of politician. On the other hand, his victory has inspired a lot of people and has, at least, reconfirmed my faith in America as the world's greatest meritocracy, where anyone from any background can achieve what they want through hard work.
So where do things stand for the GOP? Are we in the midst of what Peggy Noonan has deemed a "liberal moment" in America? Again, it's too early to say. Recall that 48% of Americans still voted for John McCain. I think one could go as far as to say that the Republican party has not been in this bad a shape since the mid-1970s. They are ideologically rudderless, leaderless, untrusted and have no clear path forward. It is somewhat reminiscent of ... well, of the federal Liberal party.
The elections both here and in the U.S. represent the dénouement of the slow declines of two great political parties -- the Canadian Liberals and the US Republicans. Both of these slides have been a long time coming. Both have hit rock-bottom, I think, and there's nowhere to go but up. Both are in need of serious soul-searching and rebuilding. And they will both undoubtedly do that and be back stronger than ever within a couple of years.
I think I'll stop now; my fingers are getting tired. As for the Liberal leadership race -- watch Dominic Leblanc. The generational change theme should, and I think will, have real resonance with grassroots Liberals in this country. He is ambitious, smart (Harvard educated), bilingual, and, unlike the two other aspirants, has got what Warren Kinsella calls the HOAG ("hell of a guy") thing going on. He looks like a guy you could sit and drink a few pints with. It should be an interesting race to watch.
# posted by Adam Daifallah : 4:36 PM
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