Although we have been able to predict the outcome for weeks it’s official: Barack Obama will be the 44th president of the United States. In retrospect Obama’s thorough campaign superior oratorical skills and platform for change proliferated the fact that John McCain tied to the Republican name was doomed from the start.
Obama ran the smarter campaign. He opened 33 campaign offices in Ohio – a key state in this presidential race – while McCain opened only nine. The trend carried into Virginia and New Mexico as well. Thus it is not surprising that Obama won these three states. Virginia with 13 electoral votes and Ohio with 20 were of particular importance.
And let’s face it – Obama’s speaking skills trump McCain’s any day. Polls suggest that Obama won all three of the debates and liberal-leaning media coverage didn’t help. After the first presidential debate the New York Times praised Obama’s response to the economic crisis and chastised McCain’s stating: “Mr. McCain fumbled his way through the economic portion of the debate while Mr. Obama seemed clear and confident.”
According to Taegan Goddard creator of news source Political Wire during the second presidential debate “McCain was extremely erratic … [and] sometimes … too aggressive. Other times he just couldn’t answer the question.”
McCain especially appeared aggressive during the third debate insinuating the danger of Obama’s potential ties to domestic terrorists. He also appeared un-presidential fumbling his words for example when he was attempting to tell the now-infamous “Joe the Plumber” how Obama’s tax plan would hold back his small business.
The economic crisis presented what could arguably have been McCain’s largest obstacle to the White House. Although he attempted to distance his fiscal policies from those of George W. Bush voters naturally blamed the failed economy on Republican economic policies. Obama fed this contention characterizing the economic crisis as “a final verdict on eight years of failed economic policies promoted by George Bush supported by Senator McCain during the first presidential debate.
Regardless of whether the economic crisis resulted from Republican economic policy or the greed of a handful of powerful men, the meltdown occurred under Bush, thus pointing fingers at Republican politicians. Similarly, regardless of whether Obama’s economic policies will improve the nation, his campaign for change – translated in the mind of the average American as peace and an improved economy – seems positive.
What will the country look like under Obama? Well, focusing on statements such as, When you spread the wealth around it’s good for everybody I’m tempted to say it will look something like socialism.
Obama pledges to lower taxes for 95 percent of Americans, while at the same time increasing the effective tax rate on incomes exceeding $250,000 to at least 50 percent. A tax increase of this magnitude could discourage talented, financially secure people from working if they believe their time is worth more than their compensation after taxation.
This loss of aptitude in the private sector could damage the economy overall. Because of our country’s currently critical fiscal state, lowering taxes for 95 percent of Americans seems improbable. Clinton did not fulfill his 1992 presidential campaign promise to lower taxes for families making less than $80,000 per year, presumably because he recognized that his plan was not feasible after his inauguration. Obama may experience a similar realization when he attempts to balance the federal checkbook.
In Obama’s campaign literature, he pledges to move toward ending the war in Iraq immediately, estimating that troops will be out of Iraq by the summer of 2010. Once in office, he will probably not be able to stick to his simple solution for ending the war.
When Obama takes on the role of commander in chief, he will be forced to evaluate the situation in Iraq and collaborate with military personnel in order to determine the safest exit strategy for our troops. I believe Obama genuinely wants to end the war in Iraq, as do most Americans. I also think, however, the main motivation behind his plan was to pander to anti-war supporters, not develop a feasible Iraq solution.
On a more positive note, America’s global perception is bound to improve. Almost half of the 22 countries the British Broadcasting Company polled last summer indicated: If Senator Obama were elected it would change their view of the United States completely.”
Regardless of the fate of our nation over the next four years Obama’s presidency will be healthy for our country in that it will improve domestic morale. Americans will no longer gripe about President Bush. Our country needs a new direction. While I’m not convinced Obama will take us in the right direction it will be new nonetheless. And finally it will give conservatives a chance to whine for a while.