Alex Knepper's recent column on the state of the presidential candidacy shows that even when conservatives are trying to be honest, they're dishonest. Obama's wide-margin lead and inevitable - Knepper's idea, not mine - victory is not due to any smooth-talking, charisma, or race, or even any lack of gravitas on the part of McCain/Palin. No, it is because Americans remember the failed right-wing policies that have brought us to this sorry state, and they're not going to be fooled again this time.
Despite all of his talk as a "maverick," McCain had failed to distance himself from the Bush policies that (rightly or wrongly) cast a shadow over him. Obama, on the other hand, has tirelessly campaigned on the issues. Ambitious as it may be, his new plan for America (viewable on his Web site) represents a fresh direction that Americans sorely need. Meanwhile, McCain has failed to even explain how his own tax plan even works, let alone how it benefits Joe the Plumber! Typical of a desperate campaign, McCain/Palin has reduced itself to scare tactics. If it's not guilt-by-association (and who knows - McCain has gotten cozy with some worse people in his long career in the Senate, not least the Keating Five), it's the socialism scare. The compulsive lying and character deficits are clearly apparent, and they are NOT with Obama. Voters can clearly see that, and THAT (and not charisma or race) is why Obama is currently headed towards victory.
Knepper tells his fellow rightists that they should look forward to 2012. Of course, it's appropriate for the losing faction to start planning towards the next election cycle. Even so, Knepper's column shows that Republicans and conservatives, instead of doing some soul-searching, are going to brand Obama as a failed presidency from day negative-100. Even a liberal such as myself is willing to wait and see how Obama handles his first crisis before declaring his presidency a success or failure - and we all know he's already got the deregulation-caused financial crisis on his hands! My own message to Obama supporters is not to rest on your laurels, since the opposition will just be as vicious out of power as they were in power.
Barnaby Yeh Senior, School of Public Affairs
