"The Black Ronald Reagan" ????

[Perky]

The news that Barack Obama has nearly matched Hillary Clinton dollar-for-dollar in campaign fundraising race puts to rest any lingering doubt on whether the man is a serious presidential contender. More impressively, Obama's campaign chest rivals Hillary despite raising money through smaller $50 and $100 donations, suggesting he is generating broader grassroots enthusiasm.


The news shouldn't surprise anyone. It has been clear ever since Barack Obama's star-making speech at the Democrats' 2004 convention that he has a unique ability to move the party faithful.


The subsequent three years have shown that it was no flash in the pan. He was in constant demand to campaign with other Democrats in 2006. Several times this reporter watched him dazzle Democratic crowds like nobody since ... well, Bill Clinton.


What is it? I think the answer is this: Obama is the black Ronald Reagan.


Given Obama's liberal political views, I realize this claim will prompt guffaws from many Reagan fans. But hang with me on this.


Of all the candidates running, only Obama truly exemplifies one of Reagan's most popular characteristics: his sunny optimism. Reagan rarely spoke in terms of despair or defeat and instead argued that things can be better. That separated him from the other noteworthy conservatives of his time - people like Pat Buchanan or Jesse Helms.


As Reagan put it in his 1992 GOP convention speech:


"Whatever else history may say about me when I'm gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears, to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty's lamp guiding your steps and opportunity's arm steadying your way ."


Obama takes Reagan's approach and retools it for liberal politics. Here, for example, is part of a recent fundraising e-mail sent out by his campaign. It quotes not the candidate but an enthusiastic new volunteer, Rashed:


"Being an African American male, to have that positive role model in Senator Obama, it's given me so much hope. To be able to look at my daughter one day and tell her, 'You can be anything you want in the world' ... In the past I might have said, 'You could be anything you want to be. But president? No' ... But now, he's given me that light. Now, I can tell her, 'You really can be anything you want in the world.'"


Some readers will probably find this stuff kind of trite, but a lot of moderate to liberal people seem to find it genuinely inspiring. It certainly goes down easier than the umpteenth reiteration of Bush's failings on Iraq/Katrina/the economy etc.


And this is what helps distinguish Obama from other Democrats: the relative absence of anger, resentment, and bitterness in his rhetoric.


Most Democrats have become so reflexively harsh in their utterances that listening to them can be a drag, even when you agree with what they're saying.


Obama, on the other hand, frequently speaks to hopes rather than fears, aspirations rather than resentments. He simply, quietly avoids repeating the usual talking points in favor of his own message.


As he put it in his star-making turn at the 2004 Democratic Convention:


"Hope in the face of difficulty, hope in the face of uncertainty, the audacity of hope: In the end, that is God's greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation, a belief in things not seen, a belief that there are better days ahead. "


He has at times even taken other liberals to task for the tone of their rhetoric. He is one of the very few Democrats with the nerve to criticize Daily Kos, telling the Kossacks to lay off after they threatened to go after Russ Feingold and Pat Leahy for voting to confirm John Roberts.


Obama scolded them for "vilifying good allies" adding: "I am convinced that ... the tone of much of our rhetoric is an impediment to creating a workable progressive majority in this country."


The combative mindset that drives many Democratic activists "misreads the American people," he told the Kossacks. Americans are suspicious of labels and jargon. They don't believe that George W. Bush is "mean-spirited", corporations are "evil" or America is an "imperialist brute."


He urged them to instead follow the example of his predecessor:


Paul Simon used to consistently win the votes of much more conservative voters in Southern Illinois because he had mastered the art of "disagreeing without being disagreeable," and they trusted him to tell the truth.


Well, disagreeing with being disagreeable was one of Reagan's trademarks as well. Those same south Illinois voters could tell you. They voted for him for president in 1980 and 1984.


The author is a reporter with Investors Business Daily.

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=042507A

[skipos]

1. I agree with the "optimism" thing.

It would be nice to have people excited about their leaders again. I feel like Richardson and Obama would be great compliments to eachother in that Richardson would appeal to voters looking for experience, and Obama would appeal to voters looking for that fresh face with new ideas. An unlikely ticket given the lack of whiteness in it, but who knows. :shrug:

[illinoisprogressive]

2. good article though the comparison with Reagan is 'ouch!' oh, but,

obama evoking paul simon...i'm from illinois and he is still a beloved name so many years after his death. Both Durbin and obama were mentored by that great man.
And what obama says of the constant nasty infighting is exhausting. i am all for critiquing but, it's gotten out of hand where the one up and flaming is out of hand.
i have stop visiting some blogs due to the personal attacks and constant nitpicking on everything one or the other candidate does or says. our enemy is republicans and yet, we are totally focused on destroying each other and the democratic candidates.

[Forkboy]

3. That's just cruel.

[Perky]

4. ANd yet....,perhaps spot on accurate

The curiousity of Obama is not in what he says but in how he says it and how it inspires hope. My suspicion is that the nation is crying out forsuch a hope and it is largely without regard to party.

George W. Bush is to Jimmy Carter as Ronnie Raygun is to Barack Obama.

Might well be an accurate comparision.

[Strawman]

5. Interesting

Although I would think Obama would be selling an optmism that is less delusional and more honest about hard choices this country is facing than Ray-gun was when he declared it to be "Morning in America." Based on his education and range of knoweldge I've seen, Obama would probably be one of the most intelligent Presidents in history. Reagan had to be one of the dumbest.

[AlCzervik]

6. i really don't like comparisons.