Friday, September 12, 2008

Barack Obama--now, an ordinary politician

I think Victor Davis Hanson nails it here on Obama's troubles:

"Obama's latest ad suggests that McCain is old and out of step with his fashion and inability to do email. This follows last night's televised protestations that Obama wanted a different campaign but would not agree to meet McCain 'anytime, anywhere' as he once promised in town halls (he will, if he falls further behind). This is not the hope and change we were promised. And it follows the earlier lines about McCain's confusion and inability "any more" to know how many houses he has. The problem with all this, as we saw with the lipstick quote and small-town mayor sneers, is twofold. Obama's original charm for many was his Olympian other-worldliness and easy cool post-politics. Now he seems no different from, or nastier than most, any other candidate. (You saw another sort of that disconnect between divinity and reality when he chose a plastic Greek temple and outdoor stadium throng to deliver pedestrian wonkish points about spending priorities)."

Read the whole thing. I would add a couple of points: first, I think the main problem with Obama's convention speech was that, yes, there it was in this outdoor stadium with the faux Greek columns...but it wasn't a great speech. There was no call to something new; there wasn't much hint of the grand change Obama promises. Instead, it sounded like a standard Democratic speech. So what was the big deal? Second: I really think all the nasty stuff being said about McCain/Palin (and especially about Palin) by Hollywood stars (Pam Anderson using a vulgarity about her; Matt Damon comparing her to a bad Disney movie) is turning people off...against the Democrats. They're arousing a backlash. But they don't seem to get that. John McCain hopes they never do.