Relationships between politicians and their constituents are not entirely unlike romantic courtship; there are stages that need to be overcome before a successful union can emerge. First there’s euphoric infatuation, then comes the power struggle (as you’re confronted with the fact that another person’s values and ideals are seldom identical to your own), and finally, with the right amount of compromise and understanding, the stage is set for acceptance. With both lovers and politicians, that means initially oohing and ahhing at everything they do, and then, after a bit of time and examination, challenging them to a series of tests and ultimatums that will ultimately determine if the match is a viable one. If all goes well, the couple ultimately negotiates on what concessions will be made, and what needs to simply and tenderly be accepted.
Whether left, right, or center, we seem to be going through our rocky phase with both McCain and Obama these days. Each are getting pounced on, not just from their opponents, but among their own supporters.
In recent weeks, McCain has left many Republicans unsettled about his ideological bearings by toggling between reliably conservative issues like support for gun owners’ rights and an emphasis on centrist messages like his desire to tackle global warming and provide a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. There are also those pointing to a character deficit, demonstrated by his allegedly "ruthless" dealings with his first wife, Carol, twenty-five years ago. (He was apparently dating Cindy McCain while still living with his first wife who became disabled in an accident, and even applied for a marriage license in preparation for his new wedding before his divorce had been finalized.) Once packaged as a selfless, courageous war hero with conservative ideals, McCain is now being accused of being selfish, immoral, calculating, and worst of all, improperly fit for his conservative suit.
Despite Obama’s exquisitely delivered messages and rock star status (he did beat the invincible Clinton and is planning to accept his party’s nomination in a 76,000 seat football stadium), he appears to be getting the brunt of it, charged by his disgruntled own of rushing to the center with such reckless abandon it’s enough to produce “whiplash,” doing a near about face when it comes to such issues as security wiretapping, gun control, the death penalty, campaign finance, and Iran and Iraq. In response, Obama just published an op-ed in the NY Times delineating his 2-year plan for troop withdrawals in Iraq, rebutting the notion that he has ever modified his position at all:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/14/opinion/14obama.html
?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin
In the meantime, Newsweek reports Obama’s hurting -- losing some serious ground that’s brought his lead against McCain down to just 3 points (44-41), within the margin of error, and a far cry from the 15 point lead they’d attributed to the Chicago senator just 3 weeks ago.
So what are your gripes when it comes to this phase of the presidential mating game, and where do you think your heart and this election are ultimately headed?
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Esau_Isaacson
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sebar
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Leelila Strogov is a general assignment reporter for Fox 11 News, specializing in investigative and feature reports.
Member Since: 9/25/2007