Media Claims Obama Will Attract New Voters In November: You Bet He Will, But Obama Probably Won't Like Them

Commentary by Daniel T. Zanoza, Executive Director  

 

I have paid close attention to presidential elections since 1960 when, at the age of six, I was intrigued by the electoral process and being a Democrat meant something completely different than it does today.  My first vote was cast in 1972 when our country seemed to be tearing itself apart and the concept of "law and order" became very attractive to Republicans and Democrats alike.

 

By 1992 I had been a Republican for more than ten years and I first put pen to paper for public consumption.  In the year 2000, I experienced American history when, after the election, it took a 5 - 4 vote of the U.S. Supreme Court to determine who would be the next President of the United States.

 

In each presidential election cycle, emotions ran high.  Voters stood by their favorite candidates and participated in the process which chooses the most powerful man in the World.

 

However, by far, the upcoming election scheduled for November 2008 has generated more interest than seemingly all of the past presidential campaigns combined.

 

The Democratic Party recently concluded a primary season where over 36 million individuals cast their votes for either Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.  The Democrats look at this huge turnout as a sure sign of victory at the polls in just a few short months.  The dominant media has chimed in regarding the fact presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama has seemed to energize voters like never before in our nation's past.

 

If one watches the mainstream press carefully, there seems to be an air of certainty surrounding an Obama victory and an eventual January 2009 inauguration.  However, what the dominant media does not see is the other side of the coin.  Without a doubt, conservatives, Libertarians, conservative Catholics, Evangelicals and fiscal conservatives are also energized--to the point of a manic frenzy when it comes to the defeat of Barack Obama.

 

While liberals are having a feel good session, talking about "Hope and Change" and "Change and Hope" the opposition is galvanized in their efforts to make sure Obama does not find his way into the Oval Office.  It's almost as though it doesn't matter who the Republicans have chosen as their candidate.  Indeed, John McCain is almost mentioned as an afterthought when it comes to a discussion of who will be voted into the nation's highest office.  In reality, McCain is probably the weakest candidate put up by either Party in memory when it comes to ideological support.  Some members of the Republican Party even questioned McCain's conservative bona fides, but as long as Obama is the opponent, nothing else matters.

 

Originally, it was thought Hillary Clinton would be the better opponent for Republicans to face because she would energize the GOP's conservative base.  It soon became obvious to political observers that Hillary Clinton's negatives were child's play compared to the angst Obama generates among Republicans and some Democrats.

 

In part, this situation now exists due to the influence of the far left on the Democratic Party.  Groups like MoveOn.org have skewed Democratic primaries far to the left beyond positions held by more moderate factions of the Party, including the Democratic Leadership Conference (DLC).  Subsequently, individuals with heavy liberal baggage, like Obama, find early traction in the Democratic political field and, as was evident this year, the left got its way and now they are saddled with a candidate whose views could be considered far out of the mainstream--even for Democrats.

 

The ferocity of criticism towards Obama on the Internet has not been matched in history.  Some will claim John Fitzgerald Kennedy faced similar opposition because of the fact he was Catholic.  However, most of the opposition in 1960 to the Kennedy campaign came from the South and from within his own Party.  The opposition to Obama in 2008 is visceral and has no geographic boundaries.

 

It would be safe to say Obama's political beliefs alone would be enough to energize a significant block of American voters who will oppose him.  Yet in a time when America is threatened by radical Islam, right or wrong, Obama's heritage will play an important factor in November.  Also, I would be remiss not to address Obama's race and whether America is truly a color blind society.  Sadly, it is not and there will be a substantial number of Americans who will vote for the first time solely because of Obama's color.  The situation with Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Father Michael Pfleger only threw gasoline on the embers of racism which will be sure to play a role in whether Obama can indeed become the first African-American president.

 

There are many factors which will, most likely, lead to a landslide victory for John McCain.  Obama's politics; Obama's relationships with radical characters like Wright, Pfleger, Antoin "Tony" Rezko, William Ayres and others; and, unfortunately, questions about Obama's religious background and race will come together to create a political whirlwind like this country has never seen before.

 

Yes, Barack Obama will bring new voters to the political table come November.  However, many of these new voters will cast their lot in the determined hope his candidacy ends in defeat.

 

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Comments

[John, Fitness Austin]

"There are many factors which will, most likely, lead to a landslide victory for John McCain."

One can only hope.