Commentators and candidates have drawn many parallels from today’s Democratic candidates to historical figures and elections.
[via reddit]
[digg-reddit-me]Hillary Clinton has been described as Nixon and LBJ, including the latter by herself. John Edwards has been described as a FDR (mainly by himself), William Jennings Bryan and a Bobby Kennedy. Barack Obama’s historical analogues have been far-ranging. Ken Burns has compared Obama to Lincoln. David Horsey of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has as well, as seen above. JFK’s top speechwriter has compared Obama to President Kennedy. Before his Iowa win, intelligent pundits saw parallels to failed liberal candidates: Adlai Stevenson, Bill Bradley, and Gene McCarthy.
But it wasn’t until Hillary took a swipe at Obama that the parallels to Barack to Martin Luther King, Jr. became evident. The main theme of the 2008 is, and will be, change. Americans know that we need to tackle many long-term issues:
- global climate change;
- radical islamism;
- the erosion of civil liberties;
- executive overreach;
- the instability of the American economy;
- globalization, the entitlement crises;
- health care reform;
- the inequality of opportunity and the rising gap between the rich and the poor.
Our current politics – based on tears and smears, on the Bushes and the Clintons, on money and more money – is unable to produce meaningful or lasting change.To vote for Clinton or Giuliani or Romney or Thompson or Huckabee (and to a lesser extent McCain ((The McCain of 1999 to 2002 could have changed politics. The McCain of today is still an honorable man – but despite his commendable honesty, I am not sure how much he would be able to, or willing to try to, get done.)) ) – is to vote to continue the politics of the past decades, producing gridlock and negligible progress, even as Cassandras continually point out our impending doom.
There are three candidates who embody three very different approaches to change: Ron Paul, Barack Obama, and John Edwards.
Ron Paul is quite clearly a reactionary – and in this case, I do not mean it to be derogatory. He wants to trim government to a radical extent – back to the period before the Civil War. I doubt the change he desires is possible – and, although I agree with his positions on many contemporary issues, I believe he goes too far in rejecting the American tradition after 1860. I believe there is much to criticize in the American tradition after the Civil War – but also great progress. Ron Paul’s opinions are a valued addition to the public debate.
It is easier to compare Barack Obama and John Edwards to each other, rather than to Paul. They agree on many policies and in their general themes. Their differences are about how they would lead us to the future – how they would accomplish change. When Hillary said that Barack was not Martin Luther King – it occurred to me that the movement he represents, and the figure he projects, recalls the relationship of Martin Luther King to John Edwards’s Malcolm X.
In many ways, the success of Obama is due to Edwards’s harassment of Clinton.
- Obama is trying to bring together people of varying political persuasions and to reach consensus on the major issues America faces. Edwards believes we must fight for them – by extreme measures if necessary.
- Obama calls on Americans to look past their race, gender, class, religion, and other social groupings to the values we share – to build on this consensus to achieve lasting change. Edwards calls on middle and lower class Americans to look to their self-interest, and to their children’s self-interest, and to be forceful in taking what they believe is their birthright.
- Obama focuses on community organizing, bringing new people into the process and the party, and convincing skeptics; Edwards focuses on rallying the base.
Anyone can see the relationship between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X can see the parallels. (Which makes Clinton, unfortunately for her, LBJ again.)
Martin Luther King and Malcolm X’s disagreements about how to accomplish change were more fundamental than the current divide between Obama and Edwards; but both King and Malcolm X recognized in the other the same desire for change, and respected each other as individuals and as leaders. When I saw John Edwards defend Barack Obama against Clinton – this is what I thought of – not that the boys were ganging up on her as she suggested.
Martin Luther King succeeded where Malcolm X did not because King bet that he could bring achieve more by appealing to all Americans, rather than a select group. Barack has made a similar bet. While in King’s day, the Jim Crow laws divided Americans into blacks and whites, our politics today has divided America into Red States and Blue States, liberals and conservatives, Republicans and Democrats. We have been divided into two teams – we on our respective team, often without a clear rationale, adopt positions and defend our teams against all opposition. Many others are turned off from politics by the partisanship entirely. Yet polls show that agreement exists among working majorities on how to tackle some of our major long-term problems; and even larger portions of Americans agree that something must be done to attempt to deal with the major problems we will soon face.
Obama’s bet, like Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, is that with a respectful and intelligent dialogue, he can change our politics; and by changing politics, we can change America’s path together.
It is supremely unlikely that he, or we, can accomplish this. But we owe it to ourselves to try.
Related articles
1,282 replies on “A Dream Deeply Rooted in the American Dream”
synchronized wireless clock systems
Get now the best wireless pa system for schools currently this week available and in stock in addition on sale this week only!
synchronized clocks for stadiums
Buy now a high quality public address speakers that is this week available and now in stock in addition reasonably priced this week only!
check these guys out
Contract the professional Investment strategy that happens to be now open and very knowledgeable and ready to assist you!
clocks large facilities
Buy now the top school pa system that’s this week available and in stock and on sale this week only!
clocks for businesses
Locate now the best School bell system that’s this week available and in stock and at the best price this week only!
search engine optimization specialist
Get the best search engine optimization consultant currently now available and at good rates now only!
view publisher site
Contract the honest financial advisor whitefish mt that happens to be now open in addition very reputable and ready to assist you!
how to use chatbot
Learn lead generating google chatbots programming today from the best team today only!
navigate here
https://about.me/organicaromasenseoilsessential oil for gerd
whitefish registered investment advisors
Contract the professional wealth management that is now open and very reputable and ready to assist you!
how to build chatbot
Find top quality chatbots marketing services programming today additionally affordable today only!
check my blog
Get the best business marketing that’s now available in addition with reasonably pricing now only!
synchronized Hospital clocks
Save now a high quality wireless pa system for schools currently this week available and now in stock in addition on sale this week only!
wealth management
Get service from the professional best financial advisors whitefish that happens to be currently open in addition very reputable and ready to assist you!
outdoor clocks for schools
Get now the best wireless pa system for schools that’s this week available and in stock in addition currently available this week only!
outdoor clocks for business
Save now a high quality school pa system that’s this week available and in stock in addition reasonably priced this week only!
synchronized wireless clocks for sale
Get now the top School bell system that is this week available and now in stock in addition at the best price this week only!
search engine optimization consultant
Find a top internet marketing that’s now available and at reasonable prices now only!
bots
Find roi generating social media marketing bots development today plus affordable today only!
click here
Save now the best synchronized clocks for schools that’s this week available and in stock and at great prices this week only!
essential oils heartburn
Locate now the top peppermint oil for indigestion currently this week available and in stock in addition reasonably priced this week only!
chatbot services
Find roi generating chatbots marketing services development services today plus from the best team today only!
chatbot service
Get efficient bot marketing technology today from a professional team today only!
search engine optimization agency
Hire a top wordpress seo that’s now available and at good rates now only!
oil for heartburn
Buy now the top have a peek at these guys that is this week available and now in stock in addition at the best price this week only!
wireless time systems
Save now the top synchronized clocks for schools that are this week available and now in stock and at great prices this week only!
chatbot advertising
Learn efficient chatbot marketing programming today and lifetime support today only!
search engine optimization companies
Find the best online business marketing currently now available and with reasonably pricing now only!
elapsed time clock for operating rooms
Locate now the best school bell systems currently this week available and now in stock in addition at great prices this week only!
video marketing
Get a top seo currently now available and with reasonably pricing now only!
DIY clock replacement parts
Locate here the best replacement quartz clock movements that are on sale and ready to ship and a good value for ordering today!
using chatbots for marketing
Get roi generating chatbot marketing technology today plus affordable today only!
visit website here
Buy now the best clockkits that’s on sale and ready for you and plus a great value for ordering today!
social media marketing for restaurants
Profit from amazing social media marketing for restaurants currently open for service and reasonably priced now!
pendulum movements
Find here the best quality clock mechanisms that are on sale and ready for you and a reasonabe value for ordering today!
synchronized Hospital clocks
Locate now the top wireless pa system that is this week available and in stock in addition on sale this week only!
More about the author
Find the the top search engine optimization specialist that’s now available and on sale now only!
how to make a chat bot
Get roi generating competitive marketing intelligence development services today additionally affordable today only!
how to build your own clock
Buy now the best quality clock parts that are on sale and ready to ship and a good value for ordering today!
web optimization
Get started now from the best Marketing company that will be available in addition an awesome value today!
click site
Get the the top seo outsourcing service that’s now available and on sale now only!
social media for local business
Buy a plan for amazing outsource social media marketing currently taking on new clients in addition on sale now!
my sources
Get going now with the best rated page rankings that will be available in addition reasonably priced today!
large clock hands
Locate here awesome clock part currently on sale and ready to ship and a reasonabe value for ordering today!
clock accessories
Buy now the best best quality quartz clock movements that are on sale and ready to ship and plus a great value for ordering today!
visit website here
Locate here awesome clock parts that’s on sale and ready for you and a good value for ordering today!
useful reference
Get a top outsourcing seo services currently now available and at good rates now only!
clock repair videos
Find here the best quality clock kits that’s on sale and ready for you and plus a great value for ordering today!
check my blog
Hire a top seo outsource company that is now available in addition on sale now only!
social media proposal
Buy a plan for amazing social media localization currently taking on new clients in addition on sale now!