Look to Obama’s record, not personality

By Dan Sandiford
Collegian Staff
January 24, 2007

In sports when a team is playing well, people gravitate towards them. We, as Americans, like a winner. This baseball season the Detroit Tigers surprised the country by playing extremely well for most of the season, defeating the New York Yankees and trouncing the Oakland Athletics to go onto the World Series. It seemed like most of the country was rooting for them. In the sports world we call this “jumping on the bandwagon.”

There is a bandwagon in American politics right now, and it goes by the name Barack Obama.

The 45-year-old junior senator from Illinois stormed onto the scene during the 2004 Democratic National Convention by delivering the keynote address. He thoroughly defeated his Republican opponent, Alan Keyes, and has become a media favorite.

It is easy to understand why he is so popular in media circles. He is a young, articulate, likeable guy who promises a “new wave of politicians.” He would also be the most viable African-American candidate ever to run for president. Obama has the unique ability to get a wide range of people very excited about him as he avoids coming across as a polarizing figure, like other potential presidential hopefuls such as Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-NY and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards.

Despite all these positive qualities, Obama lacks what it takes to be the next president of United States. He is a newcomer on the national scene and only has two years experience in the federal government at this point. In times that are as dangerous as they are today, America needs someone with more experience in either being in Washington or being an executive.

The media’s love affair with Obama is bound to end at some point, as well. No one in Washington can maintain such a perfect relationship with the press for too long. Certainly some people are more media friendly than others; however, he will eventually be brought back down to earth.

Obama also claims to be a different type of politician; however, he is just as partisan as any other politician. His voting record is unquestionably liberal. He is for gay marriage and abortion, against the war in Iraq and has generally stuck by the left wing of the party. He is a candidate that makes Clinton look conservative.

Last year Obama was the recipient of a scathing letter from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. in regards to partisan politics. McCain accused him of playing politics against the best interests of the American people. He finished the letter by stating: “I have been around long enough to appreciate that in politics, the public interest isn’t always a priority for every one of us.” The moderate and popular McCain is certainly a reliable source when it comes to judging partisan politics. He has objected to several of the Bush Administration’s policies and has worked hard on bipartisan legislation.

The Detroit Tigers were the object of affection from baseball fans across the country; however, when they reached the World Series they fell flat on their faces once they were matched up with the St. Louis Cardinals. Some people just have to learn that sometimes the bandwagon isn’t always the best vehicle to ride.

sandifordd1@lasalle.edu