A Conservative's Case for Obama

I can't help but wonder lately what rational Republicans and conservatives are thinking about their options in the upcoming Republican primaries. I mean, being of the more liberal bent myself, of course I view the slate of candidates as a godawful collection of mean spirited liars and warmongers--with a couple exceptions. Ron Paul is a lunatic but he's antiwar. And Mike Huckabee--well, I'm not really sure what to make of him.

At the same time, I wonder whether those on the American right are able to look across the divide and give any of the Democratic candidates an honest and objective look. Recently, I've gained hope. Cathy's cousin Tim has come to the hard-gained, thoughtful, and difficult conclusion that Obama deserves his support and assistance. And while I applaud his objectivity and willingness to set partisanship aside, I hold no illusions that this will happen with any significant number of US conservatives.

But a leading conservative thinker and journalist has inspired a little bit of hope.

This blog post by Andrew Sullivan links to this article, also by Sullivan, and both go a long way in revealing how Barack Obama appeals to the conservative voter. And while I'm biased to start with, it all makes perfect sense to me. Rather than try to summarize Sullivan's points, I'll let you read the article and see what you think for yourself. But I will offer my own perspective.

For me a large part of my decision to support Obama lies simply in the sense of hope I feel around what an Obama presidency could foster. The hope is similar to what I felt in 92 during Clinton's campaign, but it's not the same. Clinton, while a charismatic person and a brilliant politician, was as much a part of the Us v. Them political system as his predecessor. He brought the Democratic party closer to the center, but it was still purely a D v. R thing.

I don't pretend to think that Obama can cure partisan politics. To a certain extent, we need partisan politics. But the fact is that the partisanship of the Boomer generation has crippled our government and our country and has left us unable not only to have any substantial political discourse, but unable to really do anything of significance at home or abroad (launching a pre-emptive strike against a sovereign nation notwithstanding...).

Boomer politics are poisonous, plain and simple, and it's time for them to give up the reins. Obama is not of those politics. He is also not of the Civil Rights movement or the Vietnam era. His politics and viewpoints and education are largely post- these things, which gives him a freedom we need in a leader. (Dude's got a MySpace page, for pete's sake.) Newness is possible with Obama, both in thinking and acting on domestic issues and in how the world perceives the USA.

Check out the article above. There are many great points, from the simplicity of what Obama's face can accomplish to the importance of his complicated but thoroughly modern-America life story. He offers what no other candidate on either side of the aisle can really offer: A chance to start again, and to get it right.