Falling Backwards

There is nothing more insufferable than an idea man. They always have opinions and can't wait to share them with you. To invite them into your life is to subject oneself to a never-ending deluge of uninvited opinions on anything from your choice in romantic partners to the best methods for cleaning one's own backside. Thanks to the miracle that is the blogosphere idea men can harangue readers around the world completely unfettered from normal constraints such as time, space or common courtesy.

I am an idea man. Woe to the progressive political insider that develops even the smallest of personal relationships with me, for to do so is to let in the never ending stream of opinions I have on how campaigns should be run.

Back when Barack Obama took the lead against Hilary Clinton I wrote some of my darkest stuff. It was clear to many of us that they were going to pull all the stops in trying to defeat him. Since they couldn't do it by winning pledged delegates in primaries, they would have to resort to swaying super delegates, and how could they convince super delegates to undercut their own base? The only way I saw it was through good ol' fashioned character assassination. I titled the piece, "He Has to Destroy Her." I was well aware of how the game was played, and knew that there was no team more Machiavellian than the Clintons. The playbook was time tested; LBJ's infamous primary run against Coke "Mr Texas" Stevenson being one of the most famous examples. Obviously, the only way to counter a campaign willing to say or do anything was to hammer her down with her own record. We've learned from the mistakes of the past. Obama had to play hardball.

He didn't. I never posted the article. It just didn't seem right. Many bloggers echoed my sentiments. They were all equally ignored. Instead of attack answered with counter attack enjoining the death spiral that is modern America politics, Obama did something strange: he lead. He wasn't defending himself; he wasn't making excuses; he was rising above it, and what is more he was winning because of it. As I like to say, every attack is an opportunity, and the Obama campaign turned every one of them to their advantage. If he was going to win, it was going to be on his terms and on the terms that the vast majority of American's dream our modern political discourse would become.

Obama knew what he was doing, and for once I had nothing to say.

I trust that he will pick the best Vice President for the campaign, and if it's Hillary Clinton, well... so be it. I'm sure that he must have a good reason if he thinks he needs her in the job. I have a million opinions but somehow I don't think that my perspective is any better than his and I trust him to make the right choices. Man, what a wonderful yet strange feeling.

I'm closing my eyes now and falling backwards, confident that Obama and his team are going to catch me and our country. I know it's hard, but it's an amazing feeling when it happens and I can't afford to miss the chance.