If Senator Barack Obama defeats Senator John McCain on November 4, it will be due to strong emotionalism - distain for President Bush and euphoria for history – not records and accomplishments.

Now, this is not to take anything away from the historical significance, personal character, or persuasive nature of the junior senator from Illinois. He has been able to blend a unique potion of charisma, appeal, and energy into his campaign over the last 2 years in order to be on the brink of winning the 2008 presidential election on Tuesday. At the same time, though, we should admit (although many will not do so) that the Obama Phenomenon that may lead to an Obama Celebration on Tuesday night is a lot more of an affair of the heart than an exercise of anything else.



How many of us would be behind a presidential candidate that won his only senatorial race by default after two more experienced candidates lagged behind or dropped out of the race after publicized family issues?

Or how many of us would vote for a charismatic orator that had not served at the federal level for more than 23 months total before throwing his hat into the ring for the highest office in the land and the most influential job in the world?

Now, make the candidate a White man instead of a young Black one and tell me that Black America would be all for it.

And before you say, "Bill Clinton", remember that Mr. Clinton was the chief executive – twice – of a small Southern state of 2.3 million people as well as its attorney general beforehand.

And after you say, "Harvard Law" about Senator Obama, I'll remind you that Yale Law isn't too shabby, either; (President Clinton is a Yale Law grad.)

To be fair, Mr. Obama's accomplishments to date may not measure up in an executive preparatory comparison with President Clinton (pre-1992 election) at this time.

Our tie to Senator Obama is not just due to our emotional heartstrings for history, however. It is also due to the fire in the pit of our stomachs after 8 years of the emotional rollercoaster that started with President Bush's controversial victory over then-Vice President Al Gore in 2000. Not long after America was finally able to tolerate the bitter taste of a nasty election cycle and its subsequent allegations of voter fraud and suppression, the attacks of September 11 rocked us all to our collective core.

Over the course of the Bush Administration, the ground has never been settled beneath our feet, largely because of the set of challenges before us (including 9-11, the economic and social aftermath of the attacks, and the War on Terror), but also because of our inability to connect with this president. Because of the 2000 election, the trust level and sense of newness that often comes with a new presidency never came into focus for the American people with President Bush. Some would say that this is rightly so, considering the issues of Halliburton, WMDs, water-boarding, and domestic surveillance, among others. This brew of continued controversy, coupled with the image of a president that is not well-spoken, not well-thought of, and not well-received, plays against the potential of an Obama presidency that, at the very least, will assume the office at a higher clip on these three fronts that its predecessor never truly enjoyed.

Given all of this, it's always been a steep upward climb for Senator John McCain, especially when considering his Republican affiliation. It has become tougher still considering the recent economic crisis that has been pinned (in many ways, incorrectly) on Republican leadership.

Of course, he hasn't helped himself in this process, either, making the Obama effort easier. Selecting Governor Sarah Palin seemed like a great move until we learned that her successes in Alaska did not translate into national and international adeptness. Being a moderate Republican that had bipartisan success made McCain appear well-positioned until he began to strongly play for the hard-core conservative base, thus leaving out the independent voters he needs to win. Of course, referring to Obama as "that one" was an absolute no-no that only reinforced stereotypes about those "racist Republicans" in a presidential cycle where race is as much of an issue as electoral votes.

Despite all of these things falling into place – along with historic amounts of campaign funding (that, according to Senator Obama's own "promise", should have never been accumulated) – Senator Obama has not been able to knock out his opponent politically, just as he was not able to do with Senator Hillary Clinton during the Democratic primaries. Senator McCain was able to make Senator Obama backtrack on issues such as off-shore drilling. McCain has contrasted his plans to cut spending with Obama's plans to introduce $1 trillion in new spending, making an effective case in both debates and on the campaign trial. McCain has made a Republican cult hero (and quite possibly a future candidate) out of "Joe the Plumber" because of Obama's "spread the wealth" misstep.

Heck, even Senator Obama's own running mate – a 36-year veteran - said that the job was not one that afforded "on the job training."

Ouch.

So, if Senator Obama becomes President-elect November 5, it will be because our charge of emotionalism – a heightened combination of a desire for someone new and disgust for the current leadership – overtook our charge to look further into federal accomplishments, bipartisanship, and experience.

America may get what we are collectively asking for, but will we really know what we're getting?

After all, if Senator Obama is the newcomer in the White House, the change in leadership, tax policy, and budgetary oversight may lead to a change in fortune or just less change in our pockets.

____________________
Lenny McAllister is the Political Guru for Fox News - Charlotte and blogs the Republican side of the election for BlackVoices. He is a frequent contributor to The Charlotte Post and The North Carolina Conservative.

Community Discussion

Did Anyone Expect A Landslide?
"YEP...two weeks ago I said that Obama was going to get at least 335 electoral votes." - Deep-Cover

Jesse Jackson Tears
"Now I don't want to offend anyone but I cant help feeling Jessie Jackson's tears were fake! I feel he was crying more cause he wished it would of been him and not President Obama! I don't no but that's the impression I got when the cameras kept zooming in on him! Just my evaluation!!!" - natalie29115

Juan Williams Tears Up on Fox News
"I was crying along with him. I don't know if you watch ABC or not but Steve Osunsumi (sp?) also lost it last night when he talked about how people of his father's generation said it would never happen." - mephistolesnc

Don't Entertain Idiots Today
"Very well said! I keep wondering why otherwise intelligent and astute posters would engage the negativity as if those people even matter...I just don't get it...NOTHING is going to dampen my pride and happiness today (save for a loss...LOL!)." - mslj920