Cipherdom (deprecated)

Obama vs. Keyes

Yesterday, Vernam got to attend a luncheon where Senate candidates Barack Obama and Alan Keyes spoke. It wasn't a debate, because they were never on-stage at the same time. But they addressed the same questions about Housing, Transportation, Economic Development, and Education, which form the agenda of the host Metropolitan Planning Commission. This was the organization's big annual fundraiser, with 900 attendees.

The moderator, local tv political reporter Mike Flannery, said both candidates had wanted to speak second, but Obama relented and spoke first. Which was smart, because things ran long, and Keyes spoke after lunch to more than a few empty seats. It was refreshing not to hear homeland security discussed. I find Obama's command of language and issues deeply impressive. He mostly avoided partisan statements but did say "the money got left behind for No Child Left Behind." When you're up by 45 points in the polls, you can take the high road. Obama said, "I'm not someone who blames Bush for every job lost in the past four years," mentioning that the downward trend in manufacturing would have happened no matter who was president. "But bad decisions were made," he said, pointing to the tax breaks given to U.S. companies that take jobs off-shore, and international trade agreements that let the Chinese devalue their currency to compete unfairly for jobs. It was a good speech, but pretty mild, as befits a guy with such a big lead.

In the context of these presidential and vice presidential debates, though, I wonder if Obama has the mean streak required to go all the way, as people are predicting he can. On the other hand, wouldn't it be nice to see a national candidate who could elevate the level of discourse? Kerry has tried, and maybe tonight we'll see if he succeeds. On one level, it may be comforting that some people, at least, are trying to demonize Obama. You haven't arrived as a Democratic politician until you've had some zealot distort your record. And on another level, just the anticipation of his joining the Senate has other people jazzed enough to use his name in exhorting the new Washington, DC, baseball club's owners to name their team the Grays (in tribute to the Negro Leagues' Homestead Grays) rather than the Senators (in light of the fact that, come January, we'll have just one African-American senator in a city that's predominantly Black).

The event was also significant as a rare sighting of both candidates in the same location. Keyes is also an excellent speaker, but his themes were simplistic and conclusions erroneous. Breakdown of the family unit is at the core of all America's problems, he said, and faith-based initiatives are the solution. The constitution does not call for a separation of church and state, Keyes stated flatly; he called it "the Phony Doctrine," a red herring promoted by lawyers and atheists. Government cannot help with the social problems we all recognize exist, he also said, because bureaucrats act out of self-interest rather than the altruistic impulses that religious organizations pursue. As with most ideologues, there's a kernel of truth in most of the fallacies that Keyes was weaving yesterday. Mostly, though, I was struck by the fact that he was saying what other conservative candidates can't because they actually have a hope of being elected. The Illinois GOP picked Keyes because they thought his candor and charisma would put Obama in an unflattering light. But all they've done is help expose some of the more-bizarre beliefs that their other candidates have the sense to keep under wraps. I wonder if the Tennessee GOP will trot out Keyes again when Harold Ford, Jr. runs for the U.S. Senate there in a few years. I'd pay to see that one.

Posted by Vernam at October 8, 2004 07:17 PM