With the national polls continuing to show a close race, the stakes of the upcoming Democratic convention are huge for Barack Obama and the Democrats. Many pundits argue this election will not be close because the "fundamentals" favor Obama. That is, the economy is doing poorly, the Iraq War remains unpopular and President Bush’s approval is near historic lows. Yet with these favorable winds at his back, Obama has not pulled away. Perhaps he will. But such optimistic claims surely underestimate John McCain. Everyone, including me, wrote McCain off last summer. His dogged determination, however, carried him to the nomination and he shows no signs of letting up now. Both 2000 and 2004 elections were close. And 2008 could be the trifecta.
So, what does Obama need to accomplish at the Convention to increase the chances that his hand will be on that bible on January 20, 2009 taking the oath of office? The answer is actually quite simple. The Senator from Illinois needs to start showing that he is ready to be president and lead our nation. The McCain campaign’s attack ads, speeches and the comments of fellow Republicans ask, ‘is Obama ready to lead?’ It’s an important and a fair question to ask. Obama needs a clear and compelling response or McCain will be our next president.
Obama has shown an ability to reach rhetorical highs that even Ronald Reagan was not capable of. But that skill is not enough. In fact, the ability to give a great speech is helping to fuel the idea that there is no substance behind this glitz. Obama must show he’s more than a candidate of hope and change. That vague narrative worked in the nomination battle, but now he’s competing for the keys to the White House. He needs, therefore, to lay out a clear vision for the nation in his acceptance speech at the Democratic convention this week.
As he does so, Obama must also show toughness. McCain has this trait in spades, largely forged by his fiery trial in Vietnam. With the country facing an ongoing war on terror, Americans want tough and steady leaders. President Bush was helped during the 2004 election by the perception, especially among undecided voters, that he would be tougher than Senator Kerry. Obama better avoid that trap.
To demonstrate toughness, Obama must not only be able to take a punch, he must be able to throw one too. Obama should not only to answer McCain’s charges, but he should fight back. Obama is clearly smart, but we want more from our president than just intellect. He needs to demonstrate that has the stuff to be president. His acceptance speech offers a critical opportunity to show that is indeed ready to lead. If Obama starts that process in a convincing manner at the Convention, he has a good chance to be our next president. If he does not, McCain may well be the one with his hand on the Bible next January.
Media contact: Amy Wolf, 322-NEWS
amy.wolf@vanderbilt.edu