One of my very favorite Americans, former Vice President Walter F. "Fritz" Mondale, began his doomed 1984 challenge to President Ronald Reagan with a forgettable sound-bite: "I am ready to be president now."
Launching her campaign for the 2008 presidential nomination, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton regularly told audiences: "I'm in it to win, and that's what I intend to do."
The identical mistake was made in the messages sent, a quarter century apart, by these two Democrats: A presidential campaign — especially a successful campaign that will enable the winner to lead the nation — is not about the candidate; a successful presidential campaign is about the voters. It's also obviously about the country, the future and the differences with your opponent.
From the press schedule of the Democrats' 2008 convention, to begin Aug. 25 in Denver, it looks like Barack Obama's campaign could be about to make the big mistake — John Kerry's did in 2004 at the Boston convention — of making the convention almost exclusively about the candidate. The Boston convention, through the moving testimony of the men with whom he served in combat, told us much about John Kerry's courage and personal story, but too little about how the lives of the voters would be different, and better, with him in the White House, instead of George W. Bush.
For a coveted prime-time speaking role on the convention's first night, Obama's wife Michelle will be introduced by her brother, Craig Robinson, who is the basketball coach at Oregon State. Also scheduled to appear at the convention is the nominee's half-sister, Maya Soetero-Ng.
All are expected to speak about Barack Obama, the brother-in-law, the husband and father, and the brother.
This is the appropriate time for one of my favorite anecdotes. In April 1945, after President Franklin D. Roosevelt died in Warm Springs, Ga., a train made the 700-mile journey carrying the remains back to Washington, where six white horses drew his funeral caisson through the thronged streets of the nation's capital to the White House.
Along the route, the crowds were more than 20 deep and grieving. One well-dressed man who was almost inconsolable, with tears streaming down his cheeks, was noticed by a reporter. The reporter approached the man, remarked upon how grief-stricken he was, and asked, "Excuse me, sir, but did you know President Roosevelt personally?" "No," answered the man, "I did not know President Roosevelt. But he knew me."
Yes, it is important that voters learn and understand who Barack Obama is, what he believes and why, and what makes him angry. They need to know that, in spite of the difference of his background and his name, his values are their values, he feels the same way they do about their family, their country, their faith.
But to achieve all or any of that, Obama must — through the convention — let people know that he knows who they are, that it is from their ranks that he comes and that it is on their side that he stands. The real mission for Obama and his convention is not to get them to know him; the mission instead is to convince voters that he knows and cares deeply about them and their fate, their family and their future.
Will the union member in Wilkes-Barre and the veteran's widow in Dayton both be able to say of Barack Obama, "He knows me"?
To find out more about Mark Shields and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
COPYRIGHT 2008 MARK SHIELDS
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Sir; In my magic kingdom; I would make one legislative body, the House, hold to its constitutional limit of no more than one representative for every thirty thousand. And then, I would have this body elect two of its own to be domestic and economic president, and commander in chief, and foreign policy president. The thing is; One man representing three hundred million is too much like a Monarch for my taste. The thought that we can actually know who we are voting for is crazy. We can only vote for, or against the personalities presented by the media and the campaigns. How can good government result ? What are the chances that people can actually know and influence their representative short of a wheel barrow full of cash? And; why do we vote for a president, but with so much power, do we not get a vote on the cabinate? Shouldn't these officials be able to stand alone with their own constituencies? We want an executive. We see how a single man at the top can control the destiny of the nation. But, if there is no house of representatives directly responsive to the people, there is no possibility for the people to correct their president. When the people want for better government, and cannot get better government, some one should ask why. Why? Government is supposed to represent people, and not property, wealth, religions or idealogues. Do you see how the Neocons and a Georgean foreign agent, a lobbyist with the Mccain campaign are pushing us to war? Even if I agree that it is a moment of destiny, a war of wars, possibly even the third world war in diapers; Why are we letting money interests, and foreign agents drag us into another war when we have not won the last war?... Honest to God Mr. Shields; If we cannot get money out of government, and we cannot get government to govern its self, what it says and does, and if we cannot get contol over our media, and set it on the path of the truth and public service, then we may as well start over. Government has got to be the people's dog. Government has got to be accountable to the people. And there is no way short of giving individual people control over their individual representative that this will happen. There is no possible way that one president can know all the people. The best we can hope for is one president who can pick up our common thread, which is really a human thread and common to all people; and that I believe is our common need for justice and equality and human rights. When we vote for personalities because we cannot possibly know the person, we deserve what we get since we vote not knowing what we are getting. I know it is not fair; but it is the shadow of democracy we have, and we have to play out this hand until it the sun comes up. We know we can do better. We are giving people the power to destroy the world, and if we were sitting as a jury over a jay walker, we would know more of him than we do of our presidents. Can't we empower a jury to know something, and really know it about our presidents? Can't we command our media to always tell the truth and pay for every lie? Why must we count so much on slander and propaganda in the choice of the world's most powerful citizen?... Thanks, and best wishes... Sweeney
Comment: #1
Posted by: James A, Sweeney
Sat Aug 16, 2008 5:55 AM
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Mr. Shields, thank you for yet again a perceptive analysis of the mine field right at Obama's feet. However, I think you are perhaps too much of a gentleman. I'm not. .........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
I can't get over that image of him looking like a deer in the headlights trying to read his script about Georgia and Russian while on vacation in Hawaii. Whoever staged him ought to be shot. He looked like some little Yoda up there who'd lost track of the Force. .....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
And what in the world was he doing taking a vacation like some kind of 9 to 5 civil servant? His lead against McCain is eroding every day, the Democratic Convention is perilously near melting down, and the Reagan democrats he can't seem to get to give him the time of day are sweating unemployment, foreclosures, and increasingly feeble purchasing power in their pockets. And Obama, who constantly must fight the charge of being an elitist because he is black and smarter than his white peers, finds it a good time to fiddle away on vacation in Hawaii while Rome burns. What are they thinking? That's for W. to do and Obama to criticize, not emulate. ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Force indeed was not with Obama this time, as it had him having to face up to a foreign policy crisis exactly when he really didn't want to be advertising his little luxury junket. It was a home run pitch for McCain, and he batted the ball right out of the park. If I was a conspiracy enthusiast I would be thinking the whole Russian-Georgian conflict was manufactured just for the purpose of placing Obama on McCain's stomping ground. ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
But I have to say, this is SOOOOO Democratic Party. As in, if there is any possible way to blow it, we will find it. Mr. Shields, I was so disappointed not to see you on the News Hour with Jim Lehrer last night, (how dare you take a vacation, ha, ha) but then I took heart because I saw that Nancy Pelosi was going to be a special guest on a talking head show later on. ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
So what do I hear with my great expectations? It's Pelosi fondly reminiscing about Geraldine Ferraro being the first female vice presidential candidate. Our first victory was for women with Geraldine, she blathers on, and then she says how great it is that now we have a black candidate for president. ...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
She actually said that. Truly rich. Last I heard, Geraldine and her boss Walter, didn't make it. And there Pelosi is comparing Barack to Geraldine. Good work. Nothing like celebrating failure, I always say. That's my party. The Losecrats. ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Let me finish by appealing directly to Mr. Obama. Please, please, please don't take any more vacations for awhile. It's the economy, stupid. You can't afford to do that now. And I sure wouldn't want to think that all my donations are going to finance that. (Sorry folks, that's what those bitter Joe Lunchbuckets are thinking.) ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Does all of the above sound mean? You haven't seen anything yet. The Republicans are going to pluck this one right away from us if we don't get a little more serious about this.
Comment: #2
Posted by: Masako
Sun Aug 17, 2008 11:13 AM
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Mr. Shields,
The point you made in the article above is an excellent point. Mr. Obama needs to give people that fuzzy feeling that he's not going to forget about them once he's elected. It's not going to do a whole lot more me, as I couldn't vote for Mr. McCain right now, but I believe there are a lot of people who need to just feel good about the person. You'd be surprised on what people base their votes on (maybe not).
To get off topic a bit, I'd like to thank you for coming on Friday nights with Jim Lehrer and David Brooks. You've become a superstar in our household claiming an hour on our DVR specifically for your segment. Thank you for your incite and educated discussion, it's always very refreshing.
Sincerely,
Evan Flechsig
Port Charlotte, FL
Comment: #3
Posted by: Evan Flechsig
Wed Aug 20, 2008 9:02 AM
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