Big Dogs Weblog

Obama’s Change Politics as Usual

Jan 3, 2008 Political

The Iowa caucus process is archaic and cumbersome not to mention that it disenfranchises people who are unable to make it to the caucus sites. This might be an attempt to only have those who are serious be part of the process but it disenfranchises those who cannot leave their lives for a few hours to be part of the process. Since absentee ballots are not allowed members of the military, who protect the freedom to vote, are excluded from the process.

The caucus process involves a series of votes and candidates who do not carry at least 15% of the votes are knocked out of the process and their supporters may then go to another candidate. This process continues until the winner is selected. This process also involves some politicking as demonstrated this week when Dennis Kucinich told his supporters to support B. Hussein Obama if he [Kucinich] should fail to obtain the requisite 15%. This was an open request and does not appear to have been requested by Obama.

The other kind of politics are the back room deals that have candidates swapping votes in precincts where they lack support for votes in precincts where a person has overwhelming support. It is alleged that Senator Joe Biden has worked a deal with Obama to throw support his way in areas where Biden lacks the 15% and where it might be close for Obama in return for Obama sending votes Biden’s way in areas where Obama has a huge advantage. The same kind of deal is reported to have taken place between Governor Bill Richardson and Obama. I could have sworn Richardson was pandering to Clinton so he could be selected as her VP.

These kinds of back room deals serve many purposes. In this case it might mean that Hillary Clinton, the national front-runner, would get knocked down quite a few pegs and begin the rapid demise of her campaign. If Obama wins and Edwards and Hillary place much lower or with quite a few less votes then Obama might get a big surge in New Hampshire and nationally. This might also help the others who will most likely not be around by the time super Tuesday comes because a good showing will garner donations of cash to pay off campaign debt. These kind of deals also forge later alliances when a newly elected president, say Obama, needs to fill his cabinet.

This is politics as usual and it is not uncommon in a Iowa’s unusual caucus process. The problem is, it is politics as usual and Obama is involved in it. B. Hussein Obama has sold himself as the candidate of change. He claims that he is not a DC insider and has not lived Washington politics like his rivals, chiefly Hillary Clinton. He has told us that we cannot accomplish change by putting the same old people in the positions of leadership. It is his take on the definition of insanity; continually doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

For a man who claims to be a different kind of politician, one who is not there to play politics as usual, it seems he is doing just that. Obama is working the back room deals like a seasoned DC insider and he is playing politics as usual. This is contrary to everything he says he stands for and it shows him to be no different than the rest of the politicians in the field. I wonder what Obama would say if all the deals were going in favor of Clinton. Would he say that she is playing the same old politics?

B. Hussein Obama is a fresh face in the crowd of has beens and 60s retreads from the Democratic Party and he is a symbol of hope for a lot of members of that party but he is no champion of change from politics as usual.

In reality he is another politician who will say and do what it takes to get elected, principles be damned.

For clarity, I realize these are allegations but they are all denying it. A sure sign that a politician is doing something is when he denies it.

Sources:
Washington Post
The New York Times
The Page [Time]

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