Republicans have objected that media coverage of Barack Obama during the campaign was more positive than coverage of John McCain. Wait a minute! Assuming this is so, there could be a rational reason, one with an important lesson for 21st century American politics.
In fact, a Pew Research Center study found it wasn’t so much that coverage of Obama was overly positive, but rather that coverage of McCain was overly negative. No wonder Republicans are unhappy. But they’ve missed a key sentence in the Pew report: “Much of the increased attention for McCain derived from actions by the senator himself, actions that, in the end, generated mostly negative assessments.”
There’s a saying for this: You reap what you sow. McCain/Palin ran one of the most negative campaigns in recent history. And that negativity boomeranged. If a campaign repeatedly lies, those lies eventually get called out, resulting in bad press. On the other hand, Obama ran a positive, effective grassroots campaign based on issues, not personal attacks. He denounced what he terms the “silly season” during elections. Perhaps his victory will signal not only how Americans want a president to lead, but the way they think campaigns should be run.
First let me say, I am not being overconfident, complacent, or cocky. I know the election won’t be decided until voters go to the polls on November 4th. But it is time to start thinking seriously about what an Obama presidency will look like.
I see the calm hand of leadership beginning to steer us out of the economic mess. In place of inaction, I see deliberation and careful planning on the issues that matter: the economy, education, health care, climate change. In place of secrecy I see a new transparency. Instead of divisiveness, people are working together. I see our image abroad undergoing a huge makeover. Instead of viewing us with disgust and distain, many around the world will look toward us with fresh admiration for choosing the path of vision, hope, and change. At home, for the first time in decades, the younger generation will feel they have place in society.
I expect there to a huge collective sigh of relief come November 5th. Now, please, do your part to make that a reality.
