Obama really IS a Christian
My proof? Obama’s decision to embrace Sen. Joe Lieberman with open arms reflects a love-thine-enemy attitude.
Well maybe it isn’t as lovey-dovey as all that, but it is as close as one can get in politics.
Despite the fact that Sen. Lieberman campaigned for Sen. John McCain in the Presidential campaign, President-elect Obama has expressed that Sen. Lieberman should still caucus with the Democrats. Former President Clinton has agreed, and has made calls to Democrats encouraging them not to ostracize Lieberman. So why this Christian-like, Gandhi-esque turning-of-the-other-cheek? Why not burn Lieberman in effigy for not backing the wildly popular Obama, the first Democratic candidate since Jimmy Carter to win the popular vote, the candidate who gave McCain an electoral-vote-spanking on November 4?
The answer is at least twofold. First, Sen. Lieberman wasn’t supporting an arch-enemy of the Democratic party. As divisive and disastrous as his campaign was, Sen. McCain has a long record of getting along with Democrats. It is not as if Lieberman ran around cavorting with a Ted Stevens or a Trent Lott or a George W. Bush.
Before the Palin selection, the campaign-suspension, the “the fundamentals of our economy are strong” gaffe and the other little disasters that basically ended the McCain campaign, McCain wasn’t an easy candidate for some Democrats to run against. Reportedly after her primary loss, Sen. Hillary Clinton and McCain had a long, loving conversation; they’ve been described as political war buddies who share deep respect for each other. McCain has long supported campaign finance reform and has more recently expressed support for pro-environmental policies. McCain has supported federal funding for stem cell research (though not without hesitation). McCain himself probably won’t be an enemy of the Obama administration, so Lieberman probably shouldn’t be turned into one, either.
The other reason Lieberman isn’t being punished for his decision to support McCain is that despite the sweeping Democratic victory on November 4, Obama will need as many Senators and Congresspersons as possible to back his initiatives (first and foremost, his economic plans). The decisions that will be required of Obama are going to be tough and may not win popular support. Digging our country out of its dire economic straits may require even more expensive economic stimuli, and Obama has indicated that he plans to push at least one more bailout package, one that will help Americans affected by the mortgage crisis. Working to bring people together—including his political opponents—is a good way to start building support. Ultimately, Obama would only hurt himself by ostracizing Lieberman.
Since Obama’s victory on November 4, some in pundit land have posed the question of whether Obama will be able to pull the country along with him in an ideological way, as Reagan did during the 80s. But before he can begin to pull the country anywhere, Obama has to bring people together—that, really, has been his primary campaign promise. Extending an olive branch to Lieberman is a good start.
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Way to go Obama! He really IS trying to reach out to both sides of the isle. He will be a good president for the Democratic Party... but I get the sense that he will make sure the Republicans don't feel "left out" like we have felt for the last 8 years. He realizes that he needs everyone in the country to be behind him and is building bridges, not tearing them down.
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