Prepare For Spectacular Political Campaign

Barack Obama may appear to be young for a candidate to the United States’ Presidency, but the person that writes an autobiography at 33, as he did, seems to have sufficient maturity. “Dreams of My Father” is a rather expressive document of a man who had spent the greater part of his adolescence in the attempt of discovering who he was, and who at 27 considered himself ready for life. He remains, as the New York Times put it, a man “capable of charming those who like him and inscrutable to critics.”

Never underestimate Obama like Hillary Clinton has, and never underestimate his republican adversary, John McCain, a war hero somehow more courageous, steadfast and loyal than any character from epic movies. Obama and McCain are both recipients of important political lessons, especially that of surviving and clinging to a perspective. But in today’s United States, perhaps Obama’s life story will be better able to convince the electorate.

Certain American sociologists say Obama is considered a political phenomenon, especially when one considers the transformations American society is currently undergoing. They are deeply-rooted changes carried on the shoulders of immigrants and, some argue, Obama therefore represents a figure of justice. Of course, this is no political category to bank on with confidence come election time, but it certainly is a political category in a broader sense.

That which is inscrutable in Obama, as his critics observe, is to know what he wants. Some political and psychological profiles of Obama (like Larissa MacFarquhar’s excellent “The Conciliator”, published in the “New Yorker” on May 7, 2007) reveal a personality that abandoned indignation and protest in favor, almost always, of conciliation and harmony. This begs the question of how he will deal with Iraq, or of what proposals he will implement to address issues such as the seizure of Doha, or immigration policy.

Here again Obama’s supporters highlight his historic role, or more specifically, the role of what he represents. In this sense, what he says or does is not of any real importance for the judgment of his character, but what is contained in his political biography and through his social biography. It is an interesting point for sociologists, anthropologists and political scientists, but it will also create a lot of work for journalists and diplomats, those most interested in predicting what will happen in the short run.

The day Obama grabbed the democratic nomination, “O Globo” started off telling viewers to prepare for a spectacular campaign. There is, however, a word of caution here. Don’t expect a western-style showdown between sheriff and bandit. The battle between McCain and Obama isn’t one of right vs. Left, good vs. evil, progress vs. regress, or even liberal vs. conservative.

It is, instead, an impressive display of a country rediscovering its best traditions – among these are tolerance, individual freedom, and equal opportunity for all concerned – smothered beneath nearly a decade of Bushism, even McCain recognizes this.