Radical Avenue

After George W. Bush selected Dick Cheney as his running mate in 2000, news outlets announced that Cheney would bring much needed gravitas to the Republican presidential ticket. Then, when Bush became president, he assembled a highly experienced national defense team which included Donald Rumsfeld, Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice. Nine months later this group failed to anticipate or do anything to prevent the 9-11 terrorist attacks. A year and a half later they launched a preemptive attack against a country that posed no immediate threat to us, and ordered our military to police the streets of the most violent neighborhoods in the world. Experience is overrated.

Hillary has touted her experience throughout the presidential campaign. It’s not working. John McCain has signaled that he will follow Clinton’s lead in the general election and present himself as the seasoned warrior in contrast to the untested Barack Obama. But there’s no reason to believe that he will succeed where Clinton has failed.

When a company hires a new CEO, they don’t always choose the most experienced candidate. Sometimes it’s better to hire the person who doesn’t claim to have all the answers. The candidate with the longest resume may not have the flexibility to adapt to a new world order.

Both Clinton and McCain seem to have an air of entitlement about them, as though they’ve earned the right to serve as president and Obama didn’t. But it should be obvious by now that voters aren’t looking to pick the “next in line” candidate this year. No one’s crossing bridges to the past anymore.

Barack Obama, John McCain, Hillary Clinton

When it comes to US Military involvement in Iraq, Republicans and Democrats offer sharply different visions for our future. Democrats want to begin withdrawing troops immediately and Republicans want to stay longer. John McCain even mentioned the possibility of a 100 year American commitment. Does a long term US military presence in a foreign country really make the world safer? The record is unclear.

Where We Stayed
Korea
We’ve had our troops stationed in Korea since the Truman administration. While this has allowed democratic South Korea to prosper, communist North Korea is as belligerent as ever.

Kosovo
About a week ago, the citizens of Kosovo declared their independence from Serbia. Now our soldiers must try to keep the peace among warring factions a decade after we first began providing security in the Balkan states.

Okinawa
Our Navy has been stationed in Japan since World War II. Sadly, the criminal acts of some soldiers reflect badly on our entire country. We may have worn out our welcome in Okinawa but there’s little chance of Japan attacking the US anytime soon.

Where We Left
Vietnam
The US has enjoyed relatively positive relations with Vietnam since we withdrew in the 1970s. In 2006, our two countries agreed to normalized trade relations. The socialist government of Vietnam has not invaded its neighbors or threatened the United States. And although Saigon is still known as Ho Chi Minh City, communism has not spread throughout Southeast Asia as we were warned of in the 1960s.

Somalia
Somalia has remained volatile since we left after the Black Hawk Down debacle in 1993. As a lawless country, it remains a haven for terrorists and other criminals, but the danger seems to be contained for now.

Lebanon
Fortunately our troops left Lebanon in the 1980s and are no longer directly engaged with the Palestinian militant groups there. Many Lebanese citizens live in relative comfort, but ongoing hostilities with Israel mean more clouds on the horizon.

Korea, Kosovo, Okinawa, Vietnam, Somalia, Lebanon

A couple of old our acquaintances have fallen on hard times lately. In Cuba, Fidel Castro survived the CIA’s poison cigars and a 50 year US trade embargo. But intestinal failure from a lifetime of spicy foods apparently curled his toes. He finally stepped down as Cuba’s commandante in chief. On the other side of the world, Pervez Musharraf received another postcard from his fellow Pakistanis. His political party got trounced in the recent parliamentary elections. Wish you weren’t here.

Cuba
Castro will go to his grave believing in his revolution. And that’s just the point. It was always Castro’s fight. He never agreed to share power with other political parties and his leadership grew stale. Now all he has left is his brother Raul and a few old cronies parading around in camouflage.

The next generation of Cubans did not march down from the hills to defeat Batista’s Army. They have no emotional ties to the revolution. But they do have access to the internet, so they know all about regular elections, free trade and Miami nightlife.

Pakistan
The Pakistani people mistrust Pervez Musharraf. He has shown no respect for the Pakistani parliament, courts or free press. The late Benazir Bhutto’s party won most of the open parliamentary seats, followed by the party of Musharraf’s bitter rival, Nawaz Sharif. The election has been widely reported as a repudiation of Musharraf’s leadership.

The American political calendar doesn’t favor Musharraf either. The next president will probably take a long hard look at the relationship between the US, Musharraf and the Pakistani people. The clock is ticking on Musharraf’s reign of error. The only question is whether midnight will arrive with a bang or a whisper.

Cuba, Fidel Castro, Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, poison cigars

Barack Obama kicked it up a notch in February and left Hillary in his wake. As spring approaches, it has become apparent that Senator Clinton and her staff failed to adequately prepare for a marathon campaign. Senator Obama ran off an impressive string of victories over ther last two weeks and now has the lead in elected delegates. As a result Clinton must win convincingly in Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania in order to catch up before the Democratic convention.

Clinton’s deficient campaign planning reflects poorly on her organizational skills and strategic thinking. Would she be caught flat footed by a natural disaster or military setback in Iraq as well? Senator Obama by contrast, had the foresight to develop a strong campaign presence in the primaries and caucuses after Super Tuesday.

Hillary’s attacks sound a little desperate these days. Her “Words are cheap.” line makes no sense. This phrase is used to describe someone who fails to honor their promises. Senator Obama has given no indication that he is such a person or that he will not follow through on his agenda.
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When George W. Bush chose Dick Cheney as his running mate in 2000, he selected a man with little interest in one day ascending to the presidency. As a result, none of the top presidential candidates in 2008 identify themselves with Bush’s governing strategy. Indeed change has become the most popular theme of this election cycle. We now know that at least as it relates to some issues, our country will be heading in a better direction soon.

Presidential Relations with Congress
John McCain, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are all currently serving in the US Senate, so the appointment of cabinet officers and federal Judges should be less acrimonious. Of course that assumes that after moving into the White House, the next president will continue to respect the opinions of other Senators.

Both McCain and Obama tout their ability to reach across the aisle. And while Hillary Clinton might have to deal with some hard feelings left over from her husband’s administration, it’s reasonable to assume that she could draw on the personal relationships that she has developed as a Senator. In fact all of the remaining candidates know their way around Washington.
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Welcome to the dawning of a New Age in Republican politics. John McCain has finally earned the near universal love and support of his comrades in the GOP. And with the right nominee for Vice President at his side, Senator McCain should hold his own in November. Several candidates have emerged as possibilities for Vice President.

Fred Thompson
Pros – No one could bolster McCain’s Law & Order credentials like Senator Thompson. Thompson also has a great voice for radio commercials and is McCain’s old buddy from Congress. Next to Thompson, McCain looks positively vibrant.
Cons – The former Senator from Tennessee hails from a Republican state and is not the most dynamic campaigner.

Mike Huckabee
Pros – The affable Governor Huckabee helps McCain with evangelical voters. His name could also be used in a catchy campaign slogan like “Tailhook U and Huckabee Too”. (Senator McCain would need to use a more conventional slogan if he chooses someone like Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota as his running mate.)
Cons – Huckabee is a safe pick.

Beyonce
Pros – She sings. She dances. She acts. She has enough crossover appeal to bring in hip hop and smooth jazz voters alike. What more could you want in a running mate?
Cons – Beyonce might outshine the guy at the top of the ticket.

Eli Manning
Pros – Everyone’s favorite scrappy underdog would meld perfectly with the McCain persona and is popular in New York.
Cons – Manning has yet to publicly describe his stance on campaign finance reform.
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Categories matter. That’s good news to undecided voters. According to the network Super Tuesday election coverage, you need only identify your designated slot to understand how you should vote. It’s like reading the bar codes from a warehouse full of boxed widgets. Here is a breakdown of the news coverage breakdown.

Gender
Hillary Clinton has a clear advantage in this election because of her popularity among women. Everybody knows that women live longer and that more women vote. Of course Barack Obama consistently wins a higher percentage of the men’s vote than Hillary wins among women.

In a general election, more men vote Republican and Republican women may not support Hillary, but if she wins over Obama’s men it would all even out. Clearly gender alone will not determine the outcome of this election.

Age
Older voters also choose Hillary, which must put a twinkle in her eye. We’ve all heard that kids never make it to the polls. Now in some of the early primaries and caucuses young voters turned out in record numbers for Barack Obama. But surely that won’t last. Isn’t it time for Spring Break?

Voters over 60 might prefer John McCain in November however. McCain would be one of the oldest presidents in our history. Of course that would leave voters under 30 up for grabs. You really can’t look at age and gender alone to understand how people will vote.

Religion
Evangelical Christians from the South love Mike Huckabee, while Mountain West Mormons are fond of Mitt Romney. John McCain enjoys modest support from both religious and non-religious voters. Put those two groups together and McCain has just enough to win the nomination.

Buddhists appreciate Huckabee’s spirituality, but think McCain’s the guy to go over and kick some butt in Burma. But religion, age and gender alone will not decide this presidential race.

Hair Color
Hillary’s golden tresses will help her with young voters in the coastal states. Nevertheless, most middle class voters have dark hair, so they’ll identify with Obama.

And don’t forget McCain. His whitish/gray locks practically guarantee him a win in Florida.
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Of the remaining viable candidates, Senator Barack Obama most deserves to serve as our next President. He showed the right judgment by calling the debacle in Iraq a mistake from the beginning. His willingness to engage in diplomacy would help improve our relations with other countries. He’s open to ideas from the other party, has a viable health care plan and is serious about reducing the federal deficit. But we know about all that already. Here are some other reasons to vote for Senator Obama.

Fewer Soap Operas
Senator Obama adores his family and seems to have stability at home. He’s not the tabloid type. Obama is too young to have served in Vietnam, so we won’t have to fight that conflict all over again this summer. His parents have no grudge with a Middle East dictator.

Style
Has anyone else noticed that Senator Obama never has a hair out of place? He’s more street lights and less bonfire, more extra dry martini and less Old Style beer. No one uses these three words to describe George W. Bush: lanky, urbane, and eloquent.

Oprah’s Friend
Around nine million viewers in 110 different countries watch Oprah Winfrey every day. Maybe President Obama could convince Oprah to make pending legislation required reading for her book club.

Dick Cheney’s Cousin
While Senator Obama says he will talk with the Iranians, Ahmadinejad can get a little feisty sometimes. Isn’t it comforting to know that the commander in chief still has the old good cop bad cop routine available to him? President Obama could just say: “Look, if you don’t want to deal with me, I could always bring in my old friend from Wyoming.” And the circle will be complete.

Barack Obama, President, Dick Cheney