Politics of Hope: Better as a Governing Strategy than as a Campaign Slogan
When Barack Obama talks about the politics of hope, he’s appealing to the basic optimism of the American people. Our country’s economy and worldwide political influence have been on the rise for over a century. American students attend some of the finest universities on the planet. We have long coastlines on two oceans, friendly neighbors, natural resources and unprecedented prosperity. In short we have much to be thankful for. That’s why we like positive, self confident presidential candidates.
After World War II the United States helped our former adversaries Germany and Japan recover. As a result, two nations that were once mortal enemies are now strong allies. So we have reasons to feel optimistic about our ability to positively influence other countries.
In the last three decades we’ve also seen an end to the Cold War. Now democracy has replaced totalitarianism as the established form of government in countries across Eastern Europe and all throughout Asia and the Americas. Given these hopeful signs, we need a forward thinking president who will build on our recent foreign policy accomplishments.
However hope doesn’t sell as well in hotly contested political campaigns. Major races with national implications are all about controlling the message. For a candidate, part of getting voters to buy into your story requires countering mischaracterizations from the other side. That’s just part of the back and forth of tough campaigns. No serious candidate would purposely highlight their own weaknesses. That’s the opponent’s job.
Barack Obama will have to walk a fine line in the coming months to get the Democratic presidential nomination. He must stay upbeat about the future while also demonstrating the ability to quickly respond to attacks from the other candidates. Maybe what voters really want are positive, self confident, forward thinking candidates with a strong counter punch.
Barack Obama, presidential campaign, politics of hope
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