Emergence of the Obamacans as a political force

As is the case in every separate presidential election, this particular race has come up with an anomaly, an irregularity, if you will, that will help to categorize it, and that is the emergence of a seemingly self-contradictory group, the so-called Obamacans, or, put more simply, Republicans for Obama. Not that having a group from one political party support a candidate from another party is by itself remarkable, as former President Ronald Reagan, had the support of a group that has ever since been identified as Reagan Democrats. But, as was the case when Bill Curry left the University of Alabama and came north to Kentucky to coach the Wildcats’ football team, the Crimson Tide and their supporters foretold the reaction from Republicans this year, when they said of that situation, “It ain’t supposed to happen this a’way! We’re supposed to get from them, not give to them!”

Here are some of the more prominent Obamacans that have emerged to date and, in some instances their reason(s) for their endorsement. First up is Susan Eisenhower. If that name sounds familiar, yes, she is the granddaughter of Ike. She is, has always been, and always will be a Republican, but, in her view, only Obama has what it takes to bring Americans together to tackle the nation’s more pressing problems. Jim Leach, one-time Member of Congress from Iowa, and Lincoln Chafee, former U. S. Senator from Rhode Island, whose tenures in Congress were ended in the 2006 Democratic takeover, have each also endorsed Obama. For his part, Mr. Leach has declared that he believes Obama’s call for change is more in line with the principles of conservatism, ergo his support. Then there is Rita Hauser, one time fundraiser for both George the Elder, and George the Lesser. Like Democratic Virginia Senator, Jim Web, Hauser is motivated to support Obama by her opposition to the Iraqi war, this being the same reason she left a position in Dubya’s first administration.

And then there is the big prize that Obama was the recipient of this weekend, and that is the endorsement of Colin Powell. For any number of reasons, Colin Powell’s endorsement stands alone. It is in a class all by itself. Take his resume, for instance. Here is a man who could have, himself, become the first African American president had he chosen to run for the office. Instead, in 2000, he endorsed the candidacy of Dubya and Dick, and served as the Secretary of State in their first term. It was his general opposition to their conduct of the war in Iraq-he came up with the “Pottery Barn” rule against such a war, “You break it, you bought it”-that caused him to resign before this administration’s second term. It was a resignation that was eagerly awaited and just as eagerly accepted.

Of course, Powell’s resume is considerably richer than that. For instance, during his military career, a long and storied one, he reached the rank of General (four stars, if you wondered), chaired the Joint Chiefs of Staff (which consists of the leaders from each of the branches of the military) under both George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and was a National Security Advisor to Ronald Reagan (1987-1989), to name but a few of the positions of leadership he has held. Because of his renown, not only has his endorsement been a boon to Obama, it has been speculated that had he withheld it, or supported his opponent, Senator McCain, this might have been more than Obama could have overcome.

For his part, Powell was able to demonstrate that his endorsement of the Democrat for the nation’s highest office was well-reasoned, and that it wasn’t given lightly. He considers, for instance, that either of the major candidates would make a good president, but, in the case of Senator McCain, he has taken exception to the decisions the Arizona Senator has made during the campaign. Take McCain’s choice for Vice President, Sarah Palin. Powell has stated that he doesn’t believe that the Alaskan Governor has what it takes to be President, while Joe Biden “is ready to be President on day one.”

Then there is the reaction of the McCain campaign to the financial crises that has caused Powell to doubt their judgments. McCain has been, in Powell’s words, a bit unsure as how to proceed when addressing these problems.

And there is the negative campaign against Obama. Powell said that this campaign, which portrays Obama as a supporter of domestic terrorism, and which has taken advantage of the erroneous idea many have that Obama is a Muslim is insulting, especially to those American Muslims who have always strongly supported their country. Powell specifically cited the story of one soldier from New Jersey, Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, who was only 14 years old on 9/11. Khan made up his mind to enlist in the military when old enough, and did so when he was 20. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star for his service, and was killed in action.

Meanwhile, and in stark contrast to McCain’s claim that Obama lacks experience in the field of foreign policy, Powell cites several reasons as to why Obama could be a very successful president in this field. First of all, there is Obama’s ability to mend fences with those countries who have not been overly supportive of Bush in light of the Iraqi war, and his conduct of it. In Powell’s view, we desperately need to reach out to those nations that should be our allies. And, unlike McCain and his supporters, Powell endorses the idea of talks with nations and groups with whom we have had little or no relations.

In the end, Powell’s acceptance of Obama as a “transformational” president should do a great deal to ease the concerns of those who would consider voting for Obama were it not for fears about the areas Powell addressed in his endorsement. And while Powell will not campaign for Obama directly, due to his otherwise high regard for Senator McCain and his service to the country, still his statements of support should do a great deal to shore up both the campaign and reputation of the Senator from Illinois.