Paradigm Shift -- Is Obama The Major Issue?

Has the paradigm driving this election shifted? For the past 22 months it's been obvious to me that the demonstrated public hatred for George Bush and his War would cost the Republicans any chance of a victory in the Presidential election for 2008. All I had to do was look at the 2006 state and local results and see the many, many Republican incumbents that were defeated by up and coming Democrats riding the upward Democratic wave caused by Bush's dramatic crash in popularity due primarily to the Iraq war. The majority of the American public hated the war and made the Republicans across the board pay the price for Bush's actions.

Bush's war and the drooping economy it helped foster were the focal points of opinion, squashing Republican popularity. Hatred of George Bush was the initial focal point of the 2008 election, not the Presidential candidates themselves. America hates George Bush; thus America hates Republicans; therefore, America's voters will not elect a Republican as President in 2008. Those were my conclusions until recently.

Lately, 95% of the groundswell of political email I receive is anti-Obama. Not a lot of it is rational, most is cartoonish, purely false, exaggerated or comprised of facts taken out of context. However, these emails tend to convince the reader that a lot of folks aren't ready for Obama to be President. Based on the closeness of the polls prior to the conventions, I get the impression that the paradigm may be shifting from having 'George Bush's War and Economy' as the focal point of this Presidential election to the question of whether Barack Obama should be President!

John McCain seems to have little to do with this paradigm shift. He's the Republican candidate because no one else could make it work. He's so bland that many folks don't even realize he's running. He's not their favorite candidate and most Republicans would prefer someone else. John McCain to date has been a non-factor. If the voting public decides that Obama shouldn't be president; then McCain wins by default. As of today, this election is strictly a 'yes or no' vote on Barack Obama.

I have no idea how this will play out, but I do find this election 100% more interesting today than it was 2-3 months ago.

JD

PS - 8/30/08 - I gotta tell you, Sarah Palin has certainly brought much-needed presence and charisma to the McCain campaign. She's everything that McCain isn't now nor ever will be; vibrant, quick-witted, sharp and actually experienced at being CHIEF and running something that she's responsible for; the State of Alaska.

Did you ever notice the distinction between Congress folks and Governors. Congress folks don't have to do a damn thing except show up for speeches and make the occasional vote. Few actually work. Their staff does everything, handles all the liaison with constituents and even tells 'em how to vote and what to say to the press and in speeches. Governors, Sarah Palin for instance, are actually 'in charge' and responsible for their actions. That's quite a contrast; a governor can direct their state in a positive direction and make things better for everyone living there, while Congress...

No, Congress doesn't do a damn thing, except cause working people more problems. They seldom solve anything and they continually layer laws on top of laws to the extent that the USA is snarled in bureaucratic morass. That's why few members of Congress ever become President and the ones that do typically screw up more things than they cure. For my money, I'll take a short-term Governor for VP or President before I'll vote for a congressman. That reminds me, aren't Obama and Biden both members of Congress too..."Oh My God!"