No, these are not the words of Pat Robertson, George W. Bush or Bill Frist, they are the words of U.S. Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. In the same speech, Obama states:
“I think there is an enormous danger on the part of public figures to rationalize or justify their actions by claiming God’s mandate. I don’t think it’s healthy for public figures to wear religion on their sleeve as a means to insulate themselves from criticism, or dialogue with people who disagree with them.”
Obama may be too intelligent for American politics, because I haven’t seen a politician navigate the American political “values gap” so shrewdly–and so honestly–ever. Obama, a black man who claims black Chicago as his hometown, overwhelmingly won a Senate seat in a majority white state where farming and agriculture are big industry. He is now the second most popular Democrat in America, and one of the most popular politicians in America. In order to reach this height, Obama had to speak to both Republicans and Democrats about a phrase most of us are tired of hearing: “American values.” Whether we like it or not, people of all races, from all walks of life, want to hear politicians talk about values.
How skillfull can this man be? I was watching Sen. Obama speak on CSPAN this past weekend, and I was amazed at how he bounces back and forth between talking about “progressive values” (equality, racial harmony, opportunity for all, even abortion rights) and “American values” (two-parent family, hard work, individuality, faith). No other politician in America can do this. As we inch slowly towards 2008, Hillary Clinton will try, but it’s quite easy to see through the veil of her insincerity. For Obama, however, the motley mixture of progressive and American values seems easy and altruistic. The Democratic Party should take a lesson from it’s new-found leader.
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