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Obama’s in the Lead

I am feeling cheered by recent polls (including Gallup, Rasmussen and others) that are now showing Barack Obama once again in the lead.  It isn’t clear as to exactly what has caused this. Obviously, McCain’s own admission of shortcomings in the field of economics has come back to haunt him, and the public may be unimpressed by his recent ads which lack economic solutions but instead, incongruously, play on his perceived superiority in national security matters.

He implies that the wimps on Wall Street and in the US Congress will cower before his muscular assault: “I’ll reform Wall Street and fix Washington … I’ve taken on tougher guys than this before.” And, Giuliani-like, he even invoked 9/11 when recommending a 9/11-like commission to address the current economic crisis.  Maybe the public was less impressed than hoped for by the attempt to sell national security credentials as economic ones. Then again, the increasing coverage of his inclination toward “factually challenged arguments” may have played a role here too, not to mention the end of the Palin honeymoon. 

And speaking of fixing Wall Street, today (September 18) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa McCain declared that if he were president, he would fire SEC Chairman Christopher Cox. Apart from my personal amusement at the thought of McCain railing against an individual who is ideologically so close to his own heart, and who has dutifully followed the philosophy that “no regulation is good regulation,” my mind turns to local politics when I consider that Cox is a native son of my own region—Orange County, CA, who, thanks to Bush’s ascendancy and the rise of the right, became a national figure. This promotion set in motion a game of musical chairs whereby John Campbell, who at that time held the seat I am now running for, replaced Cox in the US Congress, which in turn opened the seat which my opponent Tom Harman now holds. Which is a long-winded way of saying that even though we are all no doubt intently focused on national matters as the election looms, as well we should be, the importance of “down-ticket” races should not be underestimated. And the next time national leaders draw from Orange County offices, I’m hoping that they’ll find them well-stocked with Democrats.

On that note, thanks to all who attended my campaign house party and fundraiser last Sunday in Corona Del Mar, and my special thanks to the host and hostess, Joan and Bob Morris, and to my excellent staff persons Maricela Rubalcava and Chad Houghton. There will be another house party on September 28 at a private home in Dana Point and I hope you can make it. For more details please see the “Events” link on this page.

Posted: September 22, 2008

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