CSMS Magazine Staff Writers
As the Democratic Party nomination process moves to full gear, Barack Obama flexes his political muscles, winning decisively states after states since the Tsunami Tuesday last January 19th. Last night, he did it again in Wisconsin with a substantial margin, pushing the Clinton campaign into a deeper hole. Most observers believe that it is increasingly becoming tougher for the Clinton team to regain the initiative. For many, Hillary has been dethroned for good. The mountain she has to climb to overpower Obama’s momentum is now extremely steep, so steep that most analysts begin to think that the tide is almost irreversible.Watching the exit polls in Wisconsin last night, Obama not only won with his traditional base—well-educated professionals, younger voters and college students—he also won over a substantial amount of the so-called blue collar voters considered to be Hillary’s base. This is not good news for Hillary since Wisconsin is next door to Ohio, where Clinton hopes to bounce back on March 4th. Also in Texas last night, where Obama delivered a resounding speech before an audience numbered in the thousands, the polls show that the race has entered a new phase. It is now a statistical dead heat.Obama: the new messiah?Joel Stein from the Los Angeles Times could not hide his deep admiration for the candidate when he conceded to ABC news that the senator from Illinois is not a candidate, but a saint, a cult leader that he, many of his colleagues and millions of Americans are impatiently waiting to come in order to redeem them from the sins of the politic of the past. Combining substance and inspiration, the Obama campaign has become a rallying point, “a purgatory where millions of worshipers are breathtakingly waiting to make their final journey from Hell to Paradise.”His message of hope has reached fever pith, bringing along Whites who hope that Obama will finally exonerate this country from its shameful past of slavery, Blacks who believe that he will at last bring to bear the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, factory workers and all those who live in the fringe of society are betting on Obama to come and lift them from the darkness of economic uncertainties to the shining path of economic security, and finally the gurus from Wall Street and a large portion of the ruling elite are hoping that a new face in the White House will deliver a colossal blow to America’s enemies abroad and that this country is truly a country of inclusion—therefore setting the stage for a major campaign to polish America’s image overseas.Can Obama really deliver? Can he really satisfy all these specific interests? In CSMS Magazine, we have written a lot about Obama’s limit as a politician. His promises may not be empty, but they are for sure quite shallow. Obama is not leading a revolution; he is not seeking to replace a system of government at the roots of all of America’s problems. He is rather working within the framework of its structure. His message contains no alternative to the status quo. To the contrary, he is pledging to reinforce it. In the end, we believe that the disappointment could be as big as the inspiration or the “audacity” of hope.But for the moment, Barack Obama is the new star, the trailblazer that seems to be impossible to stop. He has the people behind him and the money to sustain his campaign. Last night, Obama looked buoyant and confident, basking in huge crowds in Huston that cheer him lustily and call out “We love you” and “Yes we can!”National polls show that Obama leads McCain—the Republican front runner—by 48 percent to 42 percent when people were asked which one they would prefer if the presidential race were held now. Clinton, a senator from New York, got 46 percent to McCain’s 45 percent in their matchup. The same polls according to CNN show Obama leading Clinton in the race for the Democratic nomination, 46 percent to 41 percent.Also see Is Barack Obama unstoppable after his stunning victory in Iowa last week? The Obama campaign plunges deeper into the defensive after the Nevada lost last Saturday
