We Have Nothing to Fear But Fear Itself

It's been a long eight years since the Bush administration took power.  In order to move forward, we must look back and see what characterized the failure that was the Bush administration.

For too many years Bush and his team used division through fear to maintain their power.  The politics of fear proved to be effective in winning votes but its longevity as many are predicting, will be short-lived.  In a time of crisis our country is no longer looking to be frightened but rather they're looking for a way out and someone who will instill that feeling of hope in them.

The one trick pony that was the Roveian political theory failed to adjust to the times.  McCain seeing that these tactics worked in 2004, has chosen this route once again.  Unfortunately for McCain, the political landscape has changed.  Obama on the other hand has seized the opportunity and has stuck to his positive message of "change" through the duration of his campaign.

The latest example of this was in Obama's infomerical that aired earlier this week.  The 30-minute special did not mention President bush, nor John McCain or Sarah Palin.  Rather than using the half hour special to deride his opponents, Obama focused on the same positive message that he has pushed for the last two years, "change."  Below is the video:

McCain who began his campaign with a message of "change" in the way which political campaigns were run, did not stick to his promise and his scope of "change" was too narrow.  His narrow scope led to his initial failure in motivating voters.  The lack of success led to desperation for McCain and prompted party leaders to push his campaign into the good old Bush formula, Fear Fear Fear.  

The formula has become all to obvious to the media and American voters.  Lies began to seep out of the McCain campaign saying Obama was a "muslim," a "terrorist," and the most recently a "socialist."  One by one the media knocked down the claims as none were factually based.

Not only was McCain's reputation tarnished but it was clearly revealed how his campaign was using the same tactics of our beloved president, George W. Bush (approval ratings now soaring at 20%)  A bit ironic as Mr. McCain was attempting to distance himself from the president throughout the campaign.  You can't distance yourself if you turn into him.

While McCain clamors to find next negative message, Obama maintained the moral high ground as he has scoffed at the remarks made by the opposition and continues to hammer in his message of "change and "hope."  

As McCain has failed to see that "hope" is the new "fear," Obama has begun to set the platform for his presidency's legacy.  No longer will our government endorse "division through fear" but instead "Hope through Change."

Fear and division can no longer be a part of our political system.  We have to much to recover from the last eight years.  Whether its our reputation globally, the strength of our army, our volatile economy our decaying infrastructure ( just a short list)  the public has awoken.  

They've realized that this climate of fear has divided them and the government.  Nothing has been done in the last eight years that has moved our country forward.  A politician like Obama had to come in and capture this disillusion and infuse our nations politics with hope.  hopefully the new politics that Senator Obama, if elected, will bring will change the direction of our nation's progress and restore our confidence.