Michigan Memories & Musings
EmailOpinion by Matthew Dowd, ABC News Political Contributor
So, I am sitting by the shores of Lake Michigan with my feet in the warm sand relaxing, reading and wondering about life and what to make of the latest events in the presidential campaign.
It is great being back here in northern Michigan (I grew up in this swing state), and there is nothing like a sunset over Lake Michigan.
I recall as I sit here that it was on a vacation in northern Michigan that I got hooked on politics and my love of it bloomed 35 years ago at this exact same time of year.
Driving north from Detroit up Interstate 75 in one of those huge station wagons back in 1973 with four brothers and four sisters (we ended up 11, but two more boys came later in the 1970s), all I was thinking about was watching the Watergate hearings on television.
My brothers and sisters played on the beach while I tried to discuss the latest questioning of White House officials; my siblings thought I was crazy and they probably were right, though more than 80 percent of Americans watched some portion of the famous hearings.
Back to this political environment and a few observations as I listen to the waves come in on the shore:
First, for an election whose dominant value desired by the public is authenticity, it seems to be greatly missing on both sides of the campaign.
Obama seems to have real difficulty admitting a mistake (didn’t we just go through that with another President?) and admitting some of his policy positions might have been wrong. The public sees politicians admitting a mistake and learning as a sign of strength, not a weakness.
McCain seems to have lost his way a bit about providing uplifting politics and being one who can change Washington. The public is OK with hardnosed political tactics, just not ones that don’t feel and look authentic to the candidate.
Second, both the presidential candidates through their careers and in their run for president have talked about putting a premium on rebuilding the community we call America. Bringing people to a common sense of purpose and getting past the nastiness and labels and bickering, and rebuilding the American campfire so we can all gather around it and help each other solve the problems in our country and the world.
And what have we heard recently –- name calling by both sides, release of attack ads that don’t seem to have much to do with our problems, and attacks on each other related to celebrity and ignorance.
(Though having Paris or Britney around a campfire would definitely be entertaining –- oops, I digress)
Third, isn’t it amazing that we have two Presidents available to each party who won more raw votes in their reelections than any other previous member of either of their parties, and neither campaign wants them close by or around much.
Bill Clinton won reelection in 1996 with more votes than any other Democrat before him, and George W. Bush won more votes in his reelection in 2004 than any other Republican before him. And both are being benched by the campaigns.
One counter intuitive thing to do is for McCain to give a speech congratulating and lauding Clinton for all that he has done in the world on health and poverty, and for Obama to give a similar speech highlighting what Bush has done on AIDS and Africa. It is by far his best singular achievement and one that no president came close to doing.
Just some musings from Michigan, and the next stop for this column will be on the upcoming conventions.
CPAC: Romney Struggles to Convince Voters 
Obama Backs Off Birth Control Battle?
give me a break
Posted by: please | August 8, 2008, 9:01 am 9:01 am
Please! If we had a media that could think, and pass on information that was helpful instead of trying to make a commercial event out of everything, then perhaps the candidates would have something to say.
You guys complain about the name calling etc. but sure beat the drums when it happens.
Get real, the MSM is failing badly on this election.
Posted by: Thinking | August 8, 2008, 10:00 am 10:00 am
McCain claims in an ad released today that “Obama voted to raise taxes on people making just $42,000. He promises more taxes on small business, seniors, your life savings, your family.”
But when it comes to promises, it’s worth pointing out that, according to the non-partisan Tax Policy Center’s analysis of both candidates’ proposed plans, Obama would cut taxes for those making in the range of $38,000 to $66,000 three to almost eight times more than McCain would.
Under Obama’s plan, according to the center, by 2009, those making $37,595 would see an average increase in their income of 3.6%, or a tax cut of $892; those making an average of $66,354 would see an increase in their income of 2.4%, or a tax cut of $1,042.
On the other hand, Under McCain’s plan, those making $37,595 would see an increase in their income of only about 0.5%, or $113 tax cut; those making $66,354 would see only an increase of 0.7% in their income, or a tax break of $319.
Posted by: real news | August 8, 2008, 12:35 pm 12:35 pm
I agree with the above, the media is more interested in ‘access’ to the candidates than to the truth. I’m so sick of ‘reporting’ attack ads rather than calling out the candidates on their inaccuracies.
I will agree about sunsets over Lake Michigan; most people don’t realize how pretty Michigan is in areas…
Posted by: MIguy | August 9, 2008, 12:04 am 12:04 am
Is Obama for infanticide?
Obama claimed that the reason he voted against the bill in Illinois to protect infants born alive after an abortion was because it lacked a pre-birth neutrality provision. However Obama has just been caught in another lie. The National Rights Life Committee (NRLC) tracked the bill through its entire path and discovered that the bill did have the codicil neutrality provision attached. Not only that then state Senator Obama presided over the Health and Human Services Committee that was responsible for attaching the neutrality revision, verbatim from the Federal Bill plus Obama voted in support of adding the amendment Immediately after voting for this provision, however, Obama voted against the revised bill with the neutrality clause included. Clearly, Obama lied about his position. It’s no small rhetorical matter, either. Obama’s vote against this bill puts him on the extreme end of the pro-abortion camp,. Obama is so extreme on this issue that not a single member of Congress would follow his example. Obama voted to allow Christ Hospital and other facilities performing abortions to allow live children to die.
Posted by: Mary | August 11, 2008, 5:55 pm 5:55 pm
Barack Obama recently finished a $500,000 total overhaul of his 757. And as part of the new design, he decided to remove the American flag from the tail…
What American running for President of the United States would remove the symbol of his country? And worse, he replaced the flag with it with a symbol of himself…
Posted by: wp | August 15, 2008, 10:36 am 10:36 am
Of course, it helps as we’ve now learned that John McSame was not in the “Cone of Silence”, but riding in a motorcade to the building where the “Forum” was being held, while Sen. Barack Obama was being questioned. And, during that period of time, there was nothing that prevented John McSame from hearing the questions being asked of Sen. Obama and Sen. Obama’s answers thereto. Do I think John McSame “cheated”, you bet I do.
Specifically, we learn from the NYT: Before an audience of more than 2,000 people at the church, the candidates answered questions about policy and social issues.
Mr. Warren, the pastor of Saddleback, had assured the audience while he was interviewing Mr. Obama that “we have safely placed Senator McCain in a cone of silence” and that he could not hear the questions.
After Mr. Obama’s interview, he was joined briefly by Mr. McCain, and the candidates shook hands and embraced.
Mr. Warren started by asking Mr. McCain, “Now, my first question: Was the cone of silence comfortable that you were in just now?”
Mr. McCain deadpanned, “I was trying to hear through the wall.”
Interviewed Sunday on CNN, Mr. Warren seemed surprised to learn that Mr. McCain was not in the building during the Obama interview.
See: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/18/us/politics/18mccain.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1219068751-He+zpR1dK+Su8nYdzmExoA
Posted by: caliguy55 | August 18, 2008, 11:23 am 11:23 am
Obama is a Chicago con and the world is starting to wake up…..
Obama has split and embarrassed the Democratic Party because of his own self centered personality. He’s running for Obama Rule, not democracy.
Obama is a poor example of moral values, religious beliefs, experience and patriotism. He can’t criticize much about experience and God forbid he gets vetted. He’s a disgrace
Obama never won the primary. Obama stole it from Hillary.The world watched as the DNC handed the nomination to Obama by silencing voters.
The media can say what they want about Obama winning the primary but voters know the truth, especially Clinton supporters. Obama ignored voters. Florida and Michigan will never forget it.
Obama and Michelle were given a second chance to put Hillary on his ticket, but instead chose to hog the glory and embarrass the Democratic Party.
Obama could have won these women over. He should have taken advantage of the Clinton’s popularity and the love still felt for them throughout the world. Instead, he lost more respect from women across America. McCain is winning the Hillary women with his VP pick.
Obama is risky, radical and not a great patriot. Remember: Rezko, (the criminal), Reverend Wright (the anti Semitic racist) and William Ayers ( Obama’s coworker = domestic terrorist)
The list of his ugly friends with radical beliefs are endless.
God is watching and the world is laughing at our unfair voting process in the Democratic Party.
Obama should step down.
Posted by: Al from NJ | September 2, 2008, 8:02 am 8:02 am
HEY GL:
FIRST OFF AMY DID NOT STATE ANYTHING IN HER REMARK THAT WAS RACIST. YOUR THE RACIST FOOL. YOU NEED TO BACK OFF FROM HERE WHILE YOUR AHEAD. I AM ONE THAT WILL FACE ANY N IGGER AND TELL THEM TO THERE FACE YOUR A N IGGER. BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE IN THIS WORLD, NOTHING BUT N IGGERS, PORCH MONKEYS, YOU ALL JUST CRAWL OUT THE WOODWORKS WHEN IT GETS DARK, LIKE A BUNCH OF GORILLAS. YOU ALL ARE HYPER, VERY INCONSIDERATE OF ANYBODY IN THE WORLD EXCEPT FOR YOURSELVES AND ACT SO STUPID IT IS UNREAL. I DONT HAVE TO HIDE BEHIND A COMPUTER, I WILL SAY IT TO YOUR FACE. I BELIEVE THAT THE WHITE SUPREMACY NEEDS TO STEP IN REALLY SOON AND THE KKK NEEDS TO KICK IT UP A NOTCH.
Posted by: wp | September 4, 2008, 12:59 pm 12:59 pm
IT IS NOT FEAR THAT US WHITE PEOPLE ARE FEELING. SEE WHAT YOU DUMBASSES FAIL TO REALIZE IS THAT YOU N IGGERS DONT MEAN A THING TO US AT ALL, YOU ALL ARE WORTHLESS HUMAN BEINGS. YOUR COLOR AND RACE DOES NOT BELONG HERE. WE KNOW THAT IF YOU N IGGERS GET TO BE THE PRESIDENT THAT IS WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS AND THE USA (THE COUNTRY THAT ALL OF YOU N IGGERS HATE SO VERY MUCH AND CAN NOT STAND AT ALL)(SO THEN WHY DONT YOU ALL LEAVE THE USA THEN??, WHY ARE YOU STAYING?? WE ALL DONT WANT YOU HEAR TO BEGIN WITH!!) WILL HIT ROCK BOTTOM THEN. AND JUST THINK, YOU N IGGERS ARE RACIST NOW WAIT UNTIL (HOPEFULLY IT WONT HAPPEN THOUGH) OBAMA MIGHT BE PRESIDENT AND WE ALL WILL REALLY SEE HOW RACIST THE N IGGERS REALLY ARE.
Posted by: wp | September 4, 2008, 1:01 pm 1:01 pm