All the political fuss and chatter aside, the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado, has already made history, even if in the end Senator Barack Obama does not manage to become the first black president to take up residence in the White House.Obama's Republican opponent, the seasoned Senator John McCain from Arizona, argues that Obama is not fit to be commander-in-chief. However having shown the ability to form an enthusiastic army of volunteers, most of them first-time campaigners, who managed to defeat one of the smartest political war tribes -- the Clintons -- during the primary battles, Obama proves that argument wrong. He is no less qualified than McCain to be commander-in-chief.
It was Obama who, without a single penny from the federal government, out-funded his opponents thanks to innovative usage of the Internet as a tool to collect individual donations; not to mention his crafting a sophisticated convention. Obama stood before 80,000 supporters who flocked to Invesco Field Thursday night -- a difficult number to match given Americans' political sluggishness -- and addressed them like a commander-in-chief before his army.
Up until that point, the ability to strategize, mastermind and motivate subordinates was already there as proof of Obama's command skills. However a few crucial things were missing. Would he be able to unite his party (or army), in the aftermath of a long and emotionally charged primary period? Would he be able to demonstrate he could get one-on-one, bayonet to bayonet with Vietnam veteran McCain? The big stadium setting and strong delivery of his speech, featuring harsh partisan content at times, were meant to take care of exactly those questions.
Time will tell whether after Thursday night's magic wanes, disenchanted Clinton supporters will campaign or even vote for Obama. Time will tell who will prevail when Obama and McCain meet in a television or a town hall debate setting. A good commander never underestimates rivals. I'm sure neither Obama nor McCain would fall into that trap.
Wars are often unwarranted. Wars are unwanted. And wars are nasty. But if wars are conducted by honorable commanders-in-chief, they can be worth watching with respect. That's how I've felt watching the political war between Obama and McCain so far. For example, I heard nice things from Obama about McCain in the former's speech (with kind applause from the Democratic audience); I watched a complimentary congratulation advertisement from McCain to Obama after the live broadcast. That says good things about the character of both candidates, and certainly the level of US politics. In a political campaign where both camps offer voters a positive change, one hopes such acts of civility remain unchanged.
Preserving civility while competing is the essence of success not only for a politician, but also for a state. Watching the US, the world enjoys the civility of the political war the outcome of which will have huge implications not only for Americans but also for other global villagers. People hope civility in international affairs will prevail no matter who wins the White House. It was good to hear from Obama and many other fellow Democrats that they intend to restore America's image that has been tarnished by the unilateralist and often uncivil foreign policy under President Bush. Although the Obama campaign naturally, as part of the ongoing political war, tries to highlight Senator McCain's Senate voting record, which has paralleled the Bush line 95 percent of the time, I believe if and when McCain becomes the next commander-in-chief of the US, he will act more civilly. That largely depends on the extent to which he can keep judgment-killer neocons away during crucial decision-making times.
Good judgment is another attribute of a commander-in-chief, and a common topic regarding this election. Although you will find candidates accusing each other of serious errors, thankfully, no candidate has a serious judgment deficit. That's good news for the whole world. Obama's picking Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Joe Biden as his vice presidential candidate was good judgment. Biden's invaluable experience in foreign policy issues will result in better judgment on Obama's part, if he knows how to listen. A commander-in-chief should listen to views from various types of people rather than sticking to those who say what he likes to hear. That was the Vice President Cheney trap in the Bush administration.
The war to win the White House can be easily likened to a war of regaining the world's respect. Obama enjoys more favorable ratings among world citizens and there would be an immediate respect boost if he were to win the election. McCain, on the other hand, will not get a blank check like Obama, because of his association with the unpopular Bush. But I am optimistic none of them will repeat the grave mistakes of the current administration.
