Opinion: The Obama moment is gone. For 2020, Democrats need a different kind of magic.
Former president Barack Obama speaks at the My Brother's Keeper Alliance Summit in Oakland, Calif., in February. ) By David Byler David Byler Data analyst and political columnist focusing on elections, polling, demographics and statistics Email Bio Follow Data analyst and political columnist March 22 at 3:26 PM Barack Obama can’t run for president again.
Obama’s political style was multifaceted. He blended a feel-good, sometimes messianic, “hope and change” message with a socially adept wonkery; a liberal technocratic platform with the potent emotional promise that the first black presidential nominee from a major party could bring about a new era in American race relations; and a political strategy that took advantage of an increasingly diverse and educated electorate.
Obama managed to position himself as a near-messianic answer to those problems and a break with “politics as usual.”The historic nature of his candidacy, his rhetorical talent and life story, and his political timing all played a part. And the next nominee will have to operate in an environment shaped in part by the paranoid and racist responses to Obama’s presidency. President Trump vaulted himself into the national political conversation in part by spreading racist birther conspiracies. As president, he said there were “very fine people” on both sides of the white-nationalist rally in Charlottesville and has been praised by the far-right fringe, and managed to do so while holding on to his base.
Part of Obama’s strength came from black voters. They might unite behind someone again this time — or they might split in multiple directions, now that we have a race with multiple black candidates. Booker, Kamala Harris and Joe Biden — who will definitely make some claims to Obama’s legacy, especially if he announces that he will run on a ticket with Georgia’s Stacey Abrams — might end up splitting the vote along age lines or some other division.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Biden draws on Obama donor network to jump-start 2020 bidThe former vice president is counting on major Obama donors to help him keep pace with online fundraising dynamos early in 2020 campaign.
Read more »
Major Obama fundraiser looks likely to support Beto O'Rourke in 2020 run for presidentMark Gallogly, the co-founder of investment firm Centerbridge Partners has signaled to friends that he's likely going to help Beto O'Rourke
Read more »
Opinion | The true running mates of 2020 deserve a better scriptThe time has finally arrived for a long-overdue reconsideration of the most difficult supporting role in politics.
Read more »
Opinion | Democrats May Blow It in 2020Opinion: In their rush to dispense with President Trump, Democrats are losing sight of what Marxists called the 'objective conditions,' writes Ted Van Dyk
Read more »
Opinion | What 2020 Democrats and Richard Nixon have in commonOpinion: What 2020 Democrats and Richard Nixon have in common
Read more »
Opinion | A simple taxonomy of 2020 DemocratsIf you're going to make that leap, you had better be a superstar.
Read more »
Opinion | The 2020 race is on — between the commentariat and the modelersOpinion: The 2020 race is on — between the commentariat and the modelers
Read more »
‘One of the last roles to evolve’: 2020 spouses slowly find their spaceThe few spouses of 2020 presidential contenders taking a prominent speaking role now appear to be the exception among the more than a dozen Democratic candidates to officially announce a campaign
Read more »
2020 Democrats campaign across the US: Live updatesAt least 10 declared or potential 2020 candidates are campaigning across the US this weekend. Follow here for the latest.
Read more »
2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls swing through South in quest for black votersSeveral 2020 presidential candidates are swinging through predominantly black cities and neighborhoods as Democrats work to court that voting bloc.
Read more »