A Progressive Conservative Boards Obama Express

By popular demand, a little berating and one raving Italian from Philly, the ProConPundit is back! First, a confession. When asked, I’ve been joking some of you that the ProConPundit went to bed election night following John McCain’s concession speech and set the clock for 2012. The truth is I did go to bed after McCain’s speech but I did record Obama’s historic Grant Park victory speech and watched it later. My hiatus from the blog has neither been an anti-Obama statement or a concession whatsoever that the progressive conservative movement has gone anywhere. Truth be it, my day job has kept me busy–too busy.

I’m back. And with an about-to-be sworn in Barack Obama–the most liberal U.S. President ever–who will govern from the center (judging by his words, actions and appointments) its clear that progressive conservatives are not in exile, unlike other flavors of conservatives. In fact, progressive conservatives, moderate Republicans, conservative Democrats, Reform Party and Green Party will all have a better friend in Obama than they had in Bush. I am not sure how Libertarians will feel about Obama.

EXPERIENCE VS. COMPETENCE
I didn’t vote for Obama. Truth be it, part of me wanted to vote for him. Mostly, I think, because I knew he would win and thought I should be on the right side of history. Even given the fact that I was an early, longtime and devoted McCain fan, I had a hard time voting for him–mostly because of the incompetent judgement he showed in picking homecoming queen turned hockey mom, Sarah Palin and for demonstrating a Bob Doleish refusal to grasp or resonate with the concerns or lives of ordinary Americans. In the end, I held my nose and voted for McCain.

My big apprehension about Obama was that I thought he lacked the requisite experience to be President. I’ve realized the difference between having experience and having COMPETENCE. Obama is short on experience but not COMPETENCE. President George W. Bush was a two term governor of one of the largest states when he became President. He didn’t necessarily lack experience but he clearly lacked the COMPETENCE to lead this country. I voted for him in 2000 and against him in 2004 and believe he is a good and decent man. He had more perilous issues to deal with than most Presidents and was in over his head. Yes, he kept us safe post 9/11 but at a huge price. Bush was the "Decider," but not a thinker, not a seeker. His lack of requisite COMPETENCE forced him to make his decisions based on the advice of others. Sadly, he was influenced by Cheney and Rumsfeld while he ignored Powell and his father.

Obama has demonstrated tremendous competence in how he ran and managed his campaign and staff, as well as his transition. We are experiencing a more momentous shift than I have seen in my lifetime. Obama’s election was more decisive than Kennedy’s narrow and disputed victory in 1960. I think the analogy to Kennedy has more to do with the generational shift and young family. For the record, the ProConPundit was not born when Kennedy was elected...but was born three weeks after his inauguration. My first words were, "Ask not..." I think Obama’s election is more analogous to the Reagan Revolution. Reagan won an electoral college landslide against Carter in 1980, 489 to 49. His popular vote victory was 9% over Carter. Obama beat McCain by 6% in popular vote and 365 to 173 electoral college votes. So Reagan’s victory was much more substantial but given that our last two presidential elections were cliff hangers and virtual ties, I think Obama’s 6% victory is decisive though not a landslide. Reagan and Obama share the advantage as incoming presidents who succeeded unpopular and incompetant presidents, Carter and Bush.

The day after the election, given Obama’s decisive but not dramatic victory, I didn’t think it was so much of a mandate, judgement neutral. Since his election, more and more of the American people have lent their hope and goodwill to our President-elect, for varieties of reasons. I share the view that he has to succeed in order for us to succeed as a people. I don’t think we can waste time senselessly tearing him down or looking for reasons to oppose him. Not to say people shouldn’t have differences with his agenda but there is a line.

The ProConPundit is back, he is aboard the Obama Express and hoping like hell the good times roll once again.