The 'Sojourner'

There is a fascinating article in the New York Times by David Brooks which is well worth reading. The August 5th article is titled "Where's the Landslide"? It basically discounts the often cited notions of race or inexperience as primary factors in the failure by Barack Obama to run away with the November election at this point. Rather the article concentrates on what it sees as Obama's status as a sojourner. Brooks points to Obama's failure to demonstrate significant roots in any area of his life be it where he was born and raised, his family, religion, college, teaching, community work, or Congress. He seems to be just passing through. He is generally well regarded in all of these spheres, but not really well known. John McCain by contrast, comes from a military family and fits into a niche that Americans understand. Every president fits in to some category whether its the Kennedy clan, small town Jimmy Carter, or backwoodsman, Andy Jackson.

How important is this focus on understanding a candidates roots? Brooks feels that while Americans are not particularly hostile to Obama they are still trying to figure him out. One would think the vast array of experiences that Obama has had would be more of a plus. Clearly it is with some people. Young people do not seem to have the same concerns as older folks, perhaps because many of them have similar backgrounds. Young people today seem to be less interested in where they came from than they are in where they are going.

What might the sojourner factor tell us about the coming election? It might tell us that Barack really needs to get large numbers of young people out to vote. It certainly tells us that the debates are going to be critical in helping people make up their minds in this election. Moreover, this is a candidate who still needs to do more about making real contact with everyday American people. He needs to have a beer with the guys at a local bar, and not just as a photo-op. He needs to sit down at the diner and have lunch with the locals. He cannot continue to remain above the fray and appear to be distant and detached. He neeeds to let his hair down and really let people feel that they know who he is deep down. He especially needs to spend time and connect with people in battleground states such as Ohio and Pennsylvania. Finally, it may also be that he needs to take another look at Hillary Clinton for vice-president. Maybe the baggage of the Clinton Clan is just what he needs to establish some roots in his campaign.