The Political Inquirer

I was shocked to see John Derbyshire’s piece at National Review Online today. I clicked to read the article, hoping to discover he was being sarcastic, but to my dismay he really believes that Al Gore will secure the Democrat nomination.

After learning that John Derbyshire endorsed Ron Paul for president, I started to think more highly of him (and reading his stuff). I find his analysis of politics different from most of the bland party hacks at National Review.

Derbyshire makes a few points I want to bring to light.

On the historical evidence, in fact, people voting for president don’t even much care for U.S. senators as a species. The last time a senator got elected to the presidency was 1960. Since Clinton, Obama, and McCain are all U.S. senators, there isn’t much to be done about this; but at least the voters are going to be more favorably disposed towards a candidate who’s done something substantial other than senator-ing. Which would be … McCain.

It is true that John McCain has the experience factor. No other Republican could bring into the fold the independents and moderate Democrats favor Obama. His inexperience will be a major factor if Obama secures the nomination. Polls show Obama winning against McCain right now, but it is far too early to assume that.

…it has sure as heck occurred to the Democratic-party bosses, and those who influence them. Eleanor Clift, for example: “Al Gore on the second ballot: A scenario that a few weeks ago seemed preposterous is beginning to look plausible to some nervous Democrats looking for a way out of the deadlock between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama …” Hey, it never looked preposterous to me, Eleanor … but then, I didn’t need to have several Hillary Clinton tattoos surgically removed before I could think straight.

Democrat bosses looking to Al Gore? Their hopes and loyalty might be for Hillary Clinton, but once realism sinks in they quickly realize she is a loser in the general election. This might explain some Democrat party hacks switching to Obama–but is it real down to earth “Obama is the man” support? I don’t think so. Instead, the party bosses only believe (rightly) that he has a better chance than Clinton does at winning the general election.

The real meat why Obama isn’t guaranteed the nomination? Look no further:

It’s August in Denver. You have a convention hall full of party activists, nervous and weary from months of watching the party’s two candidates clawing and scratching at each other. Both those candidates are looking pretty tattered. Bill Clinton’s mistress has spilled the beans on O’Reilly, and Michelle Obama’s senior sociology thesis has come to light — the one where she let loose on the “ineradicable racism of white Americans” and called the U.S.A. “a nation founded in crime and hatred.” McCain is looking stronger than ever. The Turks are advancing on Kirkuk. Iran has lobbed a ballistic test missile far out over the Indian Ocean. The Chinese are mad as hell following the collapse of the summer Olympics the week before, as athletes refused to compete in gritty smog, and are making new threats against Taiwan. It’s a dangerous world out there, and community organizing and ed-biz wonkery are being marked down as presidential qualifications.

The whole paragraph is excellent analysis of the future political situation, but Michelle Obama’s senior thesis is hidden in the archives at Princeton until November 5th, 2008. Something is in there that might ruin Obama’s political career. He may have done everything perfectly to this point, but if this were to get out in the media it may ruin him.

Derbyshire ends this perfectly:

Then … A fanfare of trumpets! A shaft of light! Into the hall rides a man on a white stallion! Stirred from their lethargy, the delegates begin rising from their seats. They start cheering and applauding. The rider reaches the podium, dismounts, and strides to the dais. The applause is deafening now. Cheers ring round the hall! Women are weeping; men are hugging each other.

Broad-shouldered and confident, his sternocleidomastoid muscle flexing and rippling, the Rescuer sweeps his powerful gaze around the hall. A hush falls. He begins to speak. As he speaks, the same though settles on every listener simultaneously: This is the one. He has always been the one. What fools we have been!

…

But … does he want it? Does Al Gore want to be the president of the United States?

Are you kidding me?