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Al Gore enjoys on his side a raging bull economy, and his ideological
vector
is tuned well to late 1990's just-Ieft-of-center political momentum.
President Gore would likely give us a slightly more clunky but less canned
policy-driven vision, focused on the trajectory of issues of the preceding
administration, and perpetuating Bill Clinton's art of successful
incremental change. Gore's challenge, as noted by so many, is to reveal an
unmanufactured and unrehearsed emotional importance to America, because he
will likely not match the packaging that can be purchased by George W.
Bush.
Deserving them or not, the former President's son has masterfully leveraged
the vibes of reverence accorded dynastic families in government. Working in
its favor, the Bush Campaign was wise enough to sense the need to take its
party to task for the shallowness of ethic demonstrated by national
priorities like those championed by Steve Forbes.' It would seem though that
Bush will need great showmanship or the drama of a new crisis to make up
for
an agenda painfully free of the breakthrough thinking needed for the next
millennium. He could always surprise -us with something beyond "A Uniquely
American Foreign Policy." In any case, he will likely face much stiffer
tests of vision and intellect at later whistle stops.
Most competent in direct argument with him is John McCain, a worthy
.. Republican and heroic veteran whose passionate commitment to campaign
finance reform has earned. him respect from many of the wisest
conservatives.
If Americans would take the time to study truthfully the functioning of our
systems of governance, they would understand why McCain's hawkish military
posture and undeveloped domestic vision might be tolerable prices to pay
for
a while, if he could actually drive through real advancements in our
king-making process. Enlightened Republicans who vote their belief in the
spirit rather than letter of our electoral process will likely be voting
for
John McCain in the primaries.
McCain's handicap - an anchor caught in aging party dogma - is the weight
that Bill Bradley calculates Americans may be ready to begin releasing.
Bradley's speeches have demonstrated an apolitical quality. He identifies
the unnecessary failings of our society, laying the emphasis of
responsibility on our collective ideology rather than party affiliation. In
the midst of 'heady times on Wall Street and Main Street, he seems to sense
the interplay of profound acceleration, globalization of trade and
communications; the average ethics of modern living, and uncertainties in
future change - important clues to wild cards that the. thought leader of a
free world might have to deal with in real time. Bradley appears to have
the .
vision of a genuine statesman. His challenge will be to create a platform
around truly important ideas for the 21st century expressed in simple
terms,
moving with determination beyond the noise of arguments over rounding
errors.