Bucks County Herald - September 4, 2008

Democratic Convention, Patrick Murphy

Dear Friends,

Good morning. Now that the Democratic Convention is history, the Republicans hold center stage this week. I’ll have much to write when I address the GOP’s strategy next Thursday…especially John McCain’s startling choice for his running mate.

During this presidential campaign, I’ll look at John McCain and Barack Obama through the eyes of the eighth congressional candidates…incumbent congressman Patrick Murphy and his Republican challenger, Tom Manion.

It’s clear to me that the Republican strategy is two fold…first, the GOP will try to convince voters that Obama is too inexperienced to lead the nation; and second, they’ll spend tons saying that he doesn’t look like other presidents on our currency…that is to say; either his race or his strange name is unsettling.

To counter the Republican strategy, the Democratic convention had three goals. First, Michelle Obama had to show that her family was a typical American family. She spoke about how she and her husband achieved lofty goals through hard work and sacrifice. I think that she succeeded.

Second, Hillary Clinton had to convince her angry supporters to support Obama and not jump ship to the McCain ticket. Her eloquent speech extolling the merits of Obama should have done the trick.

Can the Obama team convince voters that a McCain victory means four more years of the Bush/Cheney administration? That’s the obvious third goal. Putting it another way, does McCain equal George W. Bush? It’s too early to tell whether that can be done.

I’ll begin with a conversation I had with Congressman Murphy. Where does he stand on energy, the economy, education, health care, and Iraq?

You won’t be surprised by his answers.

“I’m for good ideas,” he began. “I’m not just for Democrat ideas. I’m for good Republican ideas too.”

On the energy topic, I listed wind, solar, coal, nuclear, and oil (as long as it’s not foreign oil). “What are you for and what do you oppose,” I asked?

“I’m for all of the above,” Murphy responded. “We need to expand our energy portfolio.”

Turning to the war in Iraq, he had this to say. “We’re winding down the Iraq war. It’s cost three trillion dollars thus far. We need to refocus [our efforts] wherever Al Quaeda is strong.”

That must mean Afghanistan and Pakistan.

What about the economy, I wondered? He began with fiscal discipline.

“I’m a ‘Blue Dog” Democrat,” Murphy answered, meaning fiscal responsibility coupled with strong national defense. (Is there such a thing as a ‘Red Dog’ Republican, I asked? He said he didn’t know.) But Murphy was quick to point out that the federal government is spending $21 billion per month on the interest on the national debt. “We only spend $5 billion per month on education,” he complained bitterly.

On the subject of health, he believes that all Americans should be covered. “But a health policy will have to be transparent,” Murphy said. He identified physicians, the insurance and pharmaceutical industries as the major players, (He should have included the legal profession, too).

I asked him about education. Bill Gates, the genius of Microsoft, says that America’s public education is obsolete. Is it, I asked?

“We have to make sure that we’re spending public money wisely,” he replied. “We shouldn’t train [students] for tests. We need to educate. It’s not about having national standards or about 100 percent local control.”

It’s hard to deny that education is the elephant in the room. Asian and European secondary students have been out-performing our kids for decades. What’s more, it’s so frustrating to realize that we American taxpayers pay more, per student, than the foreign competition. The problem is that people in authority are hiding from the obvious. We need better, higher paid teachers and a much longer school year. And we need to rid poor teachers from the classrooms. It’s too bad that Bill Gates can’t organize our public education system.

Last, I had a fascinating conversation with him about national service, which I hope to report some day. But, I’ll leave you with his tidbit. “I’m for it, as long as it’s not mandatory,” he told me.

Finally, I’ll return to the presidential campaign, which has begun in earnest. Michael Smerconish, the Philadelphia talk show host, may have it right. He says that angry white men hold the keys to the election. Will they vote for a black man with a very foreign name? We’re about to find out.

Smerconish forgot to include angry women of all stripes and persuasions. Stay tuned.

Sincerely,

Charles Meredith