Foregone Conclusion?

In this last week before the election, the American press and public seem to almost think the election is a foregone conclusion in a victory for Obama. However there is still interesting analysis to be made. Joe Klein wrote a very interesting column this week about why Obama will most likely win on November 4, and also about the exclusive interview he had with Obama a week ago. An interesting anecdote Klein recounts is the story of Obama’s meeting with General David Patraeus. Obama and Patraeus differed on the issue of whether to institute a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Instead of just peacefully disagreeing with Patraeus, Obama made a gut decision to have a constructive discussion about the issue. I think this shows both Obama’s impressive knowledge of the issues as well as his temperament which many Americans have found appealing. Another interesting topic Klein discusses is how Obama, Patraeus, and McCain want to deal with Afghanistan. It seems, though Patraeus hasn’t admitted it in so many words, that Patraeus and Obama favor negotiating with the Taliban. It seems to me if two smart men with ideological differences like these two can agree on a course of action, it is most likely the correct one to take. Klein once again reinforces the idea that Obama’s even-keeled temperament is remarkable, and that it is the factor that caused many American’s to vote for him. In an audio breakdown of the interview, Klein makes a comparison that is very interesting that I had not heard yet this election year. The thing we seem to get a lot more of from Obama than our Presidents in recent history is maturity.