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Sorry, Dad, I'm Voting for Obama
A year ago, when everyone, including the man I’m about to endorse, was caterwauling to get out of Iraq on the next available flight, John McCain, practically alone, said no, no—bad move. Surge. It seemed a suicidal position to take, an act of political bravery of the kind you don’t see a whole lot of anymore.
But that was—sigh—then. John McCain has changed. He said, famously, apropos the Republican debacle post-1994, “We came to Washington to change it, and Washington changed us.” This campaign has changed John McCain. It has made him inauthentic. A once-first class temperament has become irascible and snarly; his positions change, and lack coherence; he makes unrealistic promises, such as balancing the federal budget “by the end of my first term.” Who, really, believes that? Then there was the self-dramatizing and feckless suspension of his campaign over the financial crisis. His ninth-inning attack ads are mean-spirited and pointless. And finally, not to belabor it, there was the Palin nomination. What on earth can he have been thinking?
All this is genuinely saddening, and for the country is perhaps even tragic, for America ought, really, to be governed by men like John McCain—who have spent their entire lives in its service, even willing to give the last full measure of their devotion to it. If he goes out losing ugly, it will be beyond tragic, graffiti on a marble bust.
As for Senator Obama: He has exhibited throughout a “first-class temperament,” pace Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.’s famous comment about FDR. As for his intellect, well, he’s a Harvard man, though that’s sure as heck no guarantee of anything, these days. Vietnam was brought to you by Harvard and (one or two) Yale men. As for our current adventure in Mesopotamia, consider this lustrous alumni roster. Bush 43: Yale. Rumsfeld: Princeton. Paul Bremer: Yale and Harvard. What do they all have in common? Andover! The best and the brightest.
I’ve read Obama’s books, and they are first-rate. He is that rara avis, the politician who writes his own books. Imagine. He is also a lefty. I am not. I am a small-government conservative who clings tenaciously and old-fashionedly to the idea that one ought to have balanced budgets. On abortion, gay marriage, et al, I’m libertarian. I believe with my sage and epigrammatic friend P.J. O’Rourke that a government big enough to give you everything you want is also big enough to take it all away.
But having a first-class temperament and a first-class intellect, President Obama will (I pray, secularly) surely understand that traditional left-politics aren’t going to get us out of this pit we’ve dug for ourselves. If he raises taxes and throws up tariff walls and opens the coffers of the DNC to bribe-money from the special interest groups against whom he has (somewhat disingenuously) railed during the campaign trail, then he will almost certainly reap a whirlwind that will make Katrina look like a balmy summer zephyr.
Obama has in him—I think, despite his sometimes airy-fairy “We are the people we have been waiting for” silly rhetoric—the potential to be a good, perhaps even great leader. He is, it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for.
So, I wish him all the best. We are all in this together. Necessity is the mother of bipartisanship. And so, for the first time in my life, I’ll be pulling the Democratic lever in November. As the saying goes, God save the United States of America.
Read about Chris Buckley’s parting of ways with The National Review over his endorsement of Obama.
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Jacob Bernstein is a senior reporter at The Daily Beast. Previously, he was a features writer at WWD and W Magazine. He has also written for New York magazine, Paper, and The Huffington Post.
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Tina Brown is the founder and editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast. She is the author of the 2007 New York Times best seller The Diana Chronicles. Brown is the former editor of Tatler, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Talk magazines and host of CNBC's Topic A with Tina Brown.
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Duff McDonald is a contributing editor at New York magazine and a former contributing editor at Condé Nast Portfolio. His book, Last Man Standing, about Jamie Dimon, chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, was published by Simon & Schuster in October.
Lessons from Another War
Christopher Buckley's books include Supreme Courtship, The White House Mess, Thank You for Smoking, Little Green Men, and Florence of Arabia. He was chief speechwriter for Vice President George H.W. Bush, and is editor-at-large of ForbesLife magazine. His new book is Losing Mum and Pup, a memoir. Buckley's Daily Beast column is the winner of an Online Journalism Award in the category of Online Commentary.
It's Time for Us to Go
Christopher Buckley's books include Supreme Courtship, The White House Mess, Thank You for Smoking, Little Green Men, and Florence of Arabia. He was chief speechwriter for Vice President George H.W. Bush, and is editor-at-large of ForbesLife magazine. His new book is Losing Mum and Pup, a memoir. Buckley's Daily Beast column is the winner of an Online Journalism Award in the category of Online Commentary.
A Prize Too Far
Christopher Buckley's books include Supreme Courtship, The White House Mess, Thank You for Smoking, Little Green Men, and Florence of Arabia. He was chief speechwriter for Vice President George H.W. Bush, and is editor-at-large of ForbesLife magazine. His new book is Losing Mum and Pup, a memoir. Buckley's Daily Beast column is the winner of an Online Journalism Award in the category of Online Commentary.
"He is, it seems clear enough, what the historical moment seems to be calling for."
Very true. Excellent article, it is lovely to see conservatives coming out of the woodwork to prove to the world that they still have some intellectual currency left, and that the intelligent men and women who usually vote GOP can see plainly that John McCain has lost himself in his quest for the Presidency.
Thank you for an eloquent explanation of a choice that makes more and more sense. It's a relief to read a sensible assessment of the candidates from someone who pays attention and who has stature in the conservative community. If only John McCain would pay attention to the thinking right, not the rabid right,in his party and then spend his remaining weeks recapturing some equilibrium and dignity. Somebody needs to tell him, a la Jon Stewart, "Stop. You're hurting America."
Good morning Chris. I just posted a favorable review of Supreme Courtship on the Borders web site (it's a great book, deserved support). My take is that if we are loyal to one or the other candidate we should vote for the other guy because given the state of the nation we shouldn't want to have our guy win. Being the next President is a punishment we should not want for our candidate (I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy, that sort of thing). Your Dad would be proud of you regardless of any of this and your Uncle Reid (who lives about an hour from where I do and is a wonderful man who also wrote a great boook this year) isn't yet in print denouncing you, yet. I've got a bunch of McCain bumper stickers in my pick up truck and have been doing a letter scramble to try to make a better statement, INANE works but there seems to be no E. Except for Cornell, Yale's football record has been okay this year so all hope is not yet lost, yet.
hoorah....
What a sweetie-pie, though too kind to McCain by half (but very clearheaded about Obama). Welcome home.
I'll put this in the "best news I've had all week" column. Sadly enough, it's true. Good for you, Buckley.
Bravo! Given the climate you have done something tremendoulsy brave.
Your father would be very proud.
Thank you for being truthful. What a wonderful read!
"Not a few men who cherish lofty and noble ideas hide them under a bushel for fear of being called different."
Martin Luther King, Jr
Bravo Chris....for your decision to go against the grain of your conservative nature...You are indeed a Maverick!
I am glad you mentioned Obama's intelligence. I would much rather have for President one who went to university on scholarships and broke through a glass ceiling to become President of The Harvard Law Review over one who got into Annapolis because of his family name and ended up 5th from the BOTTOM of his class and then wrecked approximately 20 airplanes. In these complex, critical times we need not only a leader with good temperament, but also the acumen to deal with complex, sensitive and critical global issues.
Bertie
Truly I enjoyed reading your article. There is too much wrong in this world to not go back. I am indeed searching for change. This election is about our children and grand-children future. I am scared too death! I loss $12,000 in my IRA. Wake up America, or WE will create our own demise. Obama 08
buckley's voting for a guy in the hope that he will not do what he promised he will do?
i.e. raise taxes and tariffs etc?
the acorn has fallen far from the tree indeed.
Mister Buckley,
You say of Barack Obama that..."President Obama will (I pray, secularly) surely understand that traditional left-politics aren't going to get us out of this pit we've dug for ourselves," and yet all evidence available suggests exactly to the contary. His rhetoric, his historic and current choices in friends and advisors, and his oh so brief experience on the both the state and national stage suggest that your secular prayers had best be turned to the Almighty where they may do some good.
Your father would not be disappointed by your choice. I suspect however he would upbraid your fawlty logic.
Just to let you know, I hit the Flagit by mistake. I totally agree with your comments.
Very well stated. I, too, had admired McCain but Palin was the beginning of a rapidly arrived-at end.
Well this is good news, I can now leave Mr. Buckley's novel in plain sight.
Sir Francis Galton was right. Prominent people do tend to have mediocre offspring. See for example Reagan, Buckley, Kennedy, Rockefeller. Something to do with regression toward the mean.
Thank you Mr. Buckley, but I also agree that you were perhaps too generous toward McCain. His choice of Sarah Palin, the whipping-up of the rabid right, and the flaunting of anti-intellectualism as American leadership for 21st century - leaves Obama as the only sane choice. I expect to see many conservative republicans join you on this largely uncharted bi-partisan path.
I think your parents would probably agree with you...endorsement well done.
"President Obama will (I pray, secularly) surely understand that traditional left-politics aren't going to get us out of this pit we've dug for ourselves."
So you think that with a Democratically run Congress and Senate, that the most liberal senator in the nation will tack right? Secular or not, that's faith my friend!
*sigh* Yep...all the tell-tale signs of "rebelling against Daddy". The article is well-written, but the focus of his flight of fancy is found in the paragraph that pans McCain. "Inauthentic"? "Unrealistic promises"? "Self-dramatizing?" "Thoughtless VP choice"? If a paragraph can be written on these topics about McCain, surely an encyclopedia can be created around 0bama's manifestations of these ideas.
Can't endorse McCain? Maybe I could grasp that as a principled, if misguided stand. That doesn't mean that the only other choice is to endorse 0bama and chuck all the same principles out the window...unless the point is to desperately step out of Daddy's shadow.
While I share your disappointment in the Palin choice, and do find Sen. Obama an impressive intellect and personality, I find your argument ridiculous.
Given your experience and intellect I can only attribute it to disingenuousness. If you really believe in the conservative principles you say you do and the type of government you describe, no matter how excellent Obama's temperament and intellect, a vote for him is nothing short of masochism. Obama will attempt to make this the biggest government you've ever seen with all the promises your buddy PJ warns about. He will also not balance the budget if he follows through with this expansion and his misguided tax plan that zooms much too far the wrong direction along the Laffer curve.
On cultural issues don't be fooled for a second that Obama is the libertarians' champion either. He and his fellow travelers are not supporting a classically liberal agenda. It will look a lot more like a PC relativistic orthodoxy imposed on us all by our betters where moral equivalence rules the day and a chill is laid upon real free speech. Just look at what the open minded "liberal" neighbors to the north have instituted with their Human Rights Commissions, just wait, an Obama, Reid, and Pelosi government have one coming to neighborhood near you.
As for whether McCain has been changed by this election. I highly doubt you believe a year of campaigning has altered him profoundly. Nor do I expect you see the rather standard and expected political hardball (which isn't even terribly hard) going on as really out of bounds. The negative campaigning that has gone on to this point is highly unremarkable and you of course know that. Even if that weren't the case, your omission of Obama's less than noble stunt of preempting any criticism of himself by slimily playing the race card, betrays your standard of what is fair in presidential politics.
So it's pretty clear that your support for Obama doesn't hang on logic, given from where you come and what you claim to believe. That leaves us with the question, do you really believe in the principles you claim or do you simply not have the courage to resolve the glaring ideological conflicts you have, and instead seek to paper them over with some convoluted, disingenuous and rather thin arguments.
Amen!
Brilliant article. I think your dad would be proud. This is a true case of right versus the kooks. Thank you for writing this article!
Good for you, Chris. I'm astonished, but pleased. I respect all those from right or left who leave behind ideology when the alternative choice is extremism - and McCain has moved to that point.
Chris Buckley!
YESTERDAY William F Buckley Jr was my inspiration.... TODAT I agree with your mind. Once I was a Republican but today l am an Independent and voting for OBAMA/BIDEN!
Chris, you are an original....your writings make lot of common sense, logic, and truth. Obama is world class American, Intellectual, Charismatic, Simple, Leader who had a great vision for YOUNG AMERICA.
Stay with Obama/Biden... McCain/Pallin I love you but you have no class, no intellect no leadership, no vision for Americans of 21st century.
As OBAMA GOES so America will stand tall among the nations of the world. America will earn respect among all the continents of the world.
The Conservative Media is the Thing of the Past. McCain/Pallin will be lovely odd political couple of the past.
OBAMA/BIDEN is the FUTURE.
START VOTING NOW>>> Obama/Biden '08
Pirate/Goenkar - Eastern Carolina *** NORTH CAROLINA GOT AND GOES BLUES!!!
If McCain had half his scruples left he would have broken with the bail out, as it stands against everything he belives in. He knows right from wrong, and he is ignoring his better angel on his shoulder. Now he just seems hell bent on destroying whatever legacy, and reputation he has, and by proxy the republican party. John McCain RIP your political obituary is being written by you.
Thank you.
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