Peter Wehner writes a love letter to Barack Obama in today's Washington Post, "Why Republicans Like Obama."
Barack Obama is not only popular among Democrats, he's also an appealing figure to many Republicans. Former GOP House member Joe Scarborough, now a host on MSNBC, reports that after every important Obama speech, he is inundated with e-mails praising the speech -- with most of them coming from Republicans. William Bennett, an influential conservative intellectual, has said favorable things about Obama. So have Rich Lowry of National Review and Peggy Noonan. And so have I.
A number of prominent Republicans I know, who would wage a pitched battle against Hillary Clinton, like Obama and would find it hard to generate much enthusiasm in opposing him.
Wehner then goes on to detail why Republicans find Obama so attractive.
...Part of it is the eloquence and uplift of his speeches, combined with his personal grace and dignity. By all accounts, Obama is a well-grounded, decent, thoughtful man. He comes across, in his person and manner, as nonpartisan. He has an unsurpassed ability to (seemingly) transcend politics. Even when he disagrees with people, he doesn't seem disagreeable.
A second reason Republicans appreciate Obama is that he is pitted against a couple, the Clintons, whom many Republicans hold in contempt. Among the effects of the Obama-Clinton race is that it is forcing Democrats to come to grips with the mendacity and ruthlessness of the Clinton machine. Conservatives have long believed that the Clintons are an unprincipled pair who will destroy those who stand between them and power -- whether they are political opponents, women from Bill Clinton's past or independent counsels.
...A third reason for Obama's GOP appeal is that unlike Clinton and especially John Edwards, Obama has a message that, at its core, is about unity and hope rather than division and resentment. He stresses that "out of many we are one." And to his credit, Barack Obama is running a color-blind campaign.
Wehner is so bewitched by Obama that he calls him "among the most impressive political talents of our lifetime."
Alas, Wehner's attraction to the magnetic Obama is blocked by Obama's liberalism.
He's almost uncontrollably drawn to Obama until he regretfully must admit that Obama's positions aren't at all conservative, and not even moderate. Obama is a dyed-in-the-wool lib.
And while rhetoric and character matter a lot, politics is finally and fundamentally about ideas and philosophy. Whether we're talking about the Iraq war, monitoring terrorist communications, health care, taxes, education, abortion and the courts, the size of government, or almost anything else, Obama embodies the views of the special-interest groups on the left.
Do you sense the wistfulness there?
There's a "my heart says support Obama, but my head says no."
Wehner says, "Obama will try to reject the liberal label -- but based on his stands on the issues, at least so far, the label will fit, and it will stick."
Of course it will stick because he's a lib extraordinaire. But if he becomes the Dem nominee, will Republican voters care?
Is Obama's appeal so strong that when smitten Republicans cast their votes they will forget that they aren't voting for Prom King?
Some say John McCain is the Republican candidate with the best chance of beating Hillary, but do you think he could beat the youthful, JFK-esque Obama?
That would be tough. Everybody loves Obama.
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