Dobelle: Obama needs to earn mandate

Date: 11/18/2008

By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



SPRINGFIELD Westfield State College President Dr. Evan Dobelle believes Sen. Barack Obama won the presidential election thanks to an energized African-American voting block and key errors made by his opponent, Sen. John McCain.

Dobelle made his remarks at a lunch program presented by the Valley Press Club at the Student Prince on Thursday.

Dobelle has had considerable experience with national politics. The former mayor of Pittsfield, he served in the Carter Administration as the U.S. Chief of Protocol, and was also the treasurer of the Democratic National Committee and the national chairman of the Carter-Mondale Presidential Committee.

Obama's election comes at a time of change in the psyche of the American voter, Dobelle said. The Baby Boom generation had become cynical by events in the 1960s such as the Vietnam War and the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King. The result was "we elected leaders who ran against government," he said.

He added America had become a nation of "lowered expectations that accepted spin" and a society of special interests.

The difference in changing some of the national discussion came from younger people "ready to believe again."

Calling the contest between Senators Barack Obama and John McCain "a very close election," Dobelle said exit polling indicated that economy was the key issue on the minds of voters. He asserted McCain "lost the narrative of the economy" at several key moments. One was when his financial advisor Sen. Phil Gramm said America had become "a nation of whiners," while another was when Lehman Brothers went bankrupt.

The third moment was when McCain suspended his campaign to go back to the Senate to supposedly work on the bailout legislation, but did nothing to change it. The last turning point was the final debate between the two men in which McCain referenced "Joe the Plumber" seven times.

Dobelle believes that Gov. Sarah Palin helped McCain considerably and that without her he "would have lost in a landslide." Dobelle still believes that a Democratic ticket with Sen. Hillary Clinton would have been stronger, but if McCain had chosen New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as a running mate he might have won the contest.

The voting demographics of the nation changed during this election, he explained. There were fewer white voters than in the previous presidential election and a decrease in the number of Republicans. He added that younger voters were not as much of a force as many observers predicted they would be.

Polling also indicated that 51 percent of Democratic voters admitted being afraid of a McCain presidency, while 51 percent of Republican voters said they were afraid of Obama.

Dobelle said the media was generally in favor of Obama's candidacy and that Democratic Party Chairman Gov. Howard Dean was the unsung hero in the election. Dean supported a fight in all 50 states previous Democrats chose key states in which they campaigned and Dean picked Denver, Colo., as the site of the convention. Dobelle believes that having the convention in a "red" state was part of the reason the state turned "blue."

With three Senate races still contested, Dobelle noted the Democrats might have the 60 votes the party needs to dominate that body. Dobelle said the party needs to exercise that power wisely or in four year's time it will be defeated again.

Dobelle said that while Obama did receive a "mandate of hope and good will," he did not receive an electorate one.

"He'll have to earn it," he said.