Tenor matters

Althouse is thinking about Obama and Al Sharpton.

But back to the meat of this post. Sharpton -- and others -- must be profoundly jealous and resentful -- and with good reason. In a political culture in which the media have long consulted them and preserved a place for them in the debate, now it seems that Obama will be given that place, and Obama is likely to say things that are far more mellow and conciliatory to the majority of Americans. They have to be asking -- and we should ask too -- whether that is why Americans like Obama so much.

I can only speak for myself, but when I survey the Democrat candidates for 2008, Obama appeals to me the most. I know with a Democrat, I am going to get something ranging from moderately liberal to significantly liberal. We just are not going to get a leftist (and if we did, it would be a one-termer who would sink the party for a long, long time).

When it comes to choosing between them, I know that any will yank us out of Iraq if things are still going poorly, and any will finish the job if things are going well. Domestically, we will just get variations on the same old Democratic themes we have been hearing for decades.

Therefore, the only differentiator between them to me is the way they conduct themselves. Integrity, and demeanor. Barring any scandals, the former will be a wash. That just leaves demeanor. I am sick and tired of the rank partisanship. I am not so naive to believe that Senator Obama is truly a post-partisan candidate. However, I do believe he represents a significant rollback in the rancor embraced by much of the Democratic party.

I have not yet decided upon my preferred candidate on the Republican side, and my choice on the Democratic side may change. But right now, I have penciled in Obama.