As Barack Obama’s early insurgent and wildly successful primary campaign proved, Americans are hungry for a fresh faced Washington DC outsider who will bring real change to the political landscape.

Two things have happened to weaken the Chicago Senator’s hold on the change mantel:

First, this campaign has gone on so long that the press has literally taken photographic note of the graying of Obama. Meaning, BHO has been in this fight so long, has made so many speeches, and appeared in so many thousands of political ads that he seems less fresh than old hat.

Second, Obama made a tactical choice in the face of blistering attacks from Hillary Clinton to abandon (or at least set aside) his core message of hope and change to crawl into the gutter and knife fight it out. In other words, Obama became politics as usual. Obama’s shift from his original core message has been incremental, and culminated with the selection of Joe Biden—a political has been who garnered all of 10,000 votes in the primary and had to chuck his 1987 bid to become president after lying about his resume—and getting caught.

Enter Sarah Palin in the final act.

Fresh face. Reformer. Fought the good-old boys and entrenched interests in Alaska. By most accounts the real deal. In any event, with the ring of that rarest of political commodities: Authenticity.

Thus, Palin’s appeal is not as “dominatrix,” cultural warrior, standard bearer for the right, tongue talking religious extremist—or any other of a dozen labels that the Republican’s tried to pin on Barack Obama when HE was unstoppable: She has taken on the mantle of change. SHE has become the embodiment of America’s change hunger.

In addition, like Obama—before he wore out this mantle—nothing, no rumor of baby fraud, no bridge to nowhere inconsistencies, no preacher-gate, no trouper-gate, no nothing will dislodge Sarah Palin as the living embodiment of America’s hope-change dream.

At least between now and election day. Or have you all forgotten how NOTHING could stick to Obama in the early days, no Jeremiah Wright, no nothing.

Stephen R. Gianelli

Registered Democrat

Former Hillary Clinton Supporter

9-8-2008

San Francisco, CA