But, tonight something dawned on me, while watching a rather maniacal Juan Williams, in his nightly defense of the Obama campaign on Sean Hannity's show. It's that they can feel something big, slipping from their fingers and what can be observed is the different ways that individuals, like Williams, are coping.
What dawned on me tonight, had specifically to do with Williams. You see, on election night in November of 2008 - Juan Williams was moved to tears at what had just transpired. And these emotions were emanating from a place that not all of us can necessarily relate to. Here was a black American witnessing the historic election of a fellow African American to the highest office in the land! For Juan Williams and millions of other Americans, black, white, brown and red who voted for the man who had presented himself during the campaign as a different Candidate, who'd be a different American President - unlike any we had known before, was huge. And for them, that promise held, into the the first year of Obama's presidency. And they held onto it deeper and deeper into his presidency, even when things may not have been quite what he promised they'd be. But, he was theirs and they were true to the man.
But, in this new campaign...especially from the time of his first debate with the challenger, Romney - something was different and couldn't be ignored. Actually, there were signs well before of the man who would usher in a new way of doing business as being just another slick politician, only worried about the next election. Certainly the handling of the debacle that Benghazi is and was from the outset, is a shining example. But, the debate shined a light, through a magnifying glass, directly onto Obama - exposing all the flaws. And it wasn't just the Right who saw them now. Even if the Right may have seen flaws early on, that weren't necessarily that apparent at times. But this time. The legion who had seen a man who could do no wrong...now saw something that frightened them. The arrogance. The pettiness. The amateurishness. The 'say and do anything' pol who would sell his granny to keep his job. And, for someone like Juan Williams...this could rock him to the core. The last thing he would have wanted was for this Man of Hope, who represented him and millions like him...to be just another empty suit. Not just an empty suit but one who has been insulated, coddled, adored and protected by the very institutions who were put in place to protect us and our interests as Citizens. It was all crashing down around them and to obvious now, to ignore. What can you do? What I saw crystallized tonight was what Juan Williams could only do, for himself - defend this man with all of his might. But, I could see it tearing at him. You could see by his antics - An almost crazed laugh when trying to drive a point of defense of Obama, home. The eyes that belied what his words were saying. It's as though, the ardent supporters of this man were now seeing what we've seen for awhile now. And it was shaking their very foundation. And it hurt...
I know I come at this from an opposite viewpoint. But, I don't see a comeback for Obama. I don't see this as a one-off that can be erased with more dutiful preparation. This is Obama. John Sununu said to Andrea Mitchell the other day, in what seems to be a weekly skewering of her that she brings on herself by continuing to have him on her show - but, to paraphrase, he said maybe too bluntly for her of Obama's preparedness for the next debate - 'He's not that smart! You can't be better prepared if you aren't that smart!' But, the truth is, he is who Romney had exposed him to be. And, it's not just Williams. So many on the Left are grousing about their man. At least Juan, the good soldier, is fighting the fight. Days and days later, Andrew Sullivan sounds utterly defeated. He tweeted the night of the debate whether Obama had 'just lost the election.' And his latest article must have been written on suicide watch. But, elections can be crazy things and anything's possible. A Romney win. An Obama win...
But...should Obama still pull this out and win. I don't see him coming out the other end, wiser from the experience. He'll be more arrogant. More petulant. You thought his "I won, you lost" attitude in 2008 was something? What I'd say to that is, if he wins..."You ain't seen nuthin' yet"
