Why Conservatives Love Obama

From Andrew Sullivan, who gets no link because he is a wanker:

"What is a vote for Clinton for, in the face of a movement like this? A reader described his experience at a Washington state caucus. It tells you a lot:
'It's just like you said, at Obama's speeches the crowd chants "yes we can". In contrast, at her events it's the plagiarized "yes she can". His campaign is an inclusive movement, hers is a well oiled behemoth benefiting from name recognition and fuzzy memories with her as a pseudo-incumbent seeking re-election and the historical vindication of her spouse.
Rural white males, the foundation of the "Reagan Coalition", are very intrigued by the idea of President Obama and very "unstoked" by the idea of President Clinton. These people, who at my caucus self-identified as "Independent" or "Conservative" came out to the Democratic caucus because they are fed up with the current Republican regime and are willing to vote Democratic for this cycle--but not for her. If she is the nominee--especially if it involves any superdelegate shenanigans or back room deals the Democrats will lose them, lose me, and lose the election.'
There is a huge desire among many independents and conservatives in this country to punish the GOP for their betrayal of core conservative principles and basic competence and decency these past few years. These folks are plentiful enough to jolt the Republicans toward McCain. But a lot of these conservatives and independents like Obama because he's obviously a smart, decent guy, because electing him would kill off Jesse Jackson style racial politics for a while, and because he seems like a liberal pragmatist who's interested in getting things done. A lot of people will tolerate a move back to the center, even the left, if it means an end to this awful period in history and a fresh start for the country.
That's my sense of things anyway. The Democrats are beginning to realize their choice is between a loss and a landslide victory that could change American politics for a generation. Moreover, I don't think Obama is an ideological figure who would govern in ways that would affront the center. I can't know that, of course. But there is a reason George W. Bush was so dismissive of him. Bush also knows that Obama is a rebuke. Clinton, in contrast, is a peer."

That's a nice spin that Sullivan's put on this supposed pattern of conservative support for Obama, but to me this looks like an open bid by conservatives for clemency from a Democratic nominee. Republicans see absolutely no threat from Obama. He won't make them sorry for their crimes, or force them to take any hard looks at their shallow and moronic political commitments. He'll just take them along for the ride and drop them off, in 4 or 8 years, right back at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, exactly the same as they are today, unreformed, unrepentant, and just as proudly malevolent as ever.

Also, Sullivan's informant asserts something I've been hearing more of late: for many who support Obama, it's either him or nobody. Which tells me that some of his supporters really are embracing him as a messianic figure. Which is to say, those supporters are dangerous, apolitical people who think Obama is something he most clearly is not: a revolutionary. What happens when he fails?

See the previous speculation for the answer: the Republicans win, sooner or later. They're biding their time in the face of this surge of support for Obama. When Obamania loses steam--say, in a first term--the GOP ranks will swell again with all the disgruntled white conservatives who voted for him over The Bitch and the Bush surrogate.

We, liberals, are headed in a dangerous direction as long as some Obama supporters insist on viewing this election as a millennium. Unfortunately for them, there will be another day after this particular Rapture, and what then?