by Scott Darnell
Daily Lobo columnist
The Good: Sen. Barack Obama is to the upcoming presidential election cycle what Howard Dean was to the last - lots of intrigue, but very little substance. Obama, an Illinois Democrat, may ride the wave a bit more gracefully than Dean - you won't likely hear him shriek on national television - but Obama's significant lack of political experience will undoubtedly show through, and the American media's love affair with him will eventually come to an end.
That being said, he deserves a tremendous amount of credit. After this week is over, he will probably have received twice as much media coverage as Sen. Hillary Clinton, a New York Democrat, did for her presidential announcement. In a number of cases, major newspapers and other media outlets even labeled Obama as the hands-down presidential frontrunner.
Furthermore, as Democrats in America look for an anti-Clinton candidate, they are looking to Obama and not to people like Bill Richardson or John Edwards. Also, Clinton - a former first lady and a senator who has actually served a full term - is on a level playing field with a political novice.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Is Obama bold and intriguing? Yes, he is. But then again, so was Dean.
The Bad: If you want to find the person who perpetuates New Mexico's old-style, patron-led government, look no further than Rep. Ben Lujan, speaker of the New Mexico House. Recently, Rep. Ken Martinez, a Democrat from Grants, ran unsuccessfully against Lujan for the Democrats' nomination for speaker. Democrat representatives lined up on both sides of the contest, with Las Cruces Reps. Mary Helen Garcia and Joseph Cervantes being vocal opponents of Lujan. After Lujan was re-elected as speaker, he claimed there would be no retaliation for those who did not support him.
Lujan also assured Garcia that she would keep her prominent position on the Appropriations and Finance Committee.
It was Lujan's last laugh, however, as Cervantes and
Garcia were given the boot - Cervantes out as chairman of the Judiciary Committee and Garcia kicked off the Appropriations Committee.
Garcia told Las Cruces political writer and blogger Heath Haussamen, "He lied to me. He told me he was going to keep me on appropriations and finance, and he reneged on that."
New Mexico's government, for far too long, has reinforced the status quo and encouraged mediocrity, continually holding its people down with high taxes, handouts and empty promises. Those in power are safe and secure, scratching one another's backs and caring little about representing their constituents. Some say it's simply business as usual. That's also the way former State Treasurer Michael Montoya described the kickback and bribery scandals that ravaged the state treasurer's office. One thing's for sure - Lujan's business as usual is bad business for New Mexico.
The Gutsy: After President Bush made his decision to send about 20,000 more troops to Iraq, in light of his poor approval ratings and the public's initial rejection of the policy, who would have expected him to have a prominent, vocal ally - especially one who wants to be the next president? Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, has guts. He has supported a troop buildup to secure Iraq in the past, and he firmly believes that we must defeat those who wish to take control of that country, because it is an important, central front in fighting the spread of terrorism. Even though he has long supported sending more troops, he could have found a way around giving the president that kind of backing - but he didn't. To do so would not have been McCain's style.
Some gripe about his impulsive and often independent ways, but America knows him to be thoughtful and consistent. And let's face it, he has always offered an alternative plan to winning the war in Iraq, beginning with more troops to fully secure the region. The Democrats in Congress have not come up with an alternative plan. They don't have one now, and it doesn't look like they're working to come up with one. Pulling out the troops and leaving the Iraqi people to die at the hands of terrorist thugs is no way to make the people of Iraq, the U.S. or the world safer.
McCain has guts, and he stands on his own set of principles. America knows that, and it seems that he draws bipartisan trust. That trust could go a long way in his race for the presidency. After all, what other candidate - Democrat or Republican - is known and trusted by the American people? I know - aside from former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani - I couldn't think of another one, either.
