St. Petersburg Times speaketh with Kool-Aid stained tongue

The headline: "Obama's victory, and America's"

The lead:

Americans on Tuesday turned a page of history, breaking through the partisan politics and racial barriers of the past to embrace the inspiring voice of a new generation.

Uh--how did partisan politics receive even a modest dent in this campaign?

Maybe this is supposed to explain it:

The 47-year-old first-term senator from Illinois tapped into the hunger for change and for candidates who unite rather than divide. Obama won Florida, Iowa, New Mexico, Ohio and Virginia, states President Bush won four years ago.

I don't see how that counts as any kind of blow to partisanship. All it shows is ebb and flow of partisan power. Indicator no. 1 of Kool-Aid imbibement.

Throughout the marathon campaign, Obama remained focused and unruffled by smear tactics or shifting tides.

Huh? How so? By focusing on his own smear tactics in the Medicare attack ad? By shifting his own tide on the Iraq War by calling for withdrawal to avoid having our soldiers caught in a civil war to a rationale based on saving money and focusing on Afghanistan? Indicator no. 2 of Kool-Aid imbibement.

From the same paragraph:

He largely steered clear of hot-button social issues, and his plans to expand health care, overhaul tax policy and emphasize foreign diplomacy over military force resonated well beyond the Democratic base. Strong communication skills and intellectual vigor will be welcome in a White House that has seen little of either in the last eight years.

He steered clear of all those issues but still gets called a strong communicator? Indicator no. 3 of Kool-Aid imbibement.

In exit polls, an overwhelming number of voters said the country is headed in the wrong direction. The nation remains entangled in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The economic crisis shows no signs of easing, as mortgage foreclosures continue to rise and the big automakers in Detroit struggle to survive. There are demands for better access to health care and an ambitious energy policy.

A poll question simply asking whether voters think the country is headed in the wrong direction is worthless. You'll get the same answer from liberals who hate Bush's policy as you will from conservatives who don't like losing congress along with the prospect of a likely Obama win in the presidential election. That point may be set aside entirely pending consideration of the poll specifics. McCain offered better access to health care, and as for the electorate's wish for aggressive energy policy I'd wager that the dominant wish is not for a cap and trade system that will result in higher energy prices. That is exactly what they'll get, and I'll also wager that The St. Petersburg Times has been either entirely or substantially silent as to that aspect of Obama's campaign. In the know, you know.

The pressure on Obama as he transitions from campaigning to governing will be considerable. He must learn to say no to members of his own party in Congress and to the interest groups eager to capitalize on his victory. He should continue to avoid snap responses and aim for political consensus. He will need help, and he would be wise to recruit a Republican or two to his Cabinet and to continue to surround himself with seasoned advisers.

Great advice. If Obama is not the hard leftist that some clues from his history indicate he might be, then perhaps things will pan out that way. But Obama's associations are largely on the far left, and his power base within the Democratic Party is also hard left. It won't be easy to say no. But I like that the Times calls it a learning process. Fair and balanced.

Forty years ago, this nation suffered through the assassinations of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy. Rioting overwhelmed the Democratic National Convention in Chicago as police tear-gassed antiwar protestors in Grant Park. Tuesday night, Obama celebrated his historic victory with a half-million cheering supporters in that same park. For all of the continuing issues with race, it was a powerful reminder of how America has matured in embracing diversity and recognizing talent regardless of background or skin color.

Obama does deliver a nice speech. But I'm still not sure that's reason enough to vote for the man. Anything beyond that, and I'd like to see survey data in support.

These would be challenging times for any incoming president. At home and abroad, the nation has lost its balance.

Bingo. We're teetering left.