Where you stand

By Carol Gee

Just what is the right political path? Democrats have a rocky road ahead of them. But they are on the right track, in my opinion. Senator Joseph Biden (D-Delaware), speaking yesterday to the big crowd around the court house in Springfield, and to his television audience, began by hearkening back to Abraham Lincoln. To quote from the transcript of Biden’s Remarks in Springfield (h/t to Liberal OC):

Well, it’s great to be here! On the steps of the old State House in the land of Lincoln. President Lincoln once instructed us to be sure to put your feet in the right place. Then stand firm. Today, Springfield, I know my feet are in the right place. And I am proud to stand firm for the next president of the United States of America, Barack Obama.

"American Prayer" was prescient. This is a song written by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. It was recently featured in a post by "Moonbat" at The Mahablog. The "video and lyrics" post contained a few lines that have a clear connection to the upcoming election about which Biden spoke. To quote:

And what you see depends on where you stand
And how you jump will tell you where you’re gonna land
**********
Give me your tired, your poor and huddled masses
You know they’re yearning to breathe free
**********
If you get to the top of the mountain
Remember me

On the economy is the place for Democrats to make a stand -- It seems to me that Senator Biden was asking, in a way, that we all heed Abraham Lincoln's admonition to "put your feet in the right place." The current public opinion polls show that there is no agreement about which of the two nominees are standing in the right place. Obama (at 44.6%) and McCain (at 43.2%) are "neck and neck," in horse race terms, according to Pollster.com (8/21/08). And picking Senator Biden was not an instant hit, according to Memeorandum's Rasmussen poll story. However, Americans may have an even harder time picking Senator McCain for president, according to Steve Benen's story, "THE DREADED SEPTUAGENARIAN ISSUE...," posted at his new hangout, The Washington Monthly.

Where I stand -- Just because I am a retired social worker does not mean that I can ignore social problems, in our own nation and abroad. A nation is measured by how well it protects its vulnerable people. It is not protecting Americans to focus only on military adventurism and terrorist surveillance efforts that threaten civil liberties. That is of little comfort if we are not making it economically. It is no exaggeration to say that I believe Senator Biden will stand for "the least among us" in ways that would make Lincoln proud.

References:

• Senator Barack Obama's Springfield remarks, "as prepared for delivery," from The Washington Note.
• Best laugh line of the day from Think Progress -- Biden: McCain has to ‘figure out which of the 7 kitchen tables to sit at.’
• "5 Things Biden Pick says about Obama," by Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen at Politico.com.
• Biden got Obama call during root canal -- Memeorandum.
  

(Cross-posted at South by Southwest.)