Changing Fortunes

Do you believe in hexes? The power of incantations? Do you believe that the simple utterance of a word can change your fate?

Well, you may not but we’re sure that at least one leading candidate does.
That candidate: George Allen.
He not only started early, he started strong. And he looked like a real shoe-in; maybe even a candidate for the presidency in 08!
And if it were not for his predilection for putting his foot in his mouth,he might have been alone in the field today.

As it worked out, he charged a young man of obvious Indian extraction of being a macaca a pejorative term that did not reverberate well within our polyglot society.

Today, Mr. Allen is struggling just to keep up.
And the reason is James Webb, a guy who doesn’t just talk the talk but walks the walk. A man who was a high ranking Vietnam veteran and a former Cabinet official from Ronald Reagan’s White House.

Mr. Webb is now a democrat because he didn’t like what he saw happening to the Republican Party. And James Webb who started small without a bankroll is building up a head of steam.

Today, he has change the standing in the polls. And only a few points separates Mr. Allen from Mr. Webb and if you consider the margin of error, they could be even.
What happened?

Did Allen’s unfortunate remark take him down a notch and make him look vulnerable. Or was his use of language to prove his undoing? Or is it just the inroads being made by a real veteran of a real war?

It is too early to say. But one thing is for sure. Mr. Allen must be kicking himself in the head every chance he gets for not biting his lip before showing how smart he wasn’t.

Les Aaron
The Committee for Positive Change
www.lesaaron.blogspot.com

Author: Ending Chaos: Taking Back the White House
Due out next month…