by David Chapman
Staff Writer
In a political season full of contested races both locally and nationally, one would think Bruce Barcelo would be up to his ears in work leading up to those dates.
Instead, the longtime local political analyst who has helped mayors, City Council members and others win at the polls generally has a relatively light August and spent Monday speaking to members of the Meninak Club on a number of political issues as well as his story of traveling education.
“I’m a public opinion pollster,” he announced during his introduction. “I know it’s annoying but we’re the ones calling you during dinner asking for just a few minutes of your time.”
His kidding aside, Barcelo told the crowd about his trip to the Ukraine last year to “teach the tools of democracy” in the form of educating officials and scholars about the process and importance of generating opinions from their population. In the past 11 years, he’s taken similar trips to Haiti and Afghanistan.
“I’ve had a chance to look at this democracy thing as others are learning it,” he said. “It was a chance to learn a few lessons about our system from over there.”
He kept tabs on events in the U.S. through several online publications and came back with a few principles on the attitudes of the voting public, especially regarding their spectator approach to leaders.
“Our spectator approach is both myopic and harmful,” he said. “We’ve taken the ‘I and we’ and replaced them with ‘they, them and you.’
“Leadership happens when people do things.”
He further compared effective leadership to a seamless dance – leaders get the public to move with them while leading without getting too far ahead – and gave his opinions on the political landscape heading into the presidential election.
Barack Obama, he said, will have to sway independents his way while trying to keep out of the controversy spotlight (“It’s OK when it’s about his friends... specificity has its danger”) while John McCain will have to avoid the distinction of being a third term of President Bush, defy the geriatric stigma and find a new Republican base of voters.
“It’s going to be a horse race,” he said, alluding to its closeness. “Someone’s going to do something and I believe the winner will be whoever screws up less.”
He then opened the forum to questions from the Meninak members about politics. Included in their queries were:
• Barcelo’s view of the satirical but controversial “New Yorker” cover featuring Obama in a turban. “It was meant to be supportive of him,” he responded. “The problem is people vote on identity politics. The issue of race is going to come up because it’s the first time (a presidential candidate is black), but we’re going to have to address it.”
• How important is choosing a vice president and when? “Sometime soon during a slow news week. People have to look at them and see them as a believable president.”
• Marriage amendment. “A generational gap... older group is more conservative in values while younger generations are more tolerant,” he said. “I don’t think it is going to pass.”
• Fourth Congressional District race between incumbent U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw and Jay McGovern. “I think McGovern will get his 15 to 20 percent.”
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