'Bailout ushers in the era of Obama'

This is Howard Fineman's take on the bail out

That party is over.

If Obama does win, it will be because of the economic crisis now upon us, of which the bailout is the capstone and political symbol.

The crisis has had two pro-Obama effects.

For one, it yanked the national consciousness away from security and terrorism, Sen. John McCain’s two strongest areas of expertise and appeal.

Second, the crisis underscored and amplified the yearning in the country for something — and someone — new. Voters have been saying for more than a year that they want change. Now they REALLY want it.

Suddenly, “experience” and purported expertise mean next to nothing. After all, Dick Cheney was “experienced,” and what did that get us? And George W. Bush had a Harvard MBA! And what did that get us?

Cheney and Bush have given credentials a bad name. If that is the case, why not go for a fellow who by virtue of his very being represents change: a new generation, a new demographic, a new outlook?

And Obama does represent something new — or, rather, something old that is new again. He believes it is the role of government to help people and regulate the markets. He is a lawyer by training, and believes in the use of the law (and the courts) for the common good. He doesn’t, frankly, know much about economics or the profits — those were not his specialties in law or life.

He’s a law professor and community organizer! Those are two categories it has been fashionable for conservatives to revile for decades. Well, perhaps the wheel turns.

It’s no coincidence that Obama now has his biggest lead in the Gallup Daily Tracking Poll. Watch and see what happens now.

In fairness, Democrats (the “soft money” hedge-fund crowd of the Clinton 90s and the party hacks who got rich at Fannie and Freddie) are as guilty as the Bush-era Republicans (who argued against ANY regulation of anything).

But, as the Kennedys liked to say, life isn’t fair — and neither is politics.