With all the manufactured hoopla and controversy over Barack’s statements to supporters at a San Francisco fund-raiser, it has been my contention that the truth will win out in the end, just like every other fake controversy stirred up by Hillary, McCain or the media during this campaign.
The American Voter is way smarter than the cynics give us credit for, an amazing fact given the deplorable state of education in this country. Just goes to show that common sense and an ear for authenticity have nothing to do with the level of education you have achieved. I have seen some startlingly stupid people with post graduate degrees this election season. Just pick a channel and the notion that education equals wisdom will be quickly dispelled.
The only reason Barack Obama could be leading this race right now – given the enormous challenges he faced coming in with regards to his relative youth, his skin color and his lack of name recognition – is because Americans are finally waking up from the nightmare that started over forty years ago on a balcony in Memphis and has just gotten more ugly and more tragic ever since.
This is why Barack will be our next president.
He is presidential and real at the same time. He commands attention, yet somehow asks for permission at the same time. We have not had a candidate like this in my entire time on this planet. I have been screaming at the TV for years, begging for someone to tell me the truth. Anyone. The only people who did tell the truth were immediately labeled as nuts and shoved off-stage.
I believe this, among all of his many attributes, is what accounts for Barack’s successes to date.
The last two democrats to run had many of Barack’s qualities as well. Smart and accomplished. Responsible for progressive legislative efforts at the state and federal levels. Well educated and seemingly committed to helping their fellow American.
But what both of them missed was the chance to tell us the whole truth and nothing but the truth, despite the political consequences. What both Gore and Kerry, whom I supported in 2004, missed was an opportunity to toss aside polls and speak from the heart. They, like Hillary, relied on “democratic strategists” to trim their sails for the prevailing winds.
Both candidates failed to connect with any meaningful portion of the people who never vote (the youth in particular) or those independents and republicans who might be willing to look at the democrats again given the long history of neocon under-performance in government. Many Obamicans probably identify more with Teddy Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower than Ronald Reagan or Daddy & Baby Bush.
This is why I tell my fellow Obama supporters to take hope despite what the media and various prognosticators might say is the impact of this or that fake outrage. I tell them to trust in the American voter this year, more so than in any year past, because Barack has found a way to cut through the white noise that keeps us all ignorant and uninformed about things that are actually happening to us every day. Don’t worry that your hope and effort will once again end in disappoint.
As our candidate would say: “Not this time. Not this year.”
As the muggels say, “The truth will out”!
The “fake controversy” you talk about is the one that Obama is creating. Did he just misspeak about “bitter” voters, or did he reveal his real attitude toward those he believes to “cling” to faith and guns? He wants you to believe he just chose the wrong word. He doesn’t want you to see his attitude.
“The only reason Barack Obama could be leading this race right now – given the enormous challenges he faced coming in with regards to his relative youth, his skin color and his lack of name recognition – is because Americans are finally waking up from the nightmare that started over forty years ago on a balcony in Memphis and has just gotten more ugly and more tragic ever since.”
It sounds like you are essentially saying that he is the dream that Martin Luther King had. I should have thought you listened more carefully to mentor Jeremiah Wright.
“All the years” you have lived apparently did not include the Presidency of John F. Kennedy. Now, there was a great President, a uniter, and an inspirer. Obama is nothing like him.
Otto,
It is quite obvious from your comments that you have downed too many whiskey shots of Clinton Koolaid (or perhaps the Rush Limbaugh brand, though you pointed to the tragically flawed JFK as being the last presidential demi-god, so perhaps you are a democrat despite your neocon-esque verbiage about bitter voters and Reverend Wright.)
I will go ahead and try to respond without being too snarky or condescending. A trait you would do well to emulate if we are going to have a civil discussion.
Taken in order of your misconceptions, I will comment on the so-called bitter PA voters clinging to guns and god.
Again, it is obvious from your comment that you have not bothered to read the entire quote nor have you listened to any of the follow-up from Barack or read any of the blogs written by people who were actually at the event.
Anyone with an ounce of reading comprehension would realize that he was saying people “cling” to guns and god and illegal immigration (fear of the other) at the VOTING BOOTH rather than voting for their own self-interest. That they are bitter and angry and frustrated about their lives, yet let neocons (and Hillary apparently) use wedge issues to continue driving us apart. That is the full context of his words.
If you want to debate the full context of his words and not the twisted distortion that the Hillary and McCain camps have floated, I would be happy to.
As to the Reverend Wright remarks, again, you are “clinging” to a 30-second quote from a manufactured fake outrage from a man who has faithfully served his community, his country and his God for over thirty years. Had you bothered to watch the entire sermon you might have actually understood his complete point. Had you bothered to exercise basic common sense you would have understood that Trinity Church sold more than 20 HOURS of his sermons and all they could find was a thirty second quote? Actually, a 30-second quote of him quoting someone else! Yeah, that Reverend Wright, a menace to society.
You do realize that you are denigrating a man who has done more for inner city Chicago residents than any politician, ever? You’re insulting a man who actually had to make up for the huge deficits caused by every presidential administration since Nixon, including Clinton’s as he slashed welfare programs in the name of reform and didn’t replace them with any sort of meaningful program of college, adult education or vocational training.
Kind of like all those jobs that he shipped overseas without replacing them.
Quick, name three things that JFK did that had a dramatic impact on the average, working American – escalating Vietnam, attacking Cuba and banging Marilyn Monroe don’t count. JFK is way more myth than man. Now, Bobby, he seemed to have learned the lessons that JFK probably would have learned had he lived long enough.
Barack Obama, whether you want to admit it or not, is exactly the culmination of Martin Luther King’s dream. He is a man who has transcended race through hard work and dedication. He is a man who has served his community and his family for his entire life. He is a man that leaves friends in his wake who are inspired to achieve the impossible – not frustrated fans hoping for more but settling for less.
Obama is twice the man JFK was (three times the man on Sunday) and will be a better president than JFK ever had a chance to be.
Following is the video that accompanied this article when Jason first posted it, and if you haven’t seen it, it’s a must see.
Obama @ Associated Press luncheon – April 14/2008
http://www.youtube.com/v/jTavf76cPC0&hl=en
Thanks, Bubba. I started tweaking the post and left out the video. Hopefully TPM will give us some pot editing ability soon. That and a preview button would be awesome. The ability to integrate video would be icing on the take.