I hate to rain on the parade, but the latest “buzz” that is Barack Hussein Obama is nothing more than a media generated feeding-frenzy. In this era of new media and its 24-7 cycle demanding new news at every moment, Obama is ready-made. News outlets are breathless with delight at each new opportunity to report on this Democratic “rock star.”
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But really now— besides having a compelling personal story, one which numerous others have themselves lived through, what has this man ever done? Oh sure, he’s good at delivering the standard liberal Democratic fare, perhaps better than most, but beyond that, there is nothing. If he has actually taken a real stand on anything (despite all we know of the man, he has no known opinions on many of the important issues), it at best appears no more than a seemingly calculated design to ingratiate him with the many special-interest groups that are today’s Democratic Party– not due to some deep personally held conviction.
But really now— besides having a compelling personal story, one which numerous others have themselves lived through, what has this man ever done? Oh sure, he’s good at delivering the standard liberal Democratic fare, perhaps better than most, but beyond that, there is nothing. If he has actually taken a real stand on anything (despite all we know of the man, he has no known opinions on many of the important issues), it at best appears no more than a seemingly calculated design to ingratiate him with the many special-interest groups that are today’s Democratic Party– not due to some deep personally held conviction.
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Because I’m apparently immune to Barack Fever, I can freely admit that when I consider the man, I draw a picture in my mind’s eye of the false façade of a typical Hollywood movie set— painted plywood supported by wobbly two-by-fours. Not that he’s a bad guy or anything. He’s just devoid of any real substance.
Because I’m apparently immune to Barack Fever, I can freely admit that when I consider the man, I draw a picture in my mind’s eye of the false façade of a typical Hollywood movie set— painted plywood supported by wobbly two-by-fours. Not that he’s a bad guy or anything. He’s just devoid of any real substance.
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I’m not alone in this sentiment. Liberal-leaning columnist Froma Harrop, writing at RealClearPolitics.com on Obama’s recent trip here to NH and the accompanying “Obama-mania” asks,
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“What was Obama saying that other centrists would not have? Absolutely nothing. Obama talked about ending the nastiness in Washington and taking personal responsibility, and that government can’t solve all problems — platitudes emptied of all controversy.”
Exactly. She then ventures to the proverbial third rail of today’s supercharged racial sensitivities by fingering what I believe is the true cause of the hoopla:
“Obama’s appeal comes not from the things he says, but from who is saying them.”
Comparing him to the now former Democratic presidential wannabee Evan Bayh, Harrop writes,
“Had Bayh been half-Kenyan and raised in Hawaii by white grandparents from Kansas, he too would have become a political star, at least for the month of December. But he is a conventional white man.”
That’s right. For all those guilt-ridden liberals, a candidate like Obama is just the salve their consciences need. To vote for him is a vote to feel good. A vote that shows, darn it, that they care more than any previous generation of Americans, who, after all, were nothing but a bunch of bigoted racists. An Obama voter is an enlightened voter.
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On December 10th, while in NH, Obama held a press conference. One questioner asked,
“Do you think that what you’re offering is in some way not different from the other Democratic hopefuls?”
Obama answered,
“Well I think that there is a certain tone that I’ve taken in my career that seems to be resonating right now. I will say this, that I am suspicious of hype. The fact that I’ve become, that my 15 minutes of fame has extended a little longer than 15 minutes I think is somewhat surprising to me…”
He is right on that one—we SHOULD all be “suspicious of hype”– Especially when it surrounds an unknown entity like himself.
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As to a “certain tone,” again, when you compare what he says to that of his fellow Democratic hopefuls, the only apparent difference is “skin-tone”. Consider the following question and response from the aforementioned press event. When reading his answer, think about the words. Ask yourself if they really mean anything…
As to a “certain tone,” again, when you compare what he says to that of his fellow Democratic hopefuls, the only apparent difference is “skin-tone”. Consider the following question and response from the aforementioned press event. When reading his answer, think about the words. Ask yourself if they really mean anything…
Q: “Can you give us a better sense of what it is about you that makes your politics different than the politics of other Democrats who may be running or other Republicans who may be running?”.A (Obama): “In terms of what’s unique about me, I think it’s hard for me to step outside myself and evaluate myself in that way. What I can tell you is that since I announced that I was running for the United States Senate and before that I like to think in my State Senate career and as a community organizer and civil rights lawyer, I think what’s worked for me has been the capacity to stay true to a set of progressive values, but to be eclectic in terms of the tools to achieve those progressive values. To not be orthodox. To be willing to get good ideas from all quarters. And I think part of that is to be able to disagree with colleagues of mine who are of a different political persuasion without being disagreeable. That seems simple but maybe because we haven’t seen that a lot over the last decade or so, maybe it looks new.”
Wow! Heady stuff, eh?
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When it comes right down to it, what Barack Obama is saying is not new at all. It’s the same tired refrain that’s already been stated in some fashion by nearly every empty-headed politician that comes down the pike. He’s just put it in a different package…
When it comes right down to it, what Barack Obama is saying is not new at all. It’s the same tired refrain that’s already been stated in some fashion by nearly every empty-headed politician that comes down the pike. He’s just put it in a different package…