Barack Obama and the Politics of Personal Distraction
Is Barack Obama black enough to be president of the United States? Is he too black? Does he belong to a church that is too radical? Is he too unpatriotic? Too Muslim? Is he too … Somali?
These are but a few of the tangential charges leveled against Barack Obama in what could be dubbed “the politics of personal distraction.”
Time and again these and other fringe issues have been brought up to dismiss his candidacy, and almost all are either unfair or irrelevant to the duties he would be asked to discharge as president of the United States.
Why do these seemingly trivial elements of his personal life crop up time and time again?
For a few — and thankfully, it seems to be only a few — it may be a simple matter of unadulterated bigotry. But for many, if not most, Americans, it is perhaps a more subtle fear that Obama may not share the same values, mores, and cultural norms with which they grew up. Those of European-American descent in the continental United States do not know if they have a shared cultural history with a man who spent at least part of his childhood in more exotic cultures such as Hawaii and Indonesia.
This fear of cultural differences seems to be the root of many of the stories and innuendo about Obama’s personal life, including the most recent furor over a picture of Obama in more or less traditional Somali dress (are golf shirts a tradition there?) while visiting Kenya, and another photo that seems to be of him wearing other African attire that some are claiming as Muslim in nature.
Fear-mongering based upon apparel choices shouldn’t be a concern for a politician — providing, of course, that you wear clothes when appropriate — and the clothes worn by Obama in these photos are only relevant in that they can be used by his rivals to paint him as unacceptably different in the eyes of potential voters.
Other assaults on Obama are more unique, such as claims that Obama is insufficiently patriotic to be a viable president, based upon his refusal to wear a U.S. flag lapel pin, that he once failed to put his hand over his heart while singing the national anthem, and that he met with 1960s-vintage domestic terrorists.
The first two issues are silly to some, but they cut quite deeply to many Americans who viscerally view the symbolism of patriotism to be very important in figures seeking the White House or other elective office. It is a token acknowledgment that the candidate has the best interests of the country at heart.
That Obama visited the home of William Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn, unapologetic members of the Weather Underground, a violent 60s radical leftist group that claimed 25 bombings — including a failed bombing attempt against U.S. soldiers — is far more unsettling.
Perhaps it should be.
Likewise, the embrace of a “black values system” by Obama’s activist church and its support of Louis Farrakhan — Farrakhan recently lavished praise on Obama’s candidacy; Obama has since rejected his support — have been troubling associations, but at least these associations are more directly related to Obama’s fitness for the presidency as they relate to his judgment.
The minor elements of Obama’s life, however, should be irrelevant to Americans weighing whether or not he is capable of leading America, no matter how many times these stories resurface. Judging him for wearing a golf shirt and turban ensemble should only get him in trouble with Mr. Blackwell.
Voters should care about Obama’s political positions, his record, his philosophy on the role of government in our lives, and whether or not he has the experience, temperament, and judgment to be our president when compared against the probable Republican candidate, John McCain.
These are the issues that matter.
Isn’t it past time that we remember that?
Bob Owens blogs at Conservative Yankee.
Perhaps if Sen. Obama would make his political views known publicly, instead of talking in vague terms like “change”and “mediating differences,” people would have an opportunity to judge him by another standard.
Why You Should Stop and Take A Sec..
Over the weekend I rented a movie called “Rendition”. It turned out to be a surprisingly relevant and informative film for today. The movie’s main character, Reese Witherspoon, plays a pregnant mother of one whose husband didn’t arrive at the airport following a business trip to South Africa. He was being tortured. Hence, the new, headline-making, controversial term, “water boarding”. The movie hinted to its formal name, “extraordinary rendition”, and I did some research. There is an article published in The New Yorker describing the very story from the movie, having happened to a Canadian man who was taken to Syria to be tortured. It is a true story!
What left me feeling sad, more tolerant, and ultimately very disturbed, was yet another sign that my personal decision to continue to vote Democratic is a wise choice. You only need to visit the DNC website and read the policies for which the Democrats strongly represent. Its so disturbing to me also, when I hear a Republican determine that a Democrat isn’t likely to be Christian. This I cannot understand.
Now for the subject at hand: Who Gets My Vote? And Why?
CLINTON OR OBAMA?
This is a surprisingly easy decision for me to make. Clearly the media would like the voters to believe that supporters of Clinton are uneducated and of a lower income. Does this mean I am not allowed to vote for her since I don’t meet the criteria? If I only had time to catch the news and base my decision on a great sounding speech, or on the commentary of a “fair and balanced” journalist, I suppose I should fall into the Obama category. I do not. It is going to take a lot more than a soothing, seductive speech to sway my vote.
My reasons are substantial. Clinton has my trust. She has outlined solid and detailed plans that address all the issues we face each day. Her strength is and has been very apparent. She has been consistent in following up with and developing solutions for our issues. Because of her experience, she is able to be realistic about what she will face. Most importantly, she wants to be held accountable. Just like the horrible torture in the movie I saw over the weekend, its undeniable! What puzzles me is why America would vote for anyone else. Or why pause at all? The choice is clear. It sounds stubborn of me to think that my opinion makes the most sense – but that is truly how I feel. I can appreciate Obama and he would be choice #2. But with all the research I’ve done on Bush, I cannot take a chance on a man I just don’t feel the trust for that warrants my vote.
FRIGHTENING POWERS A LEADER HOLDS
Back in the 90s when Clinton was President, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld & etc., wrote him a letter begging him to invade Iraq to “secure the world’s assets”, OIL. With Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia holding the bulk of the worlds oil, its no surprise Iran was to be next. As he continues to veto every bill, nothing will change until a Democrat takes over. Exxon-Mobil is in the top 10 most profitable companies for 2007, along
with drug companies, finance companies, and Wal-Mart. Corporate America is making money off the things middle-class America needs: GAS, PRESCRIPTIONS, MORTGAGES and LAUNDRY DETERGENT.
MONEY TO AFRICA? AREN’T WE BROKE? AND WHAT NO-BID CONTRACTS?
As for Africa, I’d think his trip there and promises made were far more genuine of the person hired to head up his Aid to Africa Project weren’t the former CEO of Eli Lilly! Any connection between America’s tax dollars and the medications they need? They cannot afford them, so Bush has secured a way for his buddies at the drug companies, (whose patents have already been extended thanks to Bush), to continue to profit long after he’s gone.
In Brazil, it costs $300 per year per patient to treat HIV/AIDS. In America, since we cannot benefit from the generic forms of these drugs, it costs $10,000 to $12,000 per patient. Since there is so much proof of Bush’s blatant disregard for what American people are most in need of, I am so confused as to why more of us aren’t doing the research? Getting involved? Taking action? Voting for who/what will benefit them?
There are many sources that list the names of the friends of Bush who got multi-million dollar no-bid government contracts for work. These contracts have cost American voters a lot of money. One friend of his was given a 28 million dollar gift basket contract. No one else was even allowed to submit a proposal. Maybe someone without political bias, someone a bit cheaper!? C’mon George Dub, we’re BROKE!
In comes Obama. He makes a beautiful speech-no need for America to worry, he’s saying everything we’re thinking. Great! Let’s just vote for him and our problems will be solved. No need to research the policies of each candidate. Its faster and easier to go with what sounds good. And let’s face it, if we don’t know what we’re talking about, we can easily say that Obama wants “change”, and so do we! I mean, who doesn’t want change?
THE PAID MEDIA AND AMERICA’S RIGHT TO A FAIR ELECTION
This is what Republicans and their slanted media slaves, including but not limited to Fox News, want you to do. Hillary poses the biggest threat to them, not Obama. Don’t suck in the media coverage of the election, just do a little research. You won’t find it on tv, but you will online! CNN told their reporters to cover the Castro resignation carefully; to point out all the positive things he’d done during his time in power. The New York Post withholding a story about McCain & his lobby connections because the publicly endorsed McCain the week prior. The Republican party is scary! They are everywhere! They own everything! I really would trust Obama more if he weren’t shaking the hands of those greedy GOPs already. And if his speeches offered clear solutions rather than just appealing to those who are satisfied with soothing speeches.
TIME WELL SPENT
If you were about to spend $350,000. on a house would you do your research about it first? If you were about to spend $50,000. on a car, would you make an informed and careful decision? How much time would you spend researching before you purchased?
Hillary 08
Yeah, LBernardo! Where could you possibly find out what Obama’s political views are?
Oh, wait…
http://www.barackobama.com/issues/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Political_positions_of_Barack_Obama
There’s this website named Google that you are apparently unfamiliar with. You should check it out sometime.
Whew…the insipid, hateful, small-mindedness just drips from this post. It must really suck to wake up one day to find all you believe in is wrong.
I pity you.
I thought Obama was the guy that was going to heal the divisions in American society?
Why is he lavishing his attention on people like Bill Ayers and not Eric Rudolph. They’re both bombers and they both hate aspects of America. For all practical purposes the only difference between them is that Ayers daddy had enough money to gain him entry into polite society.
Your verbose comment demonstrates how wrong your conclusions are, Ms. Jensen. I urge you to reconsider them. I won’t spare the time to dispute all of them, just the first few.
“Clearly the media would like the voters to believe that supporters of Clinton are uneducated and of a lower income.” I say this is untrue. Can you offer any evidence to support this outrageous claim?
“
Sorry, premature push of the post button. “My reasons are substantial. Clinton has my trust.” That she has your trust is certainly not a “substantial” reason, unless you know her very well. Do you, say as an employer?
“She has outlined solid and detailed plans that address all the issues we face each day.” Really? One issue many people face each day is high prices for gasoline and heating oil. What is she going to do about this? The Dems have opposed increasing oil production in the wilds of Alaska for years, Hillary included. This is one of the causes of this oil shortage today.
Bob — I can see your approach as arguably good strategy for the McCain campaign and I don’t care about costumes any US politician wears while visiting other countries.
However, for myself, Obama’s actions and the company he keeps are matters that I will weigh along with his positions and experience.
To me it speaks volumes that someone aspiring to be president of the United States should be a longstanding member of a church that pledges its allegiance to the black community and to Africa, while hatefully characterizing America as a captor society preying upon blacks, putting them in concentration camps, and setting them to kill each other.
I cannot reconcile Obama’s deep association to this church with his ability to lead all of America, not just black Americans. Others may do otherwise, but that alone is enough to finish Obama as a candidate for me.