Getting a Handle on Hate [UPDATE]
By Larry Johnson on January 19, 2009 at 1:55 PM in Current Affairs
I realize that some of the regulars at No Quarter hate Barack Obama. That’s your choice but I think you are being foolish and churlish. Barack Obama appears to be a decent person with generally good intentions. It is not his fault that his mother and father were two dingbats. It is not his fault that he was raised by his grandparents. He played the hand he was dealt and took advantage of the opportunities that came his way. I don’t begrudge him that.
Has he been disingenuous about his past? Absolutely. His refusal to provide his academic records from college is telling. I do not know a single person who had 3.0 gpa or better and graduated with honors who does not list those accomplishments. Nothing wrong with bragging about that. But Barack is very silent on that point.
I don’t buy into the nonsense that he is “NOT A U.S. CITIZEN.” I am certain he is a U.S. citizen. But he does have an embarrassing political problem–when he was adopted by Lolo Soetoro, the Indonesian muslim and businessman, his name was changed. Barack, who for so many years went by the name “Barry,” has managed very effectively to keep that part of his bio hidden. When that story finally gets out into the mainstream and his known it will probably be met with a shrug of the shoulders and nothing else.
We tried to raise these issues in the primary and campaign but they did not get traction. So now, regardless of what you think, Barack will be the 44th President tomorrow at this time.
It does not matter whether you or I like it. It is a fact. You may not like the fact that the Sun rises in the East, but it does and your opinion cannot alter that reality.
I do not know how long it is going to take the media and glitterati to get over the Obama euphoria. He is not a deity. I am sorry that there are still people in this country so pained by the color of a person’s skin that they are either filled with hate or they use the advancement of someone based solely on the color of the skin as a sign of “progress.” I despise bigotry and affirmative action. I agree with Martin Luther King–it is about character, not color.
So what about Barack’s character? His two daughters tell an important story. They adore their father. That tells me a lot. Girls are tough to raise and easy to read. The warmth and affection they show their dad is genuine and indicates that Barack has been a loving, supportive father. Those two young ladies are not actors. At least on this count we can put a big check in the positive column noting that Barack’s character is sound.
I also would point out that Barack did not follow the Daley/Blagojevich level of corruption common to Chicago politics. He really did not become a millionaire until his books became best sellers. Look at Joe Biden, for heaven’s sake. That guy has never held a job in the private sector and became a millionaire while serving in the Senate. So let’s give Barack some credit. While he did try to enrich himself while a State legislator, compared to other politicians in Illinois, Barack was pretty restrained.
What still bothers me is Barack’s poor judgment in choosing associates. Hanging in the past with the likes of Bill Ayers, Louis Farrakhan, Jeremiah Wright, Tony Rezko, Rashid Khalidi and Reverend Pfleger is troubling. On the other hand, we have seen that Barack Obama acts like any other politician who readily disposes of troublesome people in order to save his own political status. Will Barack be better going forward in recognizing how certain relationships now could create big problems down the road? I do not know the answer to that. Jury is still out. I’ll be watching.
Barack’s handling of the transition process appears pretty typical. He has made some good Cabinet choices and he has had some stumbles. He is like every President we’ve had since Franklin Roosevelt in that regard. Touting what he has done so far as “genius” or “brilliance” is silly.
Here’s what I would like the readers of No Quarter to do–let’s analyze and comment on what he does now going forward. If he resorts to tactics or behaviors exhibited during the campaign–positive or negative–you should feel free to point it out and express your feelings and thoughts about the matter.
I do not want this site or its writers to soak in bitterness or hatred. Those emotions are destructive and can physically damage the people consumed by such thoughts.
I sincerely wish President-elect Obama well. I hope he succeeds in presiding over the revival of the nation’s economy, protecting us against new terror strikes, and bringing reconciliation between the Palestinians and Israelis. I particularly hope he restores a commitment to the rule of law and eschews the politics of fear. If he does these things America will be better off. If he does those things during the next four years and stands for reelection, they I will be ready to support his candidacy.
Until then, I do not care what he says or how eloquently he says it. I want to see what he does. I am from Missouri. Show me.
UPDATE: I am seriously concerned about some of you. Do you have trouble understanding the words written above? Does anyone understand nuance? I am fifty four years old. I have traveled extensively around the world. I have dealt first hand with some very bad people. I am not a fresh faced soul yearning for a spot in the Obama Administration. So spare me the nonsense that I am “drinking kool aid” or “taking leave of my senses.”
I do not think Barack Obama is the messiah. Nor do I think he is the anti-Christ. I think he is a smart, shrewd, old-style politician who has been quite deft in persuading folks that he offers a new approach to politics. For those who have been with this blog for more than a year you will know that I have long been concerned that he was a closet socialist with strong ties to marxist groups. But what are we seeing? What is he doing? He is going mainstream, down the middle. Anyone can talk like a moderate but when the actions match the speech then you have to reassess whether all of his promises to be “progressive” were nothing more than hot air.
If you are looking for a site that is going to start and end each day by pledging that we think Barack is an asshole, then this is not the place for you. I have said repeatedly and I WILL WRITE IT IN CAPS–WE WILL CRITICIZE BARACK AND HIS ADMINISTRATION WHEN WE DISAGREE AND WE WILL COMPLIMENT HIS WHEN THEY MAKE WHAT WE JUDGE AS GOOD DECISIONS.
We criticized Geithner and praised Panetta. Is that too much nuance for some of you? Sorry, but I am not changing.
Out of respect for Hillary I will also give Barack some leeway. Many of you support Hillary and believe she was done wrong. Okay. So if she can forgive Barack and if she can campaign for Barack and if she can agree to serve in his Administration then does it not follow that maybe, just maybe, she has accepted she got beat in a tough campaign and believes Barack will be able to do the job? I think so. You do not have to like Barack or bow at his altar to read or comment at No Quarter. You are entitled to your opinion.
Starting tomorrow Barack will have no place to hide. He will be the man. I intend to judge him by what he does. That seems a fair approach.
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