Warning - there be Politickin’ and Opinin’ Below…
February 26, 2008
Disclaimer - I don’t usually write publicly about this sort of thing… and I don’t intend on letting this turn into a politically oriented blog. But I wrote what follows and it’s my blog, so I’m publishing it. If you’d prefer to skip something that might offend your own sensibilities on the subject, feel free not to read on. I’m sure there’s something fascinating over on the front page of Digg right now that will provide more amusement and evoke less passionate responses for most people. But if you read on, be warned that this is my opinion… if you want to air your own, feel free to post it in your own blog and link back telling people how outrageous and off-base I am, but I reserve the right to edit/delete comments on this one.
I’ve been keeping quiet about this to a point… but when I find a piece of journalism that so vividly reflects my own viewpoint - I’m hard-pressed to keep being silent… even when I know it’s going to royally piss off a few people I like and respect.I have a few close friends who know this, but it will come as a surprise to pretty much anyone reading this to know that Obama scares the crap out of me. I know I should probably be drawn to his stated political positions as they’re sort of close to my own… but every time I see him on television, or someone starts raving on about him, my skin crawls and I can’t help but wanting to scream “shut up!!”Why, you ask?Because the only phrase I’ve had to describe his followers and his campaign is one that sends shivers down my spine.
Cult of Personality.
If you don’t know what it means - think Jim Jones… think David Koresh… think Mao Tse-Tung… think Mussolini… Hell, think Hitler. Or look it up on wikipedia or something.
Every time I see the media waxing lyric about the Senator from Illinois - I get the song by In Living Colour stuck in my head. Not so much because I think he’s fostering it - but because it just is.
Just a bit ago, on Nightline, they were airing the first television report I’ve seen that implies that maybe Mr. Obama isn’t as squeaky clean as his fanatical followers would like to believe. I turned to my husband and said “huh, they’re starting this a little early, aren’t they? I thought they would’ve waited until the general election.”
Because I expected that the media’s love affair with O was going to last a little bit longer at least. I figured it would wait until the Republicans were ready to start dismantling the image.
I was wrong.
Terry Moran managed an interesting report - not that I can quote it all to you, it’s not in my DVR buffer any more and it’s television - no transcript to copy & paste. I’m sure the video will be available on-line soon enough. But the Rezko affair was brought up again… as was the fact that Obama’s association with Rezko seems to have netted him a sweet deal on his home in Illinois - to the tune of $300k less than the asking price of the house. Sure, there were as many “he’s a great guy!” testaments as there were “um, not so much…” statements in the report. But it’s the first non-rah-rah piece I’ve seen in prime time news since the Dem race narrowed down to just O and Hill.
But it’s not really the television story that prompted me to write this - or, not in so direct a manner, that is. I had gone to the ABC/Nightline website to see if they had the Moran report up yet - but came across a story labeled “Obama’s Personality Cult.” How could I not click through on that? Of course the ILC tune was already going through my head as I read phrases like:
Sen. Barack Obama’s “true believers” respond as though they’ve spent their whole lives out in the cold, at rally after rally, a few people literally faint at the sight of him. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Los Angeles Times reporter Joel Stein. “People are crying, rending their garments. It’s a cult. But it’s a fun cult.”
A fun cult? Politics isn’t a cult to me. Government should never be a cult. You want to separate church and state? Then get your ‘faith’ and ‘hope’ and ’sermons from the mount’ out of your politics and start asking the tough questions. Quit telling me “he’ll get us out of Iraq!” ask “How does he plan on getting us out of Iraq?” Quit telling me “he’s for change!” ask “what kind of change? How will he implement it? How does a President make those things happen rather than the Legislature?” Quit telling me “he’s a great speaker!” and start listening to see if there’s substance in the pretty words and stirring speech. Ronald Reagan was a great speaker - did that mean you didn’t have to listen to what he was saying? No.
Drop the idol-worship. If the guy is going to be a good president? Great… but quit pushing him as a Messiah. He isn’t.
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