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What’s Wrong with Barack Obama?

by Editors

WHAT’S WRONG WITH BARACK OBAMA?

Is he really as “Clean” as he seems?

(And if it weren’t for the poverty and puerility of

American Politics, would it make any difference at all?)

By DW In-House Historian and Philosopher, Dr. Leonard Carrier* (with a trailing comment—of accord– from Dusty**)

Before he announced his campaign for the presidency Barack Obama’s growing popularity was already a recognizable phenomenon. His appearance had promised fresh hope to those who still clung to  the belief that this being America, someone great and noble could yet come along to save the country. Obama explains that his principles and values have come from the progressive side of the Democratic Party and  that he is a great respecter of the checks and balances provided by the Consitution. He presents a reasoned and compassionate plea for working with others with whom one disagrees.

Coming away from his latest book, The Audacity of Hope, one cannot help liking Mr. Obama and wishing him success in his audacious hope that without sacrificing their principles, Republicans and Democrats alike can work together to repair a broken political process and fulfill the hopes of ordinary Americans.

Not long after Mr. Obama announced his candidacy for the presidency, Joseph Biden stepped forth to announce his own candidacy – (Now let the games begin). The hapless Biden, well-known for his loquaciousness, was apparently trying to praise Obama when he inserted the word ‘clean’ in his encomium. It should have been obvious that Biden meant to make a point other than about physical cleanliness. Had he been asked if he had made that mistake, he could have agreed; and that should have been the end of it. Instead, the press pursued Obama, whose first comment was, “He didn’t mean it.” Didn’t mean what? Didn’t mean to say he was clean? But it didn’t end there. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson immediately implied that Biden had made a racial slur; and then they had a sit-down with Obama. What did Obama do? He apparently took seriously Sharpton’s and Jackson’s claim that he had been slurred, and he went on to deplore racial discrimination. Where did that leave Biden? With a lot of egg on his face and with a whole lot more explaining to do.

That leaves one with a puzzle about Barack Obama. If he was really serious in his hope that people with differing opinions could work together, then why was he unable to work compassionately with someone whose opinions he largely shared? Why didn’t he tell the press to knock it off, that Biden had misspoken, and to tell them not to make mountains from anthills? Instead, he went from seeming to assume Biden had issued a slur, but didn’t mean it, to jumping on the Jackson-Sharpton bandwagon and playing the race card. Is this just early electioneering? If so, it belies the apolitical attitude Obama takes in his book—fair play when dealing with one’s fellow senators. It is troubling to think that Obama says one thing yet does another. It is even more troubling that he would accept counsel from two politicians who have their own militant agenda. Democratic voters who are suspicious of that agenda might have a difficult time believing that Obama is who he says he is.

Addendum: Is Obama “clean”, as Biden said? Obama has no pro-war vote to contaminate his record. Isn’t that as “clean” a start as any candidate can hope to have? Just in case anybody is interested, Biden has made an important point. Stop explaining, Joe.

Dusty:

Keen observations as always, Len.  Let me affirm and confirm  your attribution to Obama (in effect) of either political opportunism and/or basic disingenuousness:  The word “clean” in African-American parlance is a positive and affirmative adjective (as opposed to anything close to a slur, implying the person denoted is in any sense “un-clean”).  It was very popular in the late 70’s and early 80’s when a large sector of upwardly-aspiring and blacks elected to chuck their large and racially-related “afro” hairdo’s (and facial hair) for a “clean” (very closely-cropped) hairdo and look.   Like Obama’s.  Along with the “clean do” came surrender to a more Caucasian (yuppie-leaning) choice of attire and even business decorum. These “clean”  blacks decided it was time to abandon the defensive and “blatantly-black” styles and demeanors of the era of civil rights redemption and merge with  mainstream America in outward appearance, spirit and  style. Of course, as the Hip-Hop/Gansta revolution and culture attest, not all went along with the fad to “clean” the African American male image. But “clean” is still in the black American vernacular: Check out its currency on this black (bridal and formal wear) website- http://www.vibride.com/article8.html

Bottom line- Reminiscent of my in-the-wilderness-of-political-correctness- defense of Jimmy the Greek’s right to speak the truth about black American athletic prowess (as being at least partially the product of their genetic heritage—implying perhaps the TRUTH of selective breeding during the era of slavery),  I agree with you that Joe Biden had a perfect right and reason to refer to Obama as “clean”, because, well…he is.  Remember what we learned with O.J. – “If the glove don’t fit, you must acquit”, and it’s natural corollary – “And where the glove does fit, you must admit”!

Jimmy the Greek owed no one an apology for stating the truth and neither does Joe Biden.  Obama’s opportunistic exploitation of Biden’s benign comment is begging to be accused of “showing one’s true color”.  (Now, that ain’t my bigotry speaking…but merely a prescient forecast of where this particular karmic domino might eventually fall in the ubiquitous slime of modern American politics.)

POLITICS’ POVERTY AND SLIME

It’s this pervasive slime that keeps prime candidates like Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold from keeping their hats in the Presidential ring. Here’s a guy (Democrat) who’s superbly presidential– the only Senator to vote against the Patriot Act, the Senator who opposed the War in Iraq before it was launched with every reason we now know it shouldn’t have happened (whose declaration against the war is now his Party’s adopted platform), the Senator who drafted the proposal for formally sanctioning Bush for his criminal war policy…and his glorious qualifications go on and on and on.  This man, in my opinion, bowed out of the presidential arena because today it stinks to the heavens; because today a character as boring as Hillary Clinton or as inexperienced and disingenuous as “Mr. Clean” (Obama, thank you) is liable to get his party’s nomination simply because they’re willing to wade through (and if successful to dwell in) an  infinite morass of s___.

*(Dr. Leonard Carrier received his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Miami in ’56 and ’58, respectively, and his Ph.D from Stanford in 1967.  He taught at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia and the University of South Florida (Tampa) before spending the rest of his teaching and research career (29 years until 2000) at the University of Miami. )

Robert R. (Dusty) Schoch is an attorney, inventor and writer (novels, essays, screenplays) living in High Point.  BA (English) degree, UNC Chapel Hill,  JD (law) U. of Ala., Tuscaloosa.  Dusty is founder and scribe of the B.E.A. (“Barristers et al”) a N.C.-based, politically-independent foreign policy think tank. He is also co-editor (foreign policy) of Democratswrite.com through the contact link of which readers are invited to correspond with him.

**Robert R. (Dusty) Schoch

607 Overbrook Drive (parcels)

P.O. Box 5743 (letters; insured parcels)

High Point, NC 27262

(336) 887 3119

[email protected]

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