Here in the comments and in conversations with others, I have been villified as only reflecting on trivial matters involving Barack Obama and have been accused of ignoring the "issues." Well, to that I say phooey! Here is why:
Who you choose to do business with, who you choose to take support and money from, who you choose to call close personal friends, all reflect upon one's judgement. As chief executive of the United States, a person will be called upon to use their JUDGEMENT to make decisions as to who is a fit judge, who would make a good ambassador to another country, what policy initiatives are good to follow, when to send soldiers somewhere, when to pull them out, etc.
One's circle of friends, as well as one's promises and actions on issues, also indicate judgement. How one reacts under pressure, also indicate judgement. The Presidency of the United States, is by definition and expectation, a high pressure job with terrible burdens, no matter what political stripe you come from or adhere to. The people who are elected have to bear an unbelievable cross (to use the Judeo-Christian metaphor consistent with my own upbringing, no offense to others intended) to bear. Their judgements not only shape legacies, but shape or destroy lives, families, communities, institutions, etc.
Therefore, to me, the issue of judgement is paramount in a presidential candidate. That is why I believe the things that some have referred to as trivial (Rezko, Ayres, Wright, Pflegler, Johnson, et. al.) are very important in looking at Barack Obama. Also, the things which he claims as his foundations ('lessons learned from my father,' 'the audacity of hope,' etc.) are all important to look at. If one tells half truths about their supposed bases or moral/spiritual foundations, then how can we trust them to lead on things that affect us all?
Barack Obama has consistently shown an aversion and disdain for any forms of criticism of his associates or even a question about his associations. Where the right as always accused of being secretive, Obama gives us little except carefully crafted storylines which upon further scrutiny do not pass muster. For example, the book about his father. Now, indeed, as Obama says in the book, his dad was not perfect and did lie etc. However, some of the things that Obama lauds him for were not factually accurate. Now just as some would say John Kerry and the Christmas in Cambodia story and the Magic Hat story were just trivia, according to both men, these instances were seminal events seared into their memories. How could there be such holes then?
Also, let's look at the Rezko handling. When asked about it, Obama took 8 questions at an event then cut off what was supposed to be a half hour presser because he couldn't stand up to the heat. Come on now, there is a problem with that, don't you think?
Then let's look at the trivia of Rev. Wright and Father Pflegler. Some have said, including Obama, that we are just trivializing the work of Trinity by looking at the sound clips and video on YouTube, and that while reprehensible, the church did do some good things and its overall message was not the one conveyed by the snippets put forth by the "smear machine." However, people like Tom Blumer and others have catalogued church bulletins and sermon excerpts through several years of the church that indicate that the hate spewed by Wright was the norm, not the exception. Come on now, if we are going to play the good intentions game, look at the fascists. They improved the roads and built infrastructure, at least. They did some "good." That argument doesn't hold muster, and it shouldn't as it relates to Obama and Rev. Wright et. al. at Trinity.
Speaking of Rev. Wright, let's look at the whole AIDS issue vs. Tuskegee that has had some here saying, well, if you took the time to look at Tuskegee, you would see where black people are coming from. Well, as an historian, I have looked at the terrible things done at Tuskegee and I am repulsed by them. However, holding people today accountable and lauding accusations of putting forth AIDS in the same manner by the government is the same nonsense as holding Germans born after 1944 responsible for the Holocaust. It is the same nonsense as the reparations movement, and feeding those fires of ignorance as Rev. Wright did shows a sense of not wanting to foster racial unity, but create racial strife. These are Obama's close advisers, his foundations for his political thought. Isn't exploring them looking at how Obama views the world and issues?
But, if you are for a candidate, I guess it just amounts to trivia. As long as a candidate promises me what I want to hear, as long as I don't have to hear about where the foundation for these ideas came from or what they are supposed to lead to, then everything else is trivia. But yet, when McCain talks about his views, all we get is Bush III and he's old and crusty. Where is the critical analysis of McCain on the Issues by the Left?
To me, judgement is a key issue. Looking at who Obama has chosen to hang with and how he has hanged them out to dry shows a key picture into his leadership, his decisionmaking....your mileage may vary.....
Update: Obama is just doing what Senators do, it is OK, according to some...but not to others. Check out this story regarding Obama and Rezko:
As a state senator, Barack Obama wrote letters to city and state officials supporting his political patron Tony Rezko's successful bid to get more than $14 million from taxpayers to build apartments for senior citizens.
The deal included $855,000 in development fees for Rezko and his partner, Allison S. Davis, Obama's former boss, according to records from the project, which was four blocks outside Obama's state Senate district.
The deal included $855,000 in development fees for Rezko and his partner, Allison S. Davis, Obama's former boss, according to records from the project, which was four blocks outside Obama's state Senate district.
Obama's letters, written nearly nine years ago, for the first time show the Democratic presidential hopeful did a political favor for Rezko -- a longtime friend, campaign fund-raiser and client of the law firm where Obama worked -- who was indicted last fall on federal charges that accuse him of demanding kickbacks from companies seeking state business under Gov. Blagojevich.
Obama's letters, written nearly nine years ago, for the first time show the Democratic presidential hopeful did a political favor for Rezko -- a longtime friend, campaign fund-raiser and client of the law firm where Obama worked -- who was indicted last fall on federal charges that accuse him of demanding kickbacks from companies seeking state business under Gov. Blagojevich.
The letters appear to contradict a statement last December from Obama, who told the Chicago Tribune that, in all the years he's known Rezko, "I've never done any favors for him.''
More on the "no big deal" ties between Obama, supposed friend of the poor and little guy, and slumlord Tony Rezko can be found here.
