Remember when the media was all abuzz about comparing Obama to John F. Kennedy? It was look, he's young, he's fresh, he's handsome. He has small children and a not unattractive wife. This could be Camelot all over again. See here and here for examples. You can google some more. It was all about the image. The sheen of the new. Then, the economic crisis hit. Then, the media were falling all over themselves to equate Obama with FDR, who despite the facts showing he lengthened and worsened the Depression by 7 years, is hailed as some type of economic messiah. Here are some comparisons I found here, here, and here. Google some more. Then, as the Left begins saying, let's heal the divide (because they won; where was the magnaminousness over the last 8 years?); Obama gets compared to Lincoln. See here, here, here. For a legitimate, critical comparison see here. Obama himself has used Lincoln to launch and end his campaigns, plagiarizing his words and those of other great leaders at serious turns.
We have arrived at a fundamental point in our history. Presidents come to power with their own character. I like Ike, let Reagan be Reagan, etc. We know their characters, their background, their ideals, their persona. With Obama, we STILL DON'T know. All we have is an amalgamation of differing comparisons, tossed away at certain times and reacquired at others. We don't know this guy. We don't know about his formative years except from an autobiography. We have been told we cannot question that self authored history. We cannot look at his moral beliefs through the prism of his church leadership, as that is not fair to him as an individual. We have not been allowed to see what he organized in the community beyond a failed gazebo. We have been told to stay out of looking at who Obama really is. Sure, we get a flowery portrayal of his love for hoops in Sports Illustrated, but beyond that, we don't know a whole lot. There is not a record of written materials beyond a smattering, aside from his own brushed and reairbrushed histories. All we are told is he is like these other guys. For many, it appears, this assurance by the media is enough. In fact, that has been the goal all along.
Take up the mantle of JFK, Lincoln, and FDR and seek to end all questioning. These are some of the most revered presidents in history. Say you are like them and people immediately feel better about you. In fact, this entire campaign was about feeling over substance, on both sides. McCain sought to make you afraid, and Obama sought to sugar you to death with candy treats from his Christmas tree of handouts and platitudes. We are being fed this imagery to end the questioning. But the questions remain unanswered, and they are important ones. Who is this guy? What is his real background? What was he teaching in some of those classes? What did he do with ACORN? What about that birth certificate and some of the other papers? No other candidate in our history has risen with so little left unanswered, and seemingly left to be unanswered. This is an effort to wall us off from examination, but if we do that all we are left with is feelings, and no rationality. Does Obama have core beliefs? I am sure he does, but what are they beyond a platitude and a reference to the Constitution that makes little sense, or a referencing to Lincoln's "better angels" or "having skin in the game"?
All we are left with then, even from his inaugural speech and his pre-inaugural appearances, then, is I still have no idea who this guy is and what he is going to do, but boy can he speak well and he makes me feel good. Should that really be enough for us? Can we really survive on good feelings and what I am sure are the best of intentions on Mr. Obama's part? How can we know what his core values are if they are hidden? I am sure Obama knows who he is; but we don't. The voters don't. They know he said he was like JFK. They know people said he was like FDR. But who is Obama? What is he going to do? And will it really help us, or is it designed to make us feel better, at the cost of our own being down the road? Maybe it will turn out ok, but isn't anyone else just a little worried that we have elected a guy who picks up and sheds personas so much and we don't know alot about who he really is and what he really thinks?
Shouldn't this degree of willful and blind obedience and allegiance and adoration when he has been on the job for 36 hours be a bit worrisome? Shouldn't this degree of groupthink that we must all come together and stop asking questions concern some people? That type of mentality has led to tragedies and atrocities here and abroad. What is he going to do? Usually you have some guide from writings or policies or position papers or previous experience...here we have a tabula rasa for the general public, with their expectations, and no one except Obama knowing who he is or what he really thinks or believes about this country beyond some flowery words that have little substance.
I saw this type of blind orgasmic reaction at work yesterday. Some people were watching Obama's speech on the TV during noon, and I happened by. There was crying and clapping among some. I asked them what made them cry and be so emotional. Well, he is going to change things. I probed further: how? They said they didn't know, just that he made them feel good and comfortable and that he knows what is best for the country. SAY WHAT? Whatever happened to a little bit of responsibility? What ever happened to asking some serious questions? This is not about feeling good, this is about the future of the country. And all these people want to hear is about how years ago this wouldn't have seemed possible but here it is? What about making sure our country exists in 40 more years and what you are going to do about it? I asked many of those who watched, and they couldn't identify anything, ANYTHING, they knew he was going to do, just that they trusted Obama to change things. Trusting government.....yeah, how's that bailout working? How is Frannie and Freddie doing? Seriously. If we all fall prey to this type of thinking, how are we going to be able to make decisions on if he is right or wrong? That type of blind, trusting allegiance leads to tyranny. Whether it be a beneficial or dictatorial tyrant, tyranny is tyranny. And tyranny is the opposite of what we as a country should be and have been: a free republic.
Oh, and note to Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, et.al. in the racebaiting for profit business: You can all shut up now.
But seriously, he was used as JFK to infuse youth and vigor. He was used as FDR to get economic street cred. He is being used as Lincoln to heal the wounds of the masses. Tell me, will it be much of a stretch to see him compared to Washington to father in a new country, a country based on whatever it is (socialism?) that he believes? If we continue to not be critical and instead just stand by, we may be watching the descent into tyranny, albeit with the willful support of many of the masses. I don't want to know how Obama is like these other guys, I want to know who Obama is and what he believes, and these comparisons hide the gaps in that knowledge and try to assauge the doubts we should have.
