... but I just heard the speech Obama gave today (addressing the growing furor over the remarks made by his former pastor), and, well, maybe I should just accept that I am what I am.
As Senator Clinton, on the one hand, seems to get worse the more we hear from her, this guy just keeps getting better the more they throw at him. I can't overemphasize how desperately we need more politicians who think so high above the fray like this.
As awful as it sounds to say this, I can't help but think that Clinton and McCain enjoy gorging themselves on the sort of zero-sum mentality that dominates in politics most of the time -- the "I get ahead by knocking you down" type of M.O. -- it plays such a central role in their campaigns that I really wonder sometimes if that's the main thing their supporters like about them. Is Clinton's sharp-edged cynicism what her supporters are referring to when they say she's "more experienced" than Obama? If you look at the record of their legislative achievements, that whole talking point is actually nonsense so what else could it be referring to? (*sigh*) But I'm revealing my bias again ...
Regardless of who you're for, you have to admit it's ironic when it's the youngest, most "idealistic" candidate who also sounds the most grown-up. Listen to the way he lifts the argument up out of the mud and ask yourself who makes a better statesperson:
Like a lot of people, I've been pretty jaded about this country for a few years now, but after hearing this speech, I'm excited again to be an American.
... and after this, I promise I'll try to keep this blog from becoming "all Obama, all the time".
... and there seems to be a lot of chatter going around about whether we should be offended that Barack Obama's ex-pastor and close family friend once said some things that are pretty critical of the U.S. of A.
Now, completely setting aside the fact that it's perfectly OK in my book, even patriotic, to criticize one's own country - -a lot of us, in fact, were taught that its our duty -- lets look at what they're really shocked by: that Obama's ex-pastor's comments sounded kind of anti-white.
There's a whole discussion we could have about whether it's OK to say the things the Reverend said, but what's really at issue is this idea that Senator Obama should or shouldn't have gone to that reverend's church if he held such controversial ideas.Is there anyone else out there who finds this whole discussion kind of petty?
I, for one, make an effort to keep those friends who I disagree with. I grew up in Texas and a lot of my friends are hard-core right-wingers who believe a lot of things I find absolutely deplorable — but what am I supposed to do? Judge them? Cut them off?
If I did that, not only would I lose perfectly good friends, but that would end any discussion I had with them about politics, and both they and I would retreat into our separate divisions of the political discussion. (Which, tangentially, is exactly the problem with America right now, if you ask me — nobody’s talking to people they disagree with.)
And while we’re talking about religion, wasn’t it Jesus himself who championed the cause of “mixing it up” by advocating hanging out with sinners and tax collectors and loving your enemies?
Maybe I’m biased because at this point I believe he’s the best candidate, but Obama strikes me as the kind of guy who would do the same.