He first won in Iowa...they said it was not enough. They said it was not representative of US population. Too white they say and he is not Black enough. He went to New Hampshire, equally shared the delegate and they said he lost the primary hence was a one trick caucus pony. On he went to Nevada, winning the caucus- they said the Unions could not make him win and his caucus halo will soon be his albatross. Off we went to South Carolina- here Barack was damn too black. Too many black people voting for him and even this primary (not a caucus) this time should not count. On Super Tuesday it was an harvest of mixed primary wins in states as far flung as Connecticut and Alabama, and caucuses in dissimilar states like Idaho and Alaska. To Obama it was a moment of brief triumph.
No sooner did the pundits start counting out the big states that followed. Saying they simply had too many latte sipping, weed smoking college educated liberals, young people and blacks to count. In quick succession, Barack won democrats abroad (from Indonesia to Great Britain) and rammed it in 11 other states. From Maine to the sprawling urban DC area. He won big (when did Virginia and Maryland not count as big states?) and won small (oh, that Virgin Islands 89% whooping). Yet the bar was even raised higher. He had to prove himself in Texas and Ohio they said. Well, we won Texas. Well, that doesn't count too because the Texas system did not allow insiders to control our minds, nor allowed Rush Limbaugh republicans who could vote in the primary but lacked the enthusiasm to show up for the late night caucus control the process. That night, WE the people won. We won the biggest of them all- the great state of Texas. In the aftermath, the talk of course was working class Americans not being Barackified. Well said and done, two contests in Mississippi and Wyoming (states who in their opinions don't count) rammed a rod into that lie. But well, here we are again..what do we ask of Barack?
Well this is my point. Of Barack we ask that he be perfect. Not just perfect in policy or politics, but perfect in temperament, in association, in genetics, in projection. Perfect, that is what we ask of him. In Barack we ask of him what we can't in ourselves achieve. We ask that he vouch and vet the statements of everyone he had ever known. We ask like Rush and Bill O'riely that he not be hateful even though we (Rush and Bill that is) are a walking case of racial hatred and animosity...wait a minute- Revd. Wright not Barack said anything close to hateful right? Well, it doesn't matter.
In Barack we ask that he rise above the pettiness of Hillary Clinton, and arrogance of her husband- Slick Willy. The insight that come with the ossification of McCain but the vitality that Johnny boy lacks. In Obama, we ask he not be dodged with the moral ineptitude of JFK, yet be blessed with the rectitude of RFK & the vision of his brother. In him we ask of the oratory of MLK, but not the activism of Malcolm X that jolts us from our moral opportunism. In Barack we ask that he imbibe the best of George Bush courage and conviction, yet demonstrate the wisdom of GW's father, and reject the rashness and irrational stubbornness of Dubya. In him we ask for the forgiving attributes of Abraham Lincoln, but the fighting nerves of FDR; the soaring rhetoric of JFK and Theodore Roosevelt but the roundedness of Harry Truman. The demure of George Washington and the humor of Ronald Reagan all rolled in one without the aloofness from policy that they were both famous for. Of course we demand the foresight and vision of Thomas Jefferson and the political sagacity of John Adams impressed in statement, thought and actions. The question is- do we not ask for too much? Never been one day behind on delegate count in this race, yet questions are being asked about his electability. Of all persons by the laggard! Let the man be!
__No sooner did the pundits start counting out the big states that followed. Saying they simply had too many latte sipping, weed smoking college educated liberals, young people and blacks to count. In quick succession, Barack won democrats abroad (from Indonesia to Great Britain) and rammed it in 11 other states. From Maine to the sprawling urban DC area. He won big (when did Virginia and Maryland not count as big states?) and won small (oh, that Virgin Islands 89% whooping). Yet the bar was even raised higher. He had to prove himself in Texas and Ohio they said. Well, we won Texas. Well, that doesn't count too because the Texas system did not allow insiders to control our minds, nor allowed Rush Limbaugh republicans who could vote in the primary but lacked the enthusiasm to show up for the late night caucus control the process. That night, WE the people won. We won the biggest of them all- the great state of Texas. In the aftermath, the talk of course was working class Americans not being Barackified. Well said and done, two contests in Mississippi and Wyoming (states who in their opinions don't count) rammed a rod into that lie. But well, here we are again..what do we ask of Barack?
Well this is my point. Of Barack we ask that he be perfect. Not just perfect in policy or politics, but perfect in temperament, in association, in genetics, in projection. Perfect, that is what we ask of him. In Barack we ask of him what we can't in ourselves achieve. We ask that he vouch and vet the statements of everyone he had ever known. We ask like Rush and Bill O'riely that he not be hateful even though we (Rush and Bill that is) are a walking case of racial hatred and animosity...wait a minute- Revd. Wright not Barack said anything close to hateful right? Well, it doesn't matter.
In Barack we ask that he rise above the pettiness of Hillary Clinton, and arrogance of her husband- Slick Willy. The insight that come with the ossification of McCain but the vitality that Johnny boy lacks. In Obama, we ask he not be dodged with the moral ineptitude of JFK, yet be blessed with the rectitude of RFK & the vision of his brother. In him we ask of the oratory of MLK, but not the activism of Malcolm X that jolts us from our moral opportunism. In Barack we ask that he imbibe the best of George Bush courage and conviction, yet demonstrate the wisdom of GW's father, and reject the rashness and irrational stubbornness of Dubya. In him we ask for the forgiving attributes of Abraham Lincoln, but the fighting nerves of FDR; the soaring rhetoric of JFK and Theodore Roosevelt but the roundedness of Harry Truman. The demure of George Washington and the humor of Ronald Reagan all rolled in one without the aloofness from policy that they were both famous for. Of course we demand the foresight and vision of Thomas Jefferson and the political sagacity of John Adams impressed in statement, thought and actions. The question is- do we not ask for too much? Never been one day behind on delegate count in this race, yet questions are being asked about his electability. Of all persons by the laggard! Let the man be!
Dang. Am addicted to my new DVR. This box is wonderful! Now I can record hardball and that son of gun called Keith on MSNBC and yet be able to skip those doomsday commentator that have next to nothing of great insight to offer but their bubble heads and cheap analysis. For all I care, it is worth the extra two dollars cos now I spend 20 minutes of my day on TV instead of the 22 minutes I used to before. Well, just before I canceled my subscription for paid TV. Have a great day!