Grizzly Groundswell

Thoughts on the Saint who would be President of the United States dancing around his anti-American spiritual mentor…

It’s taking me awhile to absorb all of His Holiness the Obama’s speech about his crazy uncle of a pastor. Obama still remains the undisputed champion of oratory in this race but, again, he attempts to run back and forth covering his ass so many bases that he induces motion sickness in the listener.

There are a couple of recurring themes coming from Obama apologists regarding this controversy that are beginning to make me crankier than usual. I’ll deal with them first in the hope that veins won’t start appearing on my temples.

The first is the “we’ve all” argument. We’ve all heard statements from our spiritual leaders with which we have disagreed so Barack Obama is simply sharing an experience with the rest of us. There, everything is better, controversy go bye-bye, please. You know, everyone has a pastor, rabbi or minister who gets passionate and says God should damn America because it kill innocent people. Happens all time.

Yeah…no.

A complete lack of substance and logic permeates the messianic Obama movement. His followers and the media follow unquestioningly so he expects us all to participate in the level of b.s. to which he has become accustomed. “Hey, my pastor is full of seditious vitriol, yours is too, right?” makes sense in the head of a man who hasn’t been seriously questioned in a while.

The second theme is that “this is all just a distraction to keep us from discussing the real issues”.

If this were a couple of bong hits while he was in college I would agree. I think that trotting out stupid things a candidate did while he was young is needless distraction brought on by a four thousand month long campaign and a mediocre media.

However, spending twenty years in a congregation led by a man who, by Obama’s admission, believes in a static, racist America that never changes and should be condemned is something a little more. Throw in the fact that you want to lead said condemnation-worthy country and you have a topic of conversation that zooms right past valid and onto necessary. This is the big people’s part of running for president that Obama and his swooning hordes have been able to avoid up until now. He even got a free pass on having a wife who has less than glowing things to say about the United States.

The third thing that is bringing forth my temple veins is Obama’s equivocation about distancing himself from Wright. This is a story whereby his pastor is put on par with his dear old granny who used to mutter racist statements from time to time. “I can no more disown him than I can my white grandmother,” said Obama.

Um, yes you can. We’re only stuck with family and the IRS. Obama could grow a pair and get right the hell away from Wright. That he chooses not to speaks volumes about his naivety.

The Obama faithful don’t quite grasp that one doesn’t become transcendent by merely saying he or she is transcendent. He is running on a platform of hope and a better way but he spent time this morning refusing to distance himself from a man who, again by Obama’s own admission, is a product of the old way.

As with his actual record as a Senator, when given the chance to be different, transcendent or make a bold statement about moving in a new direction Obama again behaved like a rather mundane politician. Saying that he disagrees with what Wright says but still remains inspired by the man is a thoroughly average political dance around an issue.

Obama’s Jedi mind trick of telling us this is all mere distraction to put us off the scent isn’t working as well this time. It’s still strong enough to keep his supporters drooling but the power has been diminished a bit. What’s unfortunate is that he made some very good points in his speech about dealing with the difficult questions regarding race in America but his lack of distance from the hate-spewing Wright make whole discussion hard to hear.

Cross-posted at America Needs Me and Real Clear Politics

Tags: Barack Obama, Election 2008, Jeremiah Wright, race

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