(I wrote this, after the first debate between Clinton and Obama, in '08. I wish more people would have read it, or at least paid attention)
Copyright. "The Thought Spigot"
http://TheThoughtSpigot.Com
The debate, in Philadelphia, was a new kind of debate, on the national level. Where Clinton has fielded most of the hard shots, off of the bat of all media outlets, the other candidates (now just Obama), have been fielding squibs. Charles Gibson and George Stephanopoulos, from ABC NEWS, took the gloves off, for both candidates during the debate. A feature in the countless debates, in this campaign, the other media sources have not been able to achieve. Barack Obama for whatever reason, one wishes to espouse, has been given a free pass by media outlets, before last night (a view, very few dispute). In the "City of Brotherly Love," Gibson and George were in rare form, putting Obama's claim, personal religious mentor, personal friends and possible advisors, and the overall character and judgment, of the Democratic golden boy, to the test. Pressing the issues, with Obama and Clinton's rebuttals, past the brink of Obama's cool zone. For the first time, in this election process, Obama was finally pinned down on character and past judgment issues. However, instead of direct answers to the questions, again, for the first time he came across not presidential and angry, flustered, and reverted to the same line, "These are not the questions the American people want to here about, this is old political games."
On the contrary, these are the issues the American people do want to know about. In states like Missouri, Tennessee, Indiana, and others in the Midwest, constant Americans are talking and calling in to talk radio, blogging and waiting for reasons for the judgments Obama has made in the past. One of the questions, brought on by Stephanopoulos, was on about Bill Ayers and Obama's affiliation/friendship. Obama made a comparison to Tom Coburn (a republican congressman) who once said, there should be a death penalty for those who give abortions, if abortion was legal. Obviously, comparing this remark and man, to Ayers, who was a member of a home grown 1960's terrorist organization (The Underground Weathermen), set bombs off (on the Pentagon, Capital Building, NY Police Headquarters, and eight other government installations), and on September 11, 2001 (after the terror attacks) said, "I do not regret the things I did back then, I just wish I could have done more," is a bit ridiculous. Another character and/or lack of judgment is sitting in the pews of the Trinity United Church, with Reverend Jeremiah Wright (who married Obama and Michelle and baptized both of their children). Obama continued to flounder and lashed out, when asked about Wright saying, "He had already gone over all of this and these are the questions of old politics." The only questionable topic for Obama, not brought out, was his working relationship and friendship with Tony Rezco, who is on federal trial for multiple charges.
Since Obama joined the race to become the President of the United States, he has been the darling of the media. There have been countless questions not answered, either because of the questions not being asked, Obama staying in friendly venues to speak, or the fact he does not answer questions, rather he gives speeches after things come out. In speeches he can control the environment and his political machine can control the spin. Then, with the media at his beckon call, he is free to skate for the majority of the time, not getting any of his choices vetted, thoroughly. It was really hard to evaluate Barack Obama's overall philosophy, the policies he was running on, and most of all where he was coming from, based on his past.
It was really hard to piece together, where all of these odd figures, people from his past, and now the people in his recent past fit. There were no answers to the complete puzzle, due to the fact, the media was not asking a lot of the "personal questions," in order to get answers. One example, after the Jeremiah Wright comments first came out, Obama had a position he explained on Fox News (on a Friday Night), "He had never heard anything like that out of Wright's mouth." Then on Saturday, on the stump, "he said that he had not heard those words in the pews." The story changed on Sunday, when he said, "I had not heard those specific words and clips, that are in the media loop." Finally, he ended giving "the race speech," in Philadelphia (coincidentally), saying that, "He had not heard those exact words and clips from Reverend Wright. However, I have heard some things that he has said, but the major portion of Trinity United Church and Rev. Wright's service to the community and sermons are not like that. You cannot sum up a man's whole career, in just a two minute media loop, or with sound bytes." A very evolving set of views, in just a five day period. Most people do not watch every single thing coming out of Obama, Clinton, or McCain's mouth, and some just watch the news headlines. They would have never seen the evolution of Obama's view and basic lie (based on what he said, on Friday, to Fox News), so it was imperative for Obama to be asked the questions, during the debate.
There has always been a bit of a puzzle around Barack Obama. When all of the candidates were in the race, it was impossible to see and view a lot of time on any one candidate. As the field of candidates was whittled down, there became more and more time, to see the candidates for whom they were, where they stood, and what their policies they wished to implement. However, when the field was cut down, it also brought up more questions, on the freshman senator from Illinois, because of his very little experience and meteoric rise to the top. Barack Obama, as a candidate and a politician, had a variety of pieces to his puzzle. Some of the pieces, to the Barack Obama candidacy, are embedded in grace, excellence, charisma, and other mesmerizing things. Although, some of the puzzle pieces were shrouded in mystery and were not answered. The puzzle pieces were always there, but there was never any glue, or a common thread, to hold them together.
The Obama mosaic was composed of being a charismatic speaker, the first biracial (Afro-American, partially) man to come this far, an eloquent and presidential demeanor, a great family, a message of hope and change (most Americans longed for), and an overall sense he had answers to questions, nobody else had are the good pieces. Then things changed (when the candidates started to drop) and other pieces began being revealed. Things like his drug use as a "young person" (when Bill Clinton was nearly cut off, for "not inhaling"), his socialist and communist teachers (Carl Davidson), the business relations and friendships, in cut throat political Chicago, Illinois (Tony Rezco, Bill Ayers), to joining the Reverend Wright church, deciding not to where a flag pin on his lapel (insinuating, people who wore lapel flag pins, are unpatriotic), and the San Francisco "small town people" ("cling gate") comments are a set of the flawed mosaic pieces. However, Obama's wife, also adds a piece to his puzzle. When she was twenty-two years old, at Princeton, her senior thesis was entitled/about "The Two Types of Blacks in America: Separatists and Integration Black People." She stated in that thesis, "The blending of whites, or blacks with whites, would regulate the culture and black America." Also stated, in the same thesis, she said, "I will use all of my resources, for the black community, no matter where her role was." Michelle Obama, in the present, has also made statements, saying, "For the first time in my life, I am proud of America" and "America is a mean country."
As stated, Barack and his wife is both unique individuals, with very deep and distant lives. They are both motivated and have exceptional speaking skills, but their motivations are very questionable. However, Barack Obama is the only candidate running for President, and is a multifaceted candidate. He has many pundits, a major political machine, and the media (with the exception of last night, when the two moderators were asking pertinent and the correct questions of him) at his back. Until last night, in the City of Brotherly Love Debate, the glue for the beautiful Mosaic, called Barack Obama, was found. Anger and disillusionment with the country, is the glue. Statements Obama has made, both last night and in the recent past, are proof to the fact Obama is an angry and motivated man. His statements about the small town people, "clinging to their religion, to their guns, to the antipathy of different people and races, to illegal immigrants problems, and to anti-trade deficit [losing of jobs]." Last night, in the debate Obama stated, "If you look at the anger of blacks in the barber shops and urban cities, these are issues that need to be discussed." Also, in the debate, he spoke and stated, " people across America are angry, fed up with the political situation and establishment." Obviously, with the approval rating of 27-31%, for President Bush and a 19-21% approval rating for congress, the American people are not happy with government.
Obama is the most liberal senator, in Washington. He has socialist, communist, federal criminals, a reverend and spiritual advisor (who has been an integral part of his life, for twenty years) for friends and political allies. He has an antipathy for people, who are not like him, his wife, and are not in the 4% of liberal and social elites, in America. He does not seem to have any value for people that do not share his political philosophies, do not value his ideas and policies. Lastly, by going by his own words, the deeply religious, people who own guns and sportsmen, and are not living a "secular, progressive, liberal, and/or socialist lifestyle" are also not welcome in his social circle. He wants to include the United Nations into the United States affairs, seeks world opinion over American people's interests (see his votes and stances on immigration, pro-choice, guns, and foreign policies), and most of all he is ready to pull out of Iraq (he guaranteed a complete withdrawal, within eighteen months of his being elected President) and will talk to with high levels of terrorist states and organizational leaders, in Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, and Iran.
THE BOTTOM LINE: In Pennsylvania last night, coupled with the last four weeks, Barack Obama has accomplished one thing. He has provided the glue, holding together the pieces, of his whole presidential campaign. Now that America has the pieces to the puzzle and the glue to hold them all in place, it is one scary looking picture.
