Delicious Monster
Barack Strangelove (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Obama)
Hey, have you heard about this new guy, Barack Obama? I know he's kind of been under-the-RADAR, so you might not have read about THE LAST TIME HE BRUSHED HIS TEETH or seen the news footage of THAT TIME HE SET A MAGAZINE DOWN ON THE COUNTER.Fine, so I'm the last person in America to hear about Obama. I'm often behind on the latest trends, because in 2000 I took a vow that I wouldn't watch national news until Bush was gone. On the other hand, I've kept some shred of my sanity for the last six years, so I feel like it's been a fair trade-off.
So, I guess everyone loves Obama -- he's warm and charismatic and smart and a hell of a speaker. And, frankly, America really needs a leader like him; someone where we can point to him an proudly say, "See that? That handsome, intellectual man? That well-spoken gentleman? The man who seems like he's from another era; a time when politics was reluctantly performed by men who felt it their moral duty to serve our country, not a free pass to act like a tiny dictator and line the pockets of your friends. Well, that man, my friends from around the world, is OUR president. Yes, I know, you're surprised -- frankly, we shocked ourselves on this one."
--
Here's something you may not know, though: there's a fly in the ointment. Barack, it turns out, is black. Yes, his skin has pigment -- LOTS of pigment, my friends. And some people HATE THEM SOME PIGMENT.
Now, I grew up in the deep South. In Savannah, Georgia -- one of the thirteen original colonies, and one of those cities where that was pretty much their biggest moment. It's a place where some hicks still proudly fly a flag from a war they lost in order to keep their slaves. You'd think one or the other of these facts would be enough to discourage anyone from flying such a flag, but, hey. This is the South, with a capital S. "We got different traditions down here! We eat things called 'chitlins' with a straight face!"
Later I moved to Atlanta, Georgia: "Hotlanta," "The ATL"; a city that was one of the first in the country to have a black majority; a city whose mayor was the great Andrew Young (one of MLK's homies). Atlanta's motto was "The city too busy to hate" (I think Savannah's was "The city too fat to get off the porch and do anything about our hate.")
But even in Atlanta, in a lilly-white suburb of Stone Mountain, Georgia (there was only one black kid in my entire grade school), our neighbors to the east, our neighbors who brought us a home-made pie when we moved into our house, like you see in the movies, these neighbors kept a broom-handle in their trunk, which they introduced to us as their "n----- stick".
For protection, see. You know, in case, like, THEY break down the great wall we'd erected to the north and streamed down on us again, as THEY had so many times... Oh, wait, I'm thinking of the mongols in China. The blacks... well, I guess they pretty much just ran the city and ignored the racists hiding in the burbs.
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So, can we actually elect a black man in America? Sure, cough, I'm not racist at all, and neither are YOU, of course. In fact, it's hard to find someone who's willing to stand up and say, "Dammit, I kind of fear black people, OK?" Yet we assume racists exist. We know they do -- we saw the police and national "guard" turning displaced black citizens away from white neighborhoods, at gunpoint, after the flooding in New Orleans. We saw the authorities use force to break up groups of blacks who had banded together in the ruins of their city to forage for necessities.
I'm sure each of those policeman, each guardsman, has a story that he'll tell to explain why what he did was perfectly logical. Maybe some of us even believe those stories. But you know, I know, we all KNOW that if that city had been white and middle-class, there would have been a fleet of Army helicopters airlifting every man, woman and child out of that hellhole on the first fucking day. If it had been white and middle-class, it would have been evacuated BEFORE the hurricane by a fleet of Army trucks. If it had been white and middle-class, funding for maintaining the levies would never have been cut in the first place.
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We Democrats don't want to pick a guy who can't win an election. Lots of people fear Hillary's campaign for this reason -- if a woman cannot be elected in America right now, we Democrats don't want her sucking votes away from a candidate who could be elected, because at this point I think we can all agree that we'd be better of with a squeaky toy in the Oval Office than we would with another fellow named Bush, or really any other crony of Karl Rove's. At this point no leadership would be better than the inverse leadership under Bush -- a squeaky toy wouldn't have started a pointless war with a country that posed no threat when we were in the middle of stamping out a real threat in another part of the world, for example, nor would a squeaky toy have spied on its citizens, lied about it, and then tried to make it legal, nor would a squeaky toy have tortured people in our name.
Me, though, I just don't like Hillary. It's not that I fear her feminist power; I just can't stand her politics. Every time I see her getting behind some bill as a N.Y. senator, it's some crap that's sponsored by the RIAA, or it's some attempt to censor video games or some other family-friendly bullshit. Maybe she's trying to appeal to conservatives, but, damn, that's a stupid strategy. I mean, let's face it, lady, conservatives do NOT like you. They FAMOUSLY don't like you. You are pretty much the flag around which conservatives rally when they want to bond together about something they don't like.
You aren't going to win them over by talking about families and crap, any more than I'm going to suddenly become appealing to lesbians by mentioning how much money I give to Planned Parenthood. (P.S. Your daughter Chelsea is really hot and I'd love to date her.)
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But back to Barack... as I said, I haven't watched the news, so I've just seen bits and snatches -- headlines about how his was the only moving speech was at the DNC convention, etc. So I went to his website, and watched his video message to American voters.
Actually, I was at the café the first time I watched it, so I didn't have the sound on. And I realized an interesting thing, just watching him and not hearing any words -- it made me focus on how he was speaking, instead of what he was saying, and it struck me: this man has EXTREMELY large ears. I mean, like, really big. Like, he should maybe grow his hair out a little more. Or think about tying them down in back somehow. Surgery should not be ruled out.
Also, possibly as importantly, he really believes what he's saying. He either wrote these words he's speaking that I'm not hearing, or he told someone exactly what he wanted to say, because just watching him speak, I believed in him. Whatever he was saying, he thought it was the truth. And he thought it was important. Wow. When was the last time a politician told us the truth?
Later, I watched him again with the sound on, and his ears didn't seem so big. Also, his words were eloquent, and his message was good, and it was honest.
--
And it was at this point I decided... to hell with it. This is a good man. We need a good person, right now, very badly. I'm not going to worry about Barack's skin color.
Yes, racism will be a factor. Maybe it will even be the deciding factor. That'd suck.
There have been precious few moments in history where we have an opportunity, each one of us, to define who we are simply by picking a side. There were people in Germany who opposed the Nazi party, and they got to brag about it for the rest of their lives. There were people in France who fought for the underground, and they are still held in esteem to this day. There were people who stood up and marched with MLK, there were people who drove black workers around during the bus boycotts, and their grandchildren still remember them for it.
Sometimes the most important thing in a fight is which side you are on, and not whether that side can win or not. Sometimes we just have to believe that, eventually, good will win out, and we have ask ourselves, "How will my children judge me when I tell them the story of this time?"
When my kids ask me about the first black man who really had a shot for the presidency, will I be forced to dissemble: 'Well, see, kids, at the time, I didn't think he could win, so it seemed expedient for me...'
No.
Mr. Obama, you have my vote, and you'll be getting a fat check from me in a few days. I would have just spent that money on booze and cars anyhow, hopefully you'll do something better with it.
And, hey, if you need someone for your "President's Information Technology Advisory Committee" I will gladly serve. (Mr. Bush used to have such a thing, but he abolished it in 2005, apparently because they weren't willing to change science to fit his worldview.) Let me know what else I can do, OK?
110 Comments:
I hope Obama is in the running, I will vote for him (First time I'm old enough) I can't wait.
January 28, 2007 4:42 PM
When my kids ask me about the first black man who really had a shot for the presidency, will I be forced to dissemble: 'Well, see, kids, at the time, I didn't think he could win, so it seemed expedient for me...'
Well, I have to wonder if you'd be making the same argument for, say, Condoleezza Rice or Alan Keyes.
January 28, 2007 5:10 PM
Well, I have to wonder if you'd be making the same argument for, say, Condoleezza Rice or Alan Keyes.
I'm not voting for him because he's black, I'm voting for him because he's the right guy.
January 28, 2007 5:12 PM
I'm less concerned about who the Democrats pick, as they have a generally strong field of the nine or so candidates that are officially in so far -- and a lot of them are 'firsts' whether it be Clinton, Obama, or Richardson.
What I'm more concerned with is who the Republicans pick because, even though as an independent I generally side with the Democrats on most issues, I would like to see a return of the Republican party to....you know, sanity. Chuck Hagel's about the closest possible candidate to possibly don that mantle, though as appreciative as I am for his frankness and candor on Iraq, I don't agree with his viewpoints on a number of other issues.
The Democrats could nominate a Taco Bell chalupa at this point and they'd have my vote.
January 28, 2007 5:18 PM
To be fair, chalupas are delicious. It's the chalupacabras you have to watch out for!
January 28, 2007 5:27 PM
In spite all of the comedy in the post, this is probably the most serious post that I've read from you.
The internet in all it's glory has done one thing really well: helped us mask the color that god gave us. As an African American, it is not lost on me how historic it would be to have a Black man elected as President of the United States. As an African American, I also know that it will never happen. Definitely not in the upcoming election and probably not before the end of either of our lifetimes. America as a whole, is just not ready for that to happen despite all of the talk about America being the great melting pot where anyone can make it.
The Dems, as much as they love Barack, also know that he doesn't have a chance to win and will put all of their muscle behind Hillary or find another candidate altogether to bypass Barack and Hillary. And you know that the Repubs will be gunning hard in this election. If they don't produce a credible candidate of their own, they will convince Repub voters to cross party lines and vote for Hillary with assurances that they should she win, she won't win again in a re-election.
Politics is a dirty game and the only winners will be those upper-class folk who already control the country.....
Here's a really interesting article on Barack that I think you should read:
Fell Clutch of Circumstance
January 28, 2007 5:28 PM
I'm excited, this is the first presedential election that I'll be old enough to vote in. If you think about it, it's rather insane that it's such a huge deal that Obama is black. Hell other countries have had black and women leaders for years... so much for the home of the free. I think Obama has a very uphill battle ahead of him, but I truly think he's the right man for the job. He will have my vote, and I hope that he will win and become the president we all think he can be.
January 28, 2007 6:55 PM
Nice post Wil - but you spell it "cheque".
(anon for fear of your wrath).
January 28, 2007 7:00 PM
The Republicans are very afraid of Obama - they've already started their Swift Boating on him. They've even managed to come up with a lie that hits both him and Hillary.
January 28, 2007 7:03 PM
I don't agree with everything he said, but that's the closest I've seen any politician come to it--by a very wide margin.
It's nice to believe there's a glimmer of hope in that big ball of mud we call a government.
January 28, 2007 7:29 PM
Don't diss on on the chitlins, they're the same stuff found in such tasty dishes as chicharon bulaklak. Mmmmmmmm.
Plus, despite any other shortcomings, Hotlanta has a Chik-Fil-A in the airport, let's not forget, Sir Shipley.
Now, as for the rest of the blog entry, it lacks in more tasty foodstuffs. Let's get on that.
January 28, 2007 7:33 PM
A lot of my friends disagree with me, but I think Obama is going to win it. For me, it all comes down to his incredibly inspiring rhetoric. I can hardly listen to him speak without feeling somehow... inspired.
If you're interested, you can read a forum thread that my friends an I have been engaged in here:
http://www.newathens.org/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=20849
I think you make an important point in your comments (not voting for him because he's black, but because he's the right guy) that I feel my friends are missing. Maybe he'll have a harder time getting elected because he's black, but I'm not going to NOT vote for him (or insist that he's isn't the best candidate) just because he's black. To me, that's a defeatist attitude that should get tossed out with the trash.
January 28, 2007 8:06 PM
I was on the ground in Illinois and witnessed Obama's initial run for Senate in 2004, and spent the better part of the last year in Iowa laying groundwork for the 2008 Presidential elections.
I have the upmost respect for well-voiced Democratic candidates, but I roll my eyes at Obama. He's a rising star and a media darling, but an untested one. He went from a safe district in the State Senate to a nearly uncontested US Senate run after Jack Ryan dropped out. Populist folks may like him, but he's a master of double-speak and lacks the footing to commit to any position he speaks of. This isn't a guy with a voting record of consistency, he hasn't introduced any bills, nor has he actually advocated any cause not directly related to himself. Grandma asks "Where's the Beef?" cause he ain't got none.
Furthermore, while he may be popular in national polls, there's really only three states that decide who goes on: Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina (and sort of Nevada now). Of those states, the real battle will be between Hillary Clinton (who I believe stands an excellent chance of winning) and John Edwards (who kept his entire 2004 team going in Iowa these last couple years). Obama won't survive south of the Mason-Dixon line. Hillary's pro-war record most definitely will.
Given the lack of leadership on the Republican side, I'm convinced at this point that whoever wins the Democratic nomination will be the next President. John McCain is old and with baggage, Rudy Giuliani is both pro-gay and pro-choice (in the GOP that'll never fly), and Mitt Romney will hide his Mormonism just long enough to win the nomination and get his ass kicked.
Just my .02, but I'd strongly caution people to be weary of what Obama promises. He's at the poker table going all-in without the cash to pay up.
January 28, 2007 8:15 PM
When Barak spoke at the 2004 Dem convention I wanted to vote for him, and to hell with Kerry. Hillary has too much baggage.
Obama/Edwards in 2008!
January 28, 2007 8:16 PM
I would actually just like to congratulate you for having the first blog I have ever read the whole way through.
January 28, 2007 8:41 PM
I must say that I have been following Obama for over a year now and have been screaming inside for this moment to come... for him to step up and reach for the Presidency. Both of his books are remarkable as well. I agree with you completely about his general sense of honesty and compassion for our country. The racism card will indeed play a factor however, in what direction I am not sure. It could work against him... or FOR him. Either way, my vote is DEEP in his pocket.
January 28, 2007 8:48 PM
Senators are easily the majority of presidential candidates, but only two have ever won in all of history. Those are terrible odds — even without bringing bigotry into the picture. As long as Democrats continue to put senators up for the presidency, it doesn't matter if their candidate is black, female or pedophile, because we're going to have a Republican in the White House anyway.
January 28, 2007 9:00 PM
Great post. The conclusion you come to is the same that I hope all Democrats reach: we have to vote for who we believe in. Forget so-called "electability". That's the only reason people voted for Kerry and look what that got us.
January 28, 2007 9:05 PM
And at least you'd know what you're getting with a chalupacabra. A tasty delicious blood sucking creature of the night.
I'm leaning heavily towards Obama myself. Who knows what his actual chances are, but I'm not voting for expedience. I tried that in 2004, and the bad aftertaste is still there.
January 28, 2007 10:12 PM
I'm glad racism isn't going to keep you from voting for Obama. My misogyny as it pertains to power hungry women will be keeping me from voting for Hillary. Cheers!
January 28, 2007 10:28 PM
I really enjoyed reading this blog, you've been bookmarked!
I, for one, don't pay attention to party association, and have decided that regardless of GOP or Dem or Liberatarian, I like this Obama guy.
I agree, he seems to really think he can be a good leader to this country, not the would-be tyrant that other canidates seem to come off as.
January 28, 2007 10:42 PM
That was an excellent use of hyperbole. Nice work. Your English teacher would be proud.
January 28, 2007 10:48 PM
Larry: Yes, I admit to some hyperbole. On the other hand, life is a series of decisions we make, and most of us never stop and think "this decision is going to affect my next one, which will affect my next, which will affect the rest of my life."
I think this next election will, for some people, be a chance to stretch themselves and pick a new path.
I guess I just inherently believe that every person is capable of incredible things, and that the most important aspect is simply BELIEVING in our ability to achieve them.
It's a philosophy that I would say has worked very well for me.
January 28, 2007 11:40 PM
Wil, here's another interesting read on Barack:
CDaniels
January 28, 2007 11:51 PM
Great post Wil,
I had a similar epiphany when i heard him speak.
I dont think people realize what a seismic shift in politics electing Obama would be. Not because of anything other than his politics.
Enjoy a web button ^^;
http://nuzzio.googlepages.com/obama_button_sm.gif"
January 29, 2007 12:06 AM
Just for the record, Frank, I don't find either post you linked to about Obama much more "interesting" than listening to some partisan gasbag yammer on as a guest on some cable TV show.
Two guys think he's not "Black with a capital B" enough, or he's "just another Washington insider"... whatever, fine, we all have opinions.
But I don't think those of us who are inspired by Obama give a damn that he's "black", other than to acknowledge that will make it harder in an election in this country.
And he ISN'T black in the sense that a lot of (most?) people mean it, because that simple word means different things to everybody. Just ask that blacker-than-thou blogger you cite what it means to be black, and then go ask those folks where Wil grew up with Confederate flags in the back windows of their F-150s, and then compare the answers you get.
The point is, electing Obama isn't about him being black, at all. It's about what you think after you hear him talk, or read his books: you come away realizing, "Wow, this guy is really a good person, he really cares about this country and the people who live in it, he's very smart, balanced, and would very likely make a better President of the United States than anybody in my lifetime."
And once you see that, you start thinking like Wil and me and thousands and thousands and now millions of other Americans: yeah, he's black, and yeah that realistically is going to be an obstacle in this country, but fuck that noise let's elect him anyway.
January 29, 2007 1:31 AM
As a non-american, I have to wonder: Are there many people who *would* vote for a Democrat, but not for a black person? I think the bigger issue would be Obama's perceived lack of chance: Many Democrats may not vote for him because they think he can't get elected and don't want to waste their vote. Either way, I hope he wins, for the sake of "the rest of us."
January 29, 2007 1:53 AM
His ears ain't that big.
I only hope for you poor americans that you will succeed to elect a president with at least some positive qualities.
And not the one Bush possesses: Being an easy target to caricatures
Should you against odds succed, I hope it will help to improve the openmindness other places.
As, sadly enough, USA is the most powerfull country in the world.
I think we danes would do a better job :P
...allthough we joined your war for some odd reason (did anyone say oil?) - shame on you Fogh
January 29, 2007 2:43 AM
Here's what you should know about the (would-be) competitors:
http://topsecrethillary.blogspot.com
(http://www.arnoldspeaks.com)
January 29, 2007 2:50 AM
I don't know that Obama is the right man for the job. I don't know that he's not. (the main reason being that I don't really know anything about him other than he's an inspiring rags to riches story and he's black) Asside from that, I do know that the problem with the response to Katrina was not race, but class. The people who go screwed in that situation did so becuase they were poor, and couldn't get out of the city on their own. NOT because of the color of their skin. Now, race and class have a high degree of statistical correlation, so it's easy to see where the confusion arrises, but the insistent push to blame large scale social problems on race when really the driving factor is money just makes it harder for us all to talk about the real issues.
January 29, 2007 4:33 AM
But back to Barack... as I said, I haven't watched the news, so I've just seen bits and snatches
Blimey Wil, just because you switched off the news channel doesn't mean you have to live 24 hours on the 'one-handed' channels... or is 'snatch' not a euphemism for a lady's sensitive bits over there in the states?
January 29, 2007 5:27 AM
Since I agree with you and most of the comments made, let me just mention one more thing: The committee you want to serve on is the P.I.T.A committee. Just wanted you to consider that ;)
January 29, 2007 6:45 AM
But you know, I know, we all KNOW that if that city had been white and middle-class, there would have been a fleet of Army helicopters airlifting every man, woman and child out of that hellhole on the first fucking day. If it had been white and middle-class, it would have been evacuated BEFORE the hurricane by a fleet of Army trucks.
Yeah, if that city and state would have had a blacks and democrats in charge . . . oh . . . wait . . .
January 29, 2007 7:06 AM
I guess if we voted for great orators all the time the world would be a better place.
Great Orator
January 29, 2007 7:10 AM
Wil, I too am from the South. I recently moved to Denver, Co to work for Quark. Moving away from the South has taught me alot, and moving to a Democratic city, has taught me even more. I picked up Obama's book "The Audacity of Hope" about three months ago, and I was sold. This man is not a politician, at least by the definition we see on Fox News, CNN, and the like. He is sincere, he cares, and he has been batteling as the underdog his entire political career. He went door to door, in white neighborhoods in Illinois to reach out, and find out what they needed/wanted. Obviously it worked.
Obama is legit. I too plan to support his campaign in whatever way they/he would like.
This note is to your readers. Go to your public library and pick up "The Audacity of Hope". It will open your eyes to what America can be like for our children, and restore our reputation with our friends around the world.
January 29, 2007 7:33 AM
"Snatch" is slang over here but not so common that we can't say it any more. Like, you still here people talking about purse-snatchers, which, well, I always ASSUMED wasn't slang, but maybe there's some sexual thing I'm missing. As I said, I've been out of the loop.
I remember when I first moved to Canada as a kid and I told my shop teacher I was going to sand down this "bugger", and he about slapped me. He was all, "What did you say?" and I was all "Bugger?" and he was all, "WHAT?" and I'm all "bugger??" and we went on like that until he finally figured I really couldn't be faking that I had no idea what he was getting upset about.
January 29, 2007 8:22 AM
As a Republican, I can't wait for the Democratic primaries. Hillary's ahead in the polls, so she's obviously going to win, but in a national election, she's far too polarizing and fearful of the media to become president which guarantees another Republican victory. I'm afraid a Democrat would tear down our booming economy out of spite.
Obama is a blank slate that the liberal media has latched onto simply because they think candidates should be judged based on how sexy they are in front of a camera, rather than by their policy. He's the kind of solidly liberal guy who actually banned medical care for fetuses that survived abortions. There's no way that's going to play in a presidential election.
January 29, 2007 8:35 AM
Oh, nog, you're so lovably detached form reality.
How was the economy under Clinton? Did you suffer? I think you must have been alone.
As a Republican, can you honestly tell me that Ronald Reagan was anything more than a sincere-seeming actor? Yet, you guys love him.
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. (PS: I know you Republicans have trouble interpreting scripture -- this does NOT mean you're supposed to start throwing stones.)
January 29, 2007 9:00 AM
@ mason
you nailed it.
January 29, 2007 9:09 AM
I'm going to vote for Obama, just because he is black. I'm not normally so illogical and narrow-minded, but hey. If in the last election, millions of Americans could vote for GWB just because he is anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage and anti-stem cell research, (in spite of the fact that he has made America the most hated nation on earth), then I can vote for Obama for equally stupid reasons.
There was a modicum of sarcasm in this post.
January 29, 2007 10:27 AM
Oh, Wil... Please, please, please don't go painting people with that condascending brush of "you Republicans", it really smacks of elitism.
As for "how great" things were under Clinton. Let's see... We had an average of 4.6% unenmployment. What is unemployment averaging at now? 4.6%. Yeah, it was so much better under Clinton. The Dow was at it's highest, I believe at around 9,000. We have a Dow now in the 12.000 range. Quite a bit better. Oh, and the most important factor, is we had all these damn terrorists attacking us and all we ever did under Clinton was issue subpeonas and occassionally lob a missle at some Aspirin factory in the middle east during off hours.
And finally, the reason why Reagan is so revered with conservatives is because he accomplished quite a bit - bankrupted the USSR, lowered taxes, restored American pride after the drudging of the Carter years, and so on.
And finally, as someone who lives in Georgia now, I gotta say you need to be careful with your sterotypical paintings of the south from the period when you lived here. I'm originally from the NE, and I experienced much more racism there than I ever did living in Georgia.
Come on Wil, we need less MoveOn.org from you and more developer.apple.com.
January 29, 2007 12:09 PM
I can't believe I read the whole thing.
January 29, 2007 12:37 PM
Anonymous:
Come on, you're squishing all over here. The original guy insinuated that Democrats would screw up the economy just out of spite, and you call me elitist because I respond saying Democrats were at least as good on the economy, which you don't refute, and in fact you only count one statistic, which is one I don't particularly care about.
I'm pretty sure the biggest terrorist attack happened during Bush's administration, that terrorists attacks are UP under Bush according to the government, and that Bush hasn't actually punished the perpetrators -- he just pointed at the Iraqis and said, "Look, they are dark-skinned too -- GET 'EM!"
Osama is still free. If we'd concentrated our troops on where HE is, instead of in Iraq where HE IS NOT, we might have him. Suck on that.
I think my statements on the south were very well qualified. I didn't say, "Let me explain how Atlanta is today."
I may not know the deep south now, but least I understand the difference between its and it's.
January 29, 2007 12:39 PM
I may not know the deep south now, but least I understand the difference between its and it's.
Touché. But at least I understand the difference between using my blog to inform my customers, versus using it to insult people from differing walks of life.
January 29, 2007 12:52 PM
Dude, I'm a person. I don't have "customers." Delicious Monster does, but I'm not posting this on the Delicious Monster blog. I reserve the right to say what I want on my personal blog.
January 29, 2007 12:57 PM
Osama is still free. If we'd concentrated our troops on where HE is, instead of in Iraq where HE IS NOT, we might have him. Suck on that.
Sure, Osama is free, but the guy credited with being the mastermind behind 9/11, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, is not. So to insinuate that because bin Laden hasn't been captured we haven't made progress in to bringing people to justice for 9/11 is disingenuous.
As for Iraq, I remember one bad mofo of a terrorist who was operating out of there named Al Zarqawi, who was part of Al Qaeda. Sure, he didn't have a hand in 9/11, but that's not to say he wasn't an enemy of the US. Oh, and he's dead now too.
But really Wil, who cares? You hate the Pres, and feel the country is on the wrong track. Fair enough. You and those of your mindset will get their opportunity to change course in 2 years. I suspect most people come to your blog to read about Cocoa/Apple/Mac OS X/Delicious Library, and I suspect near half of them are of a differing mind politically than you. Seems a real shame to pick a fight with 50% of your customers, doesn't it?
January 29, 2007 1:05 PM
Wil, I have to say it: you're falling for the shell game. Republicans and democrats are utterly interchangeable, just like the nazis and the commies. They're just our home-grown, watered-down versions of the two competing flavors of authoritarianism in the world.
We all know how their rhetoric differs, but when you look at what they actually DO, they both tax and tax and spend and spend, and they both believe that they're the Annointed Enlightented Ones who are entitled to tell other people not only how to live, but even how to think.
-jcr
January 29, 2007 1:06 PM
The problem with the response to Katrina was not race, but class. The people who go screwed in that situation did so becuase they were poor, and couldn't get out of the city on their own.
Ahh, that clears everything up! As a Canadian, I was very confused, but I get it now:
It is not ok for someone to die needlessly just because the are Black. It is ok for someone to dies needlessly just because they are poor.
It's not racism. It's, I dunno, the free market or something. Got it.
January 29, 2007 1:19 PM
Oh, and about "managing the economy": first of all, giving credit to any politician for the state of the economy is like giving a flea credit for the dog. The greatest effect a politician can have on an economy is to damage it (like the flea), but they really can't help.
It's important to realize that a congressman is a businessman. What he's selling, first and foremost, is promises to manipulate the tax code to the benefit of the people who pay money into his campaign coffers. Some of them deliver on those promises, some of them don't, but it is their stock and trade. Ideology, whether it's promising to "soak the rich", or "get the government off our backs" is just window-dressing.
They will always take most of the tax revenue from the middle class, because it's the middle class that 1) has enough to be worth looting, and 2) doesn't have the resources to dodge taxes like Bushes, the Kennedys and the Kerrys of the world can do.
As for Obama, he may be new enough to not be a cynic like nearly every other congressman, but I'm voting for Ron Paul because for several decades, he's consistently voted for my liberty against both left- and right-wing encroachments.
-jcr
January 29, 2007 1:32 PM
I'm sorry to inform you, but the War of Northern Agression was not about the south wanting to keep slaves. That story is revisionist rewriting by the victors. The south wanted to secede for a variety of reasons, and slavery was already on the way out. Loncoln did not free the slaves in the north, was a supporter of slavery (or wanted to "send them back to africa" paraphrased) in the alternative, and was very clearly a racist. Finally, the north fought by pressing immigrants and others into slavery to fight the war-- and being sent to your death is a far worse offense than being made to work in a field.
Further, the War of Northern Agression ended, once and for all, the constitional rule of this country by blocking the ability of states to secede and thus giving the federal government a stranglehold that it was not intended to have. Lincoln didn't free black people, but he did enslave everyone else.
I don't know much about Obama, but I think that the idea that since he's young and articulate, he isn't in politics to line people's pockets is also... sweet, but too kind. The purpose of government is to extract wealth from the productive for the benefit of the charismatic.
But if Obama loses, it won't be because he's black, it will be because he's muslim. Maybe even because "obama" sounds a lot like "osama".
January 29, 2007 1:46 PM
Wil writes:
country that posed no threat
I believe the in-vogue term for this is... hogwash. Really, Wil, this sort of fluff completely undermines the point you were attempting to make.
Regardless of your views on Bush, or Clinton for that matter, Iraq may have posed no immediate, direct threat to you personally, but too bad if you were an actual Iraqi, huh?
Maybe you should ask the families of dead, tortured or raped Kuwaitis if Iraq was a threat.
Or Israelis and Saudis who were subjected to SCUD attacks.
Or Israelis whose family and friends were killed due to suicide bombers funded, in part, from Saddam's regime?
Or Kurds who were gassed? Yes, real WMDs, really used, with real people really dead.
Even if you manage to conveniently shelve all these atrocities in to the past, and somehow assume that Saddam wouldn't do these naughty things again, you'd still be left with the threat he and his thugs posed to actual Iraqis on a daily basis.
Whether you are troubled by this enough to believe that it warranted invasion or not is an entirely different matter. But claiming Iraq wasn't a threat? Come on.
January 29, 2007 1:50 PM
I (heart) Obama too, and would vote for him/contribute to his campaign/and VERY enthusiastically support him over Hilary for the nomination.
One compelling problem beyond the potential color issues you've identified though -- Only two sitting Senators have ever won the White House: Warren G. Harding and John F. Kennedy.
The cards are stacked against them. And while he'd be a great leader, he's also going to have an uphill battle due to lack of foreign policy experience. If the Republicans put up McCain or Guiliani, Obama's experience in war/terrorism/foreign policy will NOT stand.
My money is absolutely on New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. He's got the "person of color" potential hotbed too -- would be our first Hispanic -- but his charisma and heartfelt speaking style match Obama's. He's VERY persuasive in his mannerisms.
Even better, the man was the Secretary of Energy under Clinton, and was also the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. He’s successfully negotiated the release of hostages in Iraq and Sudan. He’s turned his state’s economy into a research and development dream – space science, energy science, etc., etc., capitalizing on the area’s natural strengths and emphasizing the need for our nation to be an intellectual property leader again. He’s kept his state’s budget well under control and advanced education. He’s charismatic, and has consistently ranked as the second most popular governor in the U.S. in recent polls (behind Former Va. Gov. Mark Warner, who has said he won’t run.) He’s a past chair of the DNC.
He's got EVERYTHING we need. And Obama or Mark Warner would make a great VP.
I encourage you and other readers to check him out. You can check out his site and still protect your senses from TV:
http://billrichardsonforpresident.com/
Keep the great posts coming (and if none of this works, I will DEFINITELY be by your side finding an appropriate squeaky toy to nominate!)
January 29, 2007 1:55 PM
But if Obama loses, it won't be because he's black, it will be because he's muslim.
What what WHAT? How can you repeat this lie with a straight face?
January 29, 2007 2:25 PM
Maybe you should ask the families of dead, tortured or raped Kuwaitis if Iraq was a threat.
Or Israelis and Saudis who were subjected to SCUD attacks.
Yes, Saddam was bad. However, our effort to be the good-guy world police has resulted in hundreds of thousands of Iraqi civilian deaths. Even if we presme Bush did this as a mission of mercy, which I do not accept, WE FAILED. We did not bring peace or safety or prosperty to Iraq. We brought hatred and ruin.
The Israelis and Saudis strike me as being able to fend pretty well for themselves. I don't recall either of them asking us to come down and polarize the muslim community against us.
January 29, 2007 2:29 PM
I suspect most people come to your blog to read about Cocoa/Apple/Mac OS X/Delicious Library, and I suspect near half of them are of a differing mind politically than you. Seems a real shame to pick a fight with 50% of your customers, doesn't it?
a) I don't think 50% of my COMPANY's customers are Republican. It turns out that there's a huge correlation between using Macs and being a Democrat. Also, literacy and hating Bush.
b) I don't have customers. I've explained this.
c) I don't think I'm picking a fight. I'm talking about how Bush is both idiotic and corrupt, and how poisonous this has been for our country. If there are people who disagree with me, they are wrong. If there are people who won't buy my products because they can't accept this truth, then I suppose I will be ever-so-slightly less rich because of it. But I'll sleep with a clear conscience.
Essentially, you're saying to me, "Dude, shut up about your political views, or you'll lose money." Well, I think it's more important to be able to speak freely than it is to be loaded. But, hey, I'm a Democrat, not a Republican.
Honestly, if you look at the original ideals of the Republican party, I would qualify as a Republican. My hatred is for the jerks who have taken over the party, and the zealotry they have encouraged in order to stay in power.
Yes, I think Democrats are corrupt. But, the lesser of two evils is still lesser. Right now, we could really use some lesser evils.
January 29, 2007 2:36 PM
is your blog tag a Lorrie Moore reference?
January 29, 2007 4:44 PM
Boy, there are some sensitive, thin skinned republican commenters here ( or are they the same person).
Re: macs and politcs, there is a post on dailykos today about that- and boy, I havent seen such ill informed, vitriolic mac bashing comments since circa 2000 slashdot.
January 29, 2007 4:52 PM
Essentially, you're saying to me, "Dude, shut up about your political views, or you'll lose money." Well, I think it's more important to be able to speak freely than it is to be loaded.
Anyone who does not get this needs to re-read the entire post again. Twice.
Do you think Wil wants to tell his children "I had a chance to speak up for my beliefs, but I chose the expedient path of making a few more bucks"?
I'm not an American, so I don't realy understand "American Values," but Hollywood certainly sells us on the idea that being an American means standing up for your beliefs.
Who wants to tell Wil to sell the Stars and Stripes out for some greenbacks?
The interesting thing is, this is a false dichotomy anyways. A sham! Pandering to the money isn't really the expedient path, it's just buying someone else's excuses for their own choices.
January 29, 2007 5:10 PM
As a Brit, I desperately hope that Obama is in with a genuine chance. As you say, we need thoughtful, intellectual well-read world leaders, not barely evolved chimps.
Funny thing though - you say he's black? Hmmm, I hadn't actually noticed! He's not very black though, now you come to mention it. It's amazing that that alone could be the reason that he might not make it. C'mon, USA, get over it! Grow up! We are all descended from black people, we ARE all black people, in fact. It's just an odd accident of evolution that some of us lost the pigmentation gene. And if Obama doesn't make it because he didn't then it proves that a majority of us also gained the stupid gene at the same time.
January 29, 2007 5:14 PM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Howard_Dean
That guy was the to-be-the-new-president when he disappears from the surface of the USA...
-It turns out that there's a huge correlation between using Macs and being a Democrat
--Sure... "huge".... and those who eat pizza twice a week drive a lada (pfffrrrr...)
-If there are people who disagree with me, they are wrong.
--Come on Wil ... Let's start those gaz chambers for those who think different...
-Honestly, if you look at the original ideals of the Republican party, I would qualify as a Republican.
-- Black or White, right? No Gray? No Color?
Saying people will not vote for him because he's black is racist. But voting for him because he's black isn't? Sure, racism is a White->Black only thing.
Honestly Wil, I think money is getting to your brain. I don't blame for those words against Bush.. I don't care. It's sad to see you think that Obama (or any other candidate) is the next saviour... Just like any other politician, he's even not writing his own speechs.
By the way, I'm even not a US Citizen. I'm not even living in the US.
"Every baby is the best baby on earth until he says a bad word."
P.S. I don't vote anymore since 4 years now. Voting is not the real democracy for me. it's the only way for politicians to say: "Say something now, then get bent for the next 4 years..." Fortunately, marriage doesn't work the same way. :D
January 29, 2007 5:59 PM
If you're going to vote for Barack Hussain Obama because he's black, or his race is one of the main factors in your decision to vote for him, you're going to have to figure out how you'll be able to give him half a vote. There's no word yet on when he'll be taking a photo op tour to Nebraska to discover the other side of his roots.
He is handsome, has a nice smile, and speaks well, and that's about it. We here in Illinois have noticed that he doesn't do anything except vote on a few things. When he does vote, he'll tell us one thing, and then vote the opposite way, and then smile and dance around it when he's called on it. He's almost as good as "Slick" Dick Durbin.
Our Gov. here in Il. is under all kinds of investigation, particularly for dealings with a crooked individual. While they were doing the investigation, guess whose name came up? "Barry" (as he was known in school in Hawaii) Obama. Seems there was some land sold back and forth, somebody got a good job, etc. The media started to report on it, but then it went away, and there's been no word on it since.
It might be more economical to elect Hillary "We Are The President" Clinton (originally from Illinois). We wouldn't have to spend any money at all on Air Force One to fly her around. No fuel, maintenance, security, staff, nothing. We could put Air Force One in mothballs for the whole four years and let Hillary fly around from place to place on her broomstick!
I'm from Illinois, and I don't think I'd trust any politician that had any kind of ties to this state. (present or future)
January 29, 2007 6:16 PM
For my money Obama says things with too many words. He's too verbose like Kerry and by the time he gets the point he's already lost your attention. Note: typical attention span of american voter.
Watch him on Meet the Press or other sometime and you'll see what I mean.
January 29, 2007 7:01 PM
This was a very insightful posting. I really enjoyed it, and I hate politics. Kudos to you! I don't root for anyone in particular in politics... just whoever makes the most sense, ya know? But I'll definatly give Obama a chance in the next presidential race (which can't come soon enough). I look forward to reading more by you.
January 29, 2007 7:28 PM
My godmother once met Obama at the morning show she poduces(Good Morning Arizona) She said that the man had a a sort of glowing energy about him...
January 29, 2007 9:45 PM
I agree in large with your blog post and I may well vote for Obama I say may becaue none of the candidates ahave been vetted nearly enough yet. But he's in the lead in my book so far.
However, you said something that needs to be cleared up: The US War Between the States was not fought over slavery. The majority of historians and document from the period agree it was about states rights versus federal rights--a battle that continues today. THe right of the rich in the South did include salvery, but it was already declining when the war started. Heck only a very small minority of southerners even owned slaves. You think your average confederate soldier was risking his life so some rich man could own slaves. Hardly. They were very poor farmers mostly and jsut didn't want slick city folk in the North running their state from a far. A sentiment that survives to day and you can see GW Bush pushing bakc federal rights and building states rights as we speak.
So the flag is a symbol of states rights over federal and secession--not slavery. Kind like a fluttering Boston Tea Party. Slavery has been pushed in the forefront by ignorant people (too many in this country) because its an easy handle to explain the war even if untrue. Ask the average joe on the street about state's rights and you'll get a blank look.
Will, you are a bright guy and great Cocoa programmer, but learn a bit more history--perpetuating myths and falsehoods spreads ignorance.
January 30, 2007 9:19 AM
Great post, Wil! Barack's biggest problem (IMO) is his relative lack of experience, but I'm voting for him anyway.
January 30, 2007 2:01 PM
I'm not voting for him because he's black, I'm voting for him because he's the right guy.
And *yet* if someone doesn't vote for him, you've already said it will be because of racism. Way to poison the well, Mr. Shipley.
If someone agrees with you: yippee
Someone disagrees with you: you're a closet racist
Either way, you've already passed judgement on the motive of the second party.
Other odds and ends--
re: your "katrina example" (if it were white and middle class...)
You have not really looked at the demographics of the disaster, and you're talking out your ass here.
re: "We Democrats don't want to pick a guy who can't win an election."
This says more about the current Democrat desire to *win power*. If the Democrats had a widely popular platform with compelling ideas, communicated in an effective manner, the Democrats wouldn't have to try and fall back on "winability", but could win "on prinicple."
Mr. Obama is a political unknown upon which many Democrats have pinned their hopes. He's a media darling, currently, in spite of not having much if anything of substance to say, and no accomplishments to his name other than "sexy black man who isn't Hillary." He's (currently) all media sizzle and no political steak. In this way, he's very much like Delicious Library, so I'm not surprised, Wil, you want to send him $$.
-anonymous coward
January 30, 2007 2:48 PM
Has anyone else noticed that with a couple more pounds on him, Obama would look a lot like Bush?
It's the ears I think...
January 30, 2007 3:48 PM
I just like saying his name: Obama....Obama...Obama-mama. It's even more fun to say than Diefenderfer (which is already fun to say in itself).
But look at it this way. If Hilary Clinton became president, the last 20 years of US presidents would be pretty simple to remember...Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton.
Still, I think it's definitely time for the political pendulum to swing the other way. The last election proved that people are ready for a change.
And then we'll get sick of the Democrats and lean back the other way.
Oh, would you look at what e-mail just popped up in my Inbox. The iTunes Store is advertising Obama's audiobook.
January 30, 2007 6:50 PM
Anonymous (number 22 or whatever...please don't hide behind anon...show yourselves!) the "shady" land deal story disappeard because it was a NON story and a totally legit transaction.
Did you miss the news that day? Get off your swiftboat.
January 30, 2007 11:39 PM
What what WHAT? How can you repeat this lie with a straight face?
Not a lie, a misunderstanding. I was aware that he was raised muslim, I did not realize he had become a christian.
Anyway, he supports gun control, so he's a tyrant, just like the rest.
God, Gays and Guns-- those are the litmus tests. Any politician that wants to legislate in any of those areas is a scumbag, and a tyrant.
This means that, unless you're a fascist or a fan of tyranny, you have to vote Libertarian. The democrats want to force their religion ("the global warming theory"), oppose gay rights and think that women should not be able to defend themselves against rapists.
Three strikes, just like the republicans.
January 31, 2007 2:23 AM
First off, I don't accept the hypothesis that rednecks in pickup trucks are saying "YEEE-HAWWW" to the principle of states' rights. I think they worhship the rebel flag because it's a symbol of them rising up (hence "The South Will Rise Again") against the North, and they think that's pretty neat.
In this regard, it's hard to generate any sympathy for them. Yay, you killed lots of people trying to split up America! Hoorah! Celebrate!
If I tried to split up America today with violence, I'd be thrown in jail.
Your analysis of the civil war is one I've heard before, but I think it's worth pointing out that this flag is forever associated with slavery.
You could tell me that the Nazi party REALLY wasn't about killing jews, it was a response to the excessive punishments imposed on Germany after their defeat in WWI, blah blah blah... but I'm still not going to feel a lot of sympathy for people flying the Nazi flag.
January 31, 2007 4:13 AM
Why are the crazy ones always anonymous? Do you KNOW ahead of time you're nuts?
And *yet* if someone doesn't vote for him, you've already said it will be because of racism.
No, I haven't. You're getting off on a bad foot. I just said racism will be a factor in getting him elected. One among many, see. Not the only one. Come on, elementary logic, here, Mr. Fallacy-quoter.
You have not really looked at the demographics of the disaster, and you're talking out your ass here.
No, I'm not, and you didn't refute my statement. Do you HONESTLY believe this would have happened to poor white people in America? Do you think Bush would have cut funding for the levies on a poor, white city?
If the Democrats had a widely popular platform with compelling ideas, communicated in an effective manner, [blah blah]
Or if the Republicans didn't lie continuously about every Democratic candidate, portraying a war hero as "unfit for command" when their candidate didn't even bother to show up for his MAIL-DELIVERY JOB during the war, and now saying Obama is a Muslim, or, if not, then he must have converted...
Or if the Republicans didn't fix elections, which is pretty well documented in the national press now. There's not a statistician working today who doesn't think the anomolies are too great to have been coincidence.
He's (currently) all media sizzle and no political steak. In this way, he's very much like Delicious Library, so I'm not surprised, Wil, you want to send him $$.
My program has no political steak? Does it have political fries? Or a side politcal baked potato, at least? Is that even an insult?
January 31, 2007 4:24 AM
In the same vein, the other day I saw Danny Glover at Nishino's here in Seattle, and I realized he looked EXACTLY like my Dad (about the same age, very musular and lean dudes) except for the single obvious difference.
I told the waitress, "Hey, you know, he looks like my dad," but she assumed I was trying to make some kind of racist crack and acted all taken aback. Sensitive topic, race.
January 31, 2007 4:27 AM