The now infamous rantings of Rev. Jeremiah Wright have been spun up and twisted by Obama critics in every way imaginable, save one- fairly. When I heard the Reverend’s incendiary words I thought them unfair and over wrought, from where I sit. On the other hand, I did not see them as evidence that Wright did not love his country. Indeed, any serious understanding of love includes room for serious anger. The married couple that fights hard is often the same couple whose love and commitment keeps them together forever. When our loved ones give us a free ride, aren’t they exhibiting something less than the full commitment we associate with true love? Isn’t it those whose flag pins and poles are always being worn and hoisted without critical comment that we should worry about? Isn’t it they whose relationship to our country is immature and dangerous?
The most replayed of Wright’s angry insults to his country was his saying that America should be “damned.” Does this mean that every lover who has said as much to his/her partner is an adulterer, or a pretender to love? If a mother or father says as much to a family member in a fit of anger, have they proven themselves devoid of family values and unworthy of continued association? No one has provided any evidence in deeds that would lead a rational person to think Wright an enemy of the country he honorably served in the US Marine Corps, where by the way, drill sergeants and superiors often speak much more harshly to their charges that Wright did to America. No one in their right mind would say that leaders of Marines do not love their warriors. Indeed, the Marines are undoubtedly a terrific model of esprit de corps.
Barrack Obama’s candidacy is a test for our fragile experiment in democracy. It is a test of our moral fiber and our capacity for embracing differences. This guy who is said to be all talk is a test for us. Are we all talk when we repeat empty slogans about diversity, tolerance, and respect for all peoples? Obama’s pastor isn’t the devil; indeed, closer inspection reveals a man with gifts who has devoted his life to causes all American “claim” to support. How many of us can honestly claim to have done as much for our communities as Wright? How many of us can honestly claim that we have not been just as angry at those we love? Moreover, how many of us love America enough to get so emotional about her? If you vote your own interests and ideas, you’ll never be among the distracted. The next challenge for you will be to avoid becoming one of the distracters – which is even more difficult.
I see the bottom line in 2008 as quite clear. If you are a liberal, choose Hillary or Obama. If you are a conservative, choose McCain. If you are a libertarian, decide whether you want to vote your economic values or your social values. If the former, vote McCain. If the latter, Vote Obama/Clinton. If you are conversely attracted to social conservatism and economic liberalism, you too will have to choose between your economic and social values, voting the one that is more pressing this year. This way of choosing candidates is voter centric, rather than candidate-centric. The beauty of it is that if you know which set of values is closest to your own, you can tune out all the noise and the nonsense, because no matter which Democrat is nominated, we will have a liberal and a conservative to choose from in November. If you are voting on the personal characteristics of the candidates, you may as well flip a coin, because your criterion is not measurably related to what a president will do when in office. The best predictor of policy positions remains a candidate’s party affiliation, not his experience or character.
The most replayed of Wright’s angry insults to his country was his saying that America should be “damned.” Does this mean that every lover who has said as much to his/her partner is an adulterer, or a pretender to love? If a mother or father says as much to a family member in a fit of anger, have they proven themselves devoid of family values and unworthy of continued association? No one has provided any evidence in deeds that would lead a rational person to think Wright an enemy of the country he honorably served in the US Marine Corps, where by the way, drill sergeants and superiors often speak much more harshly to their charges that Wright did to America. No one in their right mind would say that leaders of Marines do not love their warriors. Indeed, the Marines are undoubtedly a terrific model of esprit de corps.
Barrack Obama’s candidacy is a test for our fragile experiment in democracy. It is a test of our moral fiber and our capacity for embracing differences. This guy who is said to be all talk is a test for us. Are we all talk when we repeat empty slogans about diversity, tolerance, and respect for all peoples? Obama’s pastor isn’t the devil; indeed, closer inspection reveals a man with gifts who has devoted his life to causes all American “claim” to support. How many of us can honestly claim to have done as much for our communities as Wright? How many of us can honestly claim that we have not been just as angry at those we love? Moreover, how many of us love America enough to get so emotional about her? If you vote your own interests and ideas, you’ll never be among the distracted. The next challenge for you will be to avoid becoming one of the distracters – which is even more difficult.
I see the bottom line in 2008 as quite clear. If you are a liberal, choose Hillary or Obama. If you are a conservative, choose McCain. If you are a libertarian, decide whether you want to vote your economic values or your social values. If the former, vote McCain. If the latter, Vote Obama/Clinton. If you are conversely attracted to social conservatism and economic liberalism, you too will have to choose between your economic and social values, voting the one that is more pressing this year. This way of choosing candidates is voter centric, rather than candidate-centric. The beauty of it is that if you know which set of values is closest to your own, you can tune out all the noise and the nonsense, because no matter which Democrat is nominated, we will have a liberal and a conservative to choose from in November. If you are voting on the personal characteristics of the candidates, you may as well flip a coin, because your criterion is not measurably related to what a president will do when in office. The best predictor of policy positions remains a candidate’s party affiliation, not his experience or character.
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