Tuesday, September 02, 2008

What I love about the Obama "assumers"

So many well-meaning folk in other parts of the world have "assumed" points of view they believe conservative US voters hold concerning BHO that I will address this first.

What I find so funny - actually laughable - is that the "common knowledge" others hold of US attitudes is media driven. And in the US today the media [formerly the MSM] is bankrupt and failing, so what they are printing and broadcasting is misleading to outsiders in the extreme. But if one is used to relying on media then one doesn't really understand this fine point. It is as if the media are preaching to the choir, not knowing the congregation left the building six months ago, formed another group and are now meeting elsewhere. Not secretly but openly - something the media types would have known if only they listened to someone other than themselves.

To their credit a few have. But most egg-headed stalwarts are living in denial and cannot conceive of any set of circumstances that could cause their pronouncements to be ignored by their lessers - the listeners.

First there is a general assumption a huge number of ultra right-wing voters would never vote for a black man. There are fools who feel this way, no doubt, but their numbers are so low as to be imo less than half the number of folks who would simply vote for a black man BECAUSE he is black. Which - to my mind - is just as intellectually dishonest as the former.

Second is the assumption folks who voted for GWB would never vote for a democrat. I'm sorry, but for all he's done right, Mr. Bush has pretty well blown his gravitas with most conservatives and they would vote for any candidate who could attend a few of their interests. Changing the current political polarization process rampant in DC would be one of those interests.

So this year I really wanted to be able to vote for a black candidate. My mix-raced grandson now lives with me and I want him to be successful in life and have inspiring role models. Almost eight years ago I thought the smartest thing the repubs could do would be to run Condi Rice for prez in '08. Four years ago I was still pushing for Ms. Rice, but have now come to believe her executive abilities were regretfully overtaxed by the State Department and GWB. Not even taking at face value her reluctance to run.

Eventually I looked at several other blacks who were conservative, but none came to the fore during the run-up to the primaries. So I seriously looked at BHO. And inititally liked what I saw. He has been a great communicator, and inspired a new generation of followers to become politically active. Thats all to the good, imo. I did have a few questions, though, over his lack of experience, his choice of mentors and his Chicago political base. Imo Chicago has been and still is the most corrupt political environment in the US. So I wanted to see him - if he truly believed in change - to push himself away from that cesspool. There were other questions, too. Bill Ayers, pastor Jeremiah Wright, etc., but in my mind they were secondary.

Well when I went to the media to find answers to these puzzles I couldn't even find a discussion of most of the questions. What gives? Why hasn't our "professional" journalist corps done their jobs? Are they knowingly or unknowlingly "in the tank"? There are too many unanswered questions for someone who wants to be our president. Questions were being ignored by the candidate and his staff, and also by the media. The stench soon became overwhelming. So while I WANTED to vote for a black candidate, I couldn't find a black candidate who was qualified to serve in the office.

That really left me in a funk, because the other candidate was not mine. He was a showboating maverick who failed so many position tests that I almost lost interest in the race. Then I started reading Thomas Sowell every few days. He cheered me up and helped me see the "bigger" picture. Finally today I read Spengler in the Asia Times and it all became clear. It is time to rise up from my doldrums and leap back into the fray.

Mind the Gap, everyone, I'm back!

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