Obanomics

Obama is like that professor we had in college. The good one. The one that made things interesting. The one who made things make sense. The one who could put the snapshot of now into the big picture of then. That’s what Obama has done in his recent speeches. He put racism in its greater context. He gave us the big picture. He did it again today at Cooper Union where he spoke on the economy. He didn’t just talk about what isn’t working or how it’s all the GOP’s fault. He gave us the big picture. He made everything make sense. He made economics interesting. This is more than a gift for inspiring oratory, this is the gift of a brilliant mind. Imagine, a guy like that in the Oval Office! It’s been a while.

Context

The Easter season is a a good time to reflect on the importance of context. On Friday, a nailed-up Jesus looks pretty helpless. On Saturday, a dead-in-the-grave Jesus looks pretty hopeless. But on Sunday….my, my. Sorta like when you take the time to watch the excerpted sound bites of Jeremiah Wright’s sermons in their actual sermon. When you hear the pastor’s message in its actual context. When you hear what the Reverend is actually saying. And who he is actually quoting. My, my. You see, it wasn’t a sermon full of hatred and violence. It was, in fact, a sermon AGAINST hatred and violence. Funny, the difference context makes. Funny, how FOX News doesn’t seem to care much about context. Funny, how 2,000 years after Christ’s resurrection, some people are still more interested in crucifying than in rising again.

The reluctant Obamacan

Peggy Noonan doesn’t like the Obamas. She sees them as pampered, elitist, yuppified Ivy leaguers who are totally out of touch with mainstream America. The Obamas are liberals. Peggy Noonan is a conservative. But Peggy Noonan is a former speech writer who loves the written and spoken word. More importantly, she is a lover of truth and straightforwardness. And as a student of American politics, she doesn’t come across it that much. So, it was interesting to get her take on Obama’s race speech.

Cuisinart politics

In case you’ve forgotten just how scary outspoken black visionaries can be, a helpful staffer with the McCain campaign has put together this handy YouTube video. Through a series of slap-dash edits and artful juxtapositions, we see candidate Obama not saluting flags, not wearing patriotic label pins and not disowning his audacious pastor. But surely, there’s more. To make the articulate, smooth-talking Obama sound… you know… a little more foolish and awkward (think: President Bush in any given interview), McCain’s editorial whiz kid has sliced and diced the video to make the calm, collected Barack appear to stutter and stammer like some tongue-tied Max Headroom wannabe (think: the current president on any given day). Stir in a liberal amount of Reverend Wright getting all John the Baptist on our ass. Top off with an incendiary clip of the Black Muslim leader, Malcolm X (he even looks like Obama!). And serve. Translation: White people, be afraid. Be very afraid. Sadly, the inventive McCain staffer was voted off the island. Not to worry, the Clinton Campaign can certainly use and enterprising fellow like this. And don’t think they haven’t.

Racism 101

It was not Obama’s best speech. But it may be his most profound. As a bi-racial fly on the wall, he has personally witnessed more bigotry, resentment and race-based anger than most of us––from both sides of a fence that he has straddled since birth. Reverend Wright is not the only American mouthing of about what they are frustrated with in this country. You know it. I know it. Barack clearly knows it. People who love their country most, and love their country best, seek its advancement and deplore its failings. It is the most authentic form of patriotism; lapel pins, flag decals, notwithstanding. No, this was not his best speech. But, perhaps, this speech will help us understand the other guys’ frustrations. The other guys’ indelible hang-ups. And if we listen to it closely, it might remind us that this imperfect Union will never become a more perfect one by us licking our collective wounds and dwelling on past injustices. It we listen closely, we can be reminded that we are all in this together, and that all of us pushing against each other is never as effective as all of us pulling together. That’s the bottom line. I’m not sure this speech can help this campaign, but it can certainly help this country.

Another first

Well, New York has it’s first black governor! And better yet, he is legally blind! Wow! A twofer! If only he was a woman! It makes me warm all over. Nausea does that. Listen, I have nothing against blind black guys. Big fan of Ray Charles, in fact. But I buy Ray’s albums for the same reason I vote for someone. The person’s proven abilities. Not their disabilities, their race or their gender. So I am a little annoyed by all this Obama would be the first African-American president. Or Hillary would be the first female president. Or John McCain would be the first tortured Vietnam vet president. This election should not be about having to publish an updated edition of the Guinness Book of Records. It should be about the candidates’ proven abilities. Their record, their gifts, their judgment. This election should not be a referendum on how far blacks, blondes or blind folks have come in this country. Of course, not everybody votes the way I do. And I guess some people buy Ray Charles records because he’s black and blind. So if all that you care about in this election is whether the next US president wears pants, a pinafore or a flag pin…go for it. And excuse me, while I go throw up.

It’s a black thing

Geraldine Ferraro, former Democratic Vice Presidential candidate, seems to have an interesting take on race in America. Apparently, Barack Obama’s success is about him being a black man. It seems, according to Ms. Ferraro, that black men have an “edge” in this country. Surely you’ve noticed? They dominate the NBA, Rap music, tap dancing, and the prison population. Black men lead a charmed existence. Everything they put their hand to, turns to gold. Americans are just gaga about African-American men. Personally, I blame Barry White for this. Well, I am glad that Gerry Ferraro has unmasked this Obama runaway lead for for what it is. Yet another brazen example of Black men in America getting all the breaks.

Like Hell, you can

There’s an old joke in Texas that if you want to make new friends, just drive across the Lone Star State with a certain bumper sticker on your car. It reads, “We’re here, we’re queer and we’ve come to take away your guns.” The only bumper sticker that would likely get your Ford Bronco just as keyed––if not torched–– is the one that reads, “I’m Barack, I’m Black and Ted Kennedy is my homey.” Nevertheless, according to one new poll, Obama is now leading Senator Clinton here in Texas by six points. Two words for that. Boy howdy! And yes, he looks friggin’ ridiculous in that hat.

It’s hard to hate him, but we’re working on it

Ah, the good old days! Back when we could hate a man for the color of his skin. Life was so much simpler then! Now it’s a much different story. We good, white Christian people know we can’t hate Barack Obama because he’s black. That would be very backward of us. So we find all sorts of reasons to dislike him. He is too ambitious, we say. Of course, every man or woman who has ever desired this high post must be equally guilty of such inordinate pride. But this guy is downright uppity …er… confident. But that doesn’t quite capture our antipathy. Oh, no, I just put my finger on it. He is a secret Muslim. Barack Hussein Obama, no less! After all, his father was a Muslim and people don’t just turn into Christians overnight. Except for that born again thing. I forgot about that conversion thing. Wait just a minute! If Obama is indeed a Christian, then to Islamic jihadists he is an “Apostate.” The only thing worse than an infidel to those towel heads is an apostate! We might as well put a target on our backs as to park this backsliden Muslim in the Oval Office. We’d be just asking for another 9-11. Of course, my favorite reason to hate Barack Obama is because he is the Antichrist. That one pretty much touches all the bases. That one is pretty much a slam dunk. After all, all this talk about change, hope and peace. That’s got 666 written all over it! Yup, I sure don’t like that guy, Obama. For any number of reasons. Although, I am totally cool with the fact he is black.

I am woman

One Democratic candidate has insisted this presidential campaign is not about race or gender. The other has insisted that it very much is. And her palpable insinuation is, “Girls, you know what you must do.” The results have been pretty predictable. The candidate who reaches across the racial chasm, across the gender gap and across party and regional lines is starting to see that he can attract voters of all races, all genders, all ages and all stripes. Today in Virginia exit polling, he’s even shown that he can reach that most narrow-minded and stubborn of niches: the left wing female baby boomer. The group who have fought their whole life for equal opportunity, equal pay and a sort of equal consequences for reproductive activities. The group who came into this political cycle believing that the 2008 election was about crashing through the glass ceiling and putting someone with ovaries in the Oval Office. But then something happened. These feminist stalwarts––these pioneers of female liberation–– got over the initial euphoria, the momentary giddiness, of knowing they had a bona fide, qualified, sure-thing candidate and looked at a bigger world torn apart by sectarian hatred and a country torn apart by partisan bickering. They looked at how a planet where every group thinks only in terms of their own race, their own clan, their own class and their own creed ultimately implodes upon itself. And maybe they recognized that it is that sort of thinking that is root of the problem. And certainly not the solution. And perhaps, they looked at the last seven years of a narrow-minded administration and realized that this is not the time for more narrow thinking and mindless, lockstep solidarity. It is time that all good women do what all good women have always done best: Set aside their personal agenda and effect the greater good.