No Country for Old Common Sense
"Here and there one could see women crying and some men wiping away tears too.(...) When 16,000 people, without prompting, start shouting some of his keynote phrases as he delivers them, you know something special is going on. The atmosphere at his events is such that one wonders if Obama is about to walk out with a basket with some loaves and fishes to feed the thousands." Geoff Elliott - The AustralianAustralians are famous for their plain spoken common sense, as Americans once were... a very long time ago. Geoff Elliott, The Australian's Washington correspondent asks some awkward questions about the prospective emperor's new wardrobe.
"There was something just a wee bit creepy about the mass messiahnism" Joe Klein - Time
"Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard." H. L. Mencken
"It is one thing to preach and quite another to give people bread." Spanish saying
How does a cult figure, in the eyes of some something akin to a messiah, make the transition to a political frontrunner - president even - where disappointment will soon crush what seemed to be a journey to a promised land? (...) If he gets the Democratic Party's nomination another test begins anew: how to turn the narrative which is all about striving for what is possible, to one where people are suddenly asking how are you actually going to do it?Certainly, it appears that many Americans are desperately clutching at straws, filled with powerful, inchoate, emotions as Barack Obama rhythmically strokes his platitudes. Students of American history will be reminded of "The Second Great Awakening", which of course was closely followed by "The Great Disappointment".
Many observers draw parallels between Obama and Jesus, but there are significant differences between the two. Obama, although visible has no clear program, whereas Jesus, although invisible, has a fairly clear program, briefly put: to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, harbor the harborless, visit the sick, ransom the captive, bury the dead, instruct the ignorant, counsel the doubtful, admonish sinners, bear wrongs patiently, forgive offenses willingly, comfort the afflicted and to pray for the living and the dead.
Although, to the best of my knowledge, this program has never been put into effect anywhere at any time, many people still find it attractive and would willingly vote for it if they could. However, its superficial resemblance to Socialism might make it subject to controversy, if seriously put forward by a presidential candidate.
Changing the subject a bit, I find it curious that Hillary Clinton, who has some serious proposals about health care, child care and the like, only receives contributions from big donors, that is to say rich people; whereas Obama, who offers little or nothing that could be of any assistance to the poor or oppressed, has managed to perfect the Howard Dean techniques of small donations through the Internet. I think Hillary should take Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee lessons as soon as possible if she it to have any hope of surviving.
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Thanks for such a concise reminder of Jesus' platform.
February 11, 2008 4:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Of course, when one looks at those policies of Jesus', it isn't clear exactly how one is supposed to achieve those goals, unless he hangs around to lend miraculous support.
That a few folks are showing an excess of enthusiaam is not indicative of the substance of Obama policy.
February 11, 2008 5:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
How? Doing unto others and you would have them do unto you.
February 11, 2008 6:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Don't understand. How what?
February 11, 2008 7:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Following on with Emma and Tom, I guess it took a St. Paul to get Jesus' ideals codified into "law." Not sure the "translation" was always that good. And Paul was the only disciple that never met him.
February 11, 2008 6:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Certainly there are a lot of churches that claim to be Christian but are in fact more Paulian.
February 11, 2008 6:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
Good job on your essay for me as it happens to express some things that bother me about the whole current Dem campaign. That said, one has to admit that we lost some of that common sense noted by De Tocqueville et. al. long ago since mass communications developed--as with all urban societies, there are going to be waves of "fads" which come and go. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the worst excesses of Obama-mania are not much far removed from something like Lady Diana's death or the OJ trial and we will have reality back soon.
On this point:
I would mention the thought that this goes far beyond Howard Dean (though some of the "Deaniac" syndrome is certainly reminiscent) to the monetary solicitations of televangelists and their itinerant preacher predecessors. Not to mention that the natural disasters with public relations results that appeal to specific human emotions or families with stories about a child in trouble that tug at heartstrings are the ones that get the breadth and depth of charitable donations. Nothing new here: people will give money if it makes them feel good to do so.
February 11, 2008 8:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
By mistake (honestly!) I recommended myself. I was just trying to find out who had recommended my post.
Another glitz revealed.
February 12, 2008 1:39 AM | Reply | Permalink