The first two lines of the "Maria Song" from the SOUND of MUSIC are:
"How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?"
There are two ways to react to an issue that is perceived as a problem.
One is with thought and understanding.
The other is with fear and demonization.
These are the simplistic two points of view of the remaining campaigns for the democratic Presidential nomination this year.
This is a philosophical difference. It is not about agreement or disagreement with an issue. It is about how issues are approached and responded to.
One campaign is seasoned, battle tested and used to reacting in a "take no prisoners" style that has been successful for them. They have an insular "we"/"they" philosophy.
The other campaign is open to listen to ideas. A philosophy that people can "disagree without being disagreeable".
One campaign cites its ability to "fight" as a virtue, a reason to be supported.
One campaign wants to move beyond the partisan bickering and rancor of the past.
These world views could be seen as the core of the support for Senators Clinton and Obama.
Senator Clinton's core supporters are older white women and less formally educated people who make under $50.0 annually. Two constituencys who harbor a degree of anger and resentment for a variety of reasons - some valid and some institutionalized. People who are static--
Senator Obama's core supporters are young people who were turned off by government, african americans and the "starbucks:" crowd. Constituency's with a desire for hope and change. People who want to move beyond--
In a word:
Pessimism vs Optimism
And this is the prism within the candidates, their campaigns, their supporters and their reactions to issues could easily be viewed.
In the YOUTUBE universe reinforced by 24/7 cable news networks people of both groups are besieged with visual stimulation. The same way people react to an IQ test when flashcards are posted to have an instantaneous reaction - this is how the networks, and the campaigns, view trends in the electorate.
The Jeremiah Wright issue is now threatening the candidacy of Sen Barack Obama. Not necessarily through the electorate so much as through the media.
As a Jewish woman over 50, I have all I can do to contain my laughter listening to Pat Buchanan on MSNBC and his outrage at what he calls "hate speech" or "hate for our country".
I used to try and watch FOX news every now and then to see another point of view to my own progressive ideas. Now, I cannot even make it through five minutes of Sean Hannity without feeling physically ill. Not for the reasons you may think, but because it is watching a predator. It is seeing in action someone who, for money and money alone. is willing to lie, bersmeech, distort words and issues to serve his own selfish purposes. And his prey is the viewing public.
Does anyone truly think Barack Obama, a uniquely American story, is not a patriot? That he does not love his country?
"No, I don't think Obama agrees with Wright" Hannity says, this is about Obama associating with a "liar" and a "fraud" like Rev Wright.
"No, I don't think Barack shares those views", Buchanan says, but "how could Barack sit in church week after week and let his wife and children hear than hate speech".
In other words "How do you old a moonbeam in your hand?"
These people simply cannot understand someone who is open to hear all points of view and still have their own core in tact.
These people simply cannot allow that an "endless" loop of five-ten minutes edited from thousands of hours of sermons may not accurately portray a lifetime of service. They see Wright - is flamboyance - his clothes - his intonation and that's enough --
It is fear
The simple truth is Barack Obama scares these people.
When Obama says he is a "hopemonger" - he threatens the franchise of "hatemongers" everywhere.
So for different reasons, there are disparate groups trying to stop the Obama movement.
So while Hannity, O'Reilly and Buchanan may not be able to help themselves - think of is as a career move -- what about the Clinton campaign?
Pres and Sen Clinton have done everything to fan the flames of divisiveness in this election.They have not only showed their selfishness and blind ambition, they have showed their contempt for the democratic party by holding it hostage as their own personal franchise.
And the african american community in particular is rightfully offended by the "ownership" the Clinton frnachise felt they were entitled to.
The Hillary Clinton campaign has been retooled in late February, following the insertion of Maggie Williams as campaign manager, to a Rovian, win at all costs, yes "take no prisoners" campaign.
Admittedly, their only hope to win the democratic nomination is to destroy Sen. Obama. And that is what they are doing.
Sen Clinton has unfortunately shown her lack of leadership by not speaking out on the Jeremiah Wright issue. And Bill Clinton who does understand black churches and some of the inflammatory rhetoric he heard as a poor white southern boy, has chosen to be the lead attack dog on this.
Bill Clinton uses his own considerable rhetorical gifts and charm to get his points across - clearly - albeit subtly.
What the Clinton campaign is saying is "we agree" Obama can't be trusted-- look who he hangs aroung with -- so we are staying in the race as the democrat "insurance policy". Harold Ickes, Clintonista and mastermind of the super delegate DNC policy, gets across his point that - this is why super delegates were created -- to save the party from itself.
What they miss in all this - is that for the Clinton's to succeed, they have to pull the party from the people.
How much more effective would the Clintons be if Bill Clinton stood up and said- "Rev Wright was at the WH Prayer Breakfast in 1998. He has used inflammatory rheoritic- some of which I profoundly disagree with - to grow his congregation to over 8,000 people and help many poor and uneducated african americans understand their own responsibility to famliy and country"
How much more effective if Hillary Clinton had said "no" -- that's it -- just "no"; when Steve Kroft asked her on "60 Minutes" if she thought Obama is a muslim?
They can't help themselves.
We can go into explanations that Rev Wright was in fact quoting a Reagan administration ambassador, who in turn was quoting Malcolm X when he gave the "chickens coming home to roost" sermon?
We can list the poisonous inflammatory rheotiric of white preachers from Falwell to Hagee -- from Robertson to Parlsey --
We can read speeches from Martin Luther King, Jr decrying the Viet Nam war in far more "hateful" words to the US Government --
But what we cannot do is deal with fear
Institutionalized
Ingrained
Visual Fear
Because even though Jeremiah Wright has had videos of his sermons for years and thousands of people have seen him in person and on tape - seeing an "angry black man" in a dashiki has taken over all the hope and reason in many good people.
If we lose the moonbeam - the fault is ours.
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The Sound of Music Soundtrack Lyrics
the Nuns - Maria Lyrics
She climbs a tree and scrapes her knee
Her dress has got a tear
She waltzes on her way to Mass
And whistles on the stair
And underneath her wimple
She has curlers in her hair
I even heard her singing in the abbey
She's always late for chapel
But her penitence is real
She's always late for everything
Except for every meal
I hate to have to say it
But I very firmly feel
Maria's not an asset to the abbey
I'd like to say a word in her behalf
Maria makes me laugh
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Maria?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!
Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand
Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?
When I'm with her I'm confused
Out of focus and bemused
And I never know exactly where I am
Unpredictable as weather
She's as flighty as a feather
She's a darling! She's a demon! She's a lamb!
She'd outpester any pest
Drive a hornet from its nest
She could throw a whirling dervish out of whirl
She is gentle! She is wild!
She's a riddle! She's a child!
She's a headache! She's an angel!
She's a girl!
How do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?
How do you find a word that means Maria?
A flibbertijibbet! A will-o'-the wisp! A clown!
Many a thing you know you'd like to tell her
Many a thing she ought to understand
But how do you make her stay
And listen to all you say
How do you keep a wave upon the sand
Oh, how do you solve a problem like Maria?
How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?
