After seemingly dodging the fireball of his reverend’s racially charged comments that clearly undermined the values and unity of our nation, and not before making a typically loud but uncompromising speech that will be talked about for years to come, Sen. Barack Obama did what anybody else in his position would do during the eastern celebrations so highly regarded in his country and congregation. He took his family and close associates on a sunbathing and daiquiri-sipping vacation to the Virgin Islands.
Obviously he is pretty confident on the results he has received so far; after all, why wouldn’t he be? A few scholars already regard his speech on racism as a high point in his career. I just wonder now if he really meant anything he said, and if he is ready to stand by it if he is given the chance at office. Is he ready to drop the race card for good? No more racism-inspired lawsuits – let’s drop affirmative action and compete on merits alone for college admissions and get away from race-based quotas. Is he ready to support all of this and tell the leaders of the black community to get over the past and stop taking payment from the rest of us from a pain they did not suffer and we did not inflict?
But that is a whole different topic.
To further stir his confidence and that of his associates and backers, whatever their motives may be, he also effectively kept the Florida and Michigan delegates out of the race, thus silencing what could have provided additional voices of support for his rival.
In a historical note that Obama and his friends in the press seemed to have been able to keep silenced, he did just that in 1996 when he got, through arguably legal means, the names of all his opponents off the ballot. He ran alone for the congressional seat that he held, despite his own accounts, without any big accomplishments until his mentor, Emil Jones Jr., got to the seat of majority leader and was able to put Obama’s name in every major piece of legislation.
Sen. Hillary Clinton has not been making things any easier. Despite proving herself as a sturdy and able competitor, she failed in several instances to present a clear alternative to all the eloquent rubbish of her opponent. However, she fell to new lows this time with a flagrant lie about her warrior-like odyssey to the Balkans. Unfortunately, once a liar always a liar, and it will be very hard for some of us to trust her again. It is very sad for her, and for the rest of us who were hoping for somebody to bring the populace to their senses, in rejecting what has caused so much damage in recent years in several Latin American nations and even Palestine or Iran – namely, the rise of the loudest and more theatrical candidate who can work the uneducated masses as well as interest groups distraught over the lack of alternatives.
It seems that all we have to hope for now is that Sen. John McCain gets enough support and raises the strengths of Republican wisdom that have brought this country to be the leader and beacon of the free world, and cash in some of the very valuable discussions and ideas that have resulted from this Democratic catfight.
Let’s hope for our sake that this bad momentum turns for the best.
