I think I'll let the Democrats define themselves more clearly at the convention before I comment on it. But I cannot help but regard Obama's choice of Joe Biden as a blunder. Hillary must be going nuts and thinking: "How many votes did I get and how many votes did this guy get? Is this affirmative action for white males or what?" Leave aside the fact that the choice is unimaginative, uninspired, banal. It seems that Obama is going after the hoi polloi by naming one of their undistinguished number to the ticket. Sure, Joe is a jovial character, but when is the last time he had an idea? To date his best lines have been plagiarized from others. Let's just hope he doesn't begin his convention speech, "Four score and seven years ago..."
Well, it's Obama who's at the top of the ticket and it's Obama we should be focusing on. So far it sounds like Obama is running not for president of the United States but for president of the world. Obama is a globalist, and in his Berlin speech at the Brandenburg Gate Obama decalred himself a "fellow citizen of the world." I guess this means that in conflicts between our world and other worlds, Obama is decidedly on the side of Planet Earth.
Sure, there's more to Obama's argument than his platitudes. Essentially Obama has been arguing that "there is no challenge too great for a world that stands alone." The problem with this is that there are competing ideals and competing interests in the world. China would like to be a regional bully and kick around the little countries that are in its neighborhood. Russia too would like to restore some of its czarist and later Communist hegemony. How exactly does our Chicago community activist propose to change these global realities?
Obama's answer is: through the power of prose. In his stump speeches Obama has been sounding a Robert Frost note, talking a lot about walls. According to Obama, the greatest threat in today's world is not terrorism or nuclear war. Rather, the "greatest danger of all is to allow new walls to divide us from one another." According to Obama, the walls between old allies on either side of the Atlantic, or between natives and immigrants, or between races and religions, "cannot stand."
"Something there is that doesn't love a wall," Frost wrote, and certainly we can all share the feeling. Perhaps the best example of an unloved wall is the Berlin Wall, which came down thanks to the efforts of people like Reagan, Thatcher, the Pope, Havel, Walesa and Solzhenitsyn. Yet Frost's poem ends with these striking lines: "Good fences make good neighbors." Frost's point is that the sentimental resistance to walls must be modified by the recognition of the utility and even indispensability of walls. I'm quite sure the Obamas understand the principle quite well: they would not be happy if their neighbors' kids crossed into their yard and treated it as their own. Good fences make good neighbors.
So when should walls be taken down? Consider a contemporary example. It's possible that the wall the Israelis are building is saving Israeli lives and protecing that nation's security. It's also possible that the wall is unncessary, and that it's fueling further Palestinian grievance. My point is that the correct position is going to derive from a careful analysis of the situation on the ground. Vague and lofty talk about the badness of walls isn't going to help. Yet that is precisely the level of analysis that we are getting from Barack Obama. Now will the press stop genuflecting before this man and do him--and our democracy--the dignity of critically examining his views?
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 17)
1. From published reports, Obama as Chicago community activist actually knew how to fight dirty and wasn't shy about stomping on opponents to catapult himself into the spotlight & outta the 'hood. Problem is, Putin invented fighting dirty and has been at it a lot longer. Obama is nowhere near ready for something on that large a scale.
fanman at 9:09AM on Aug 26th 2008
2. AND ATHEISM ... A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE
http://www.evolutionfacts.blogspot.com
RICHARD ROBLES at 9:26AM on Aug 26th 2008
3. As usual, Denise's view of the world around us is distorted and out of touch with reality (Biden was a great selection as VP). And as for the national media critically examining Obama's views, nothing could be further from the truth. The media doesn't examine, it crucifies people and constantly divides our country, much like Denise attempts to do.
gshort3011 at 9:27AM on Aug 26th 2008
4. As usual, Denise's view of the world around us is distorted and out of touch with reality (Biden was a great selection as VP). And as for the national media critically examining Obama's views, nothing could be further from the truth. The media doesn't examine, it crucifies people and constantly divides our country, much like Denise attempts to do.
gshort3011 at 9:32AM on Aug 26th 2008
5. When are we going to realize that our President is not some super-hero who puts on his tights in the morning and single-handedly rises to defend (fill in the blank)? Our Chief Executive is just that- an executive of the corporation that is the United States. Look at Bush. He can barely swallow a pretzel on his own, yet his legacy is going to be dogging us for a very long time. A manager is only as competent as his minions, and Bushes minions have shown their capability in destroying our economy, lining their pockets, and severely diminishing our status in a truly Global Ecomony. Obama has yet to determine (or at least, announce) his board of directors, but one can hope that his will be intent on righting this sinking ship of state.
DD- your job is to build walls, so obviously this new direction is a threat to your status quo. And a wall, whether it be the Berlin or fear, keeps us from moving forward.
Robert at 9:57AM on Aug 26th 2008
6. I haven't heard such an eloquent, relevant treatise on walls since Sheena Easton's classic (and equally informative) "Sugar Walls".
America's Most Gangsta at 10:18AM on Aug 26th 2008
7. Do you not think the press genuflects more for McCain? The press just spends less time on him, which actually would make McCain the leader in percentage of press genuflection, as a ratio to total press coverage. McCain is lucky he gets less press exposure, because he is an undiscovered fraud. Now we find out he has a gambling addiction.
YO!
HARDWAYS!
BOXCARS!
DRILL DRILL DRILL!
BOMB BOMB BOMB!
LET IT RIDE!
DON'T COME!
America's Most Gangsta at 10:19AM on Aug 26th 2008
8. ....oh, and if you don't think a gambling problem is relevant to one's fitness for the presidency, consider the repubs bashing of Obama for smoking, and consider that you could not get a security clearance if the investigator found out you spent 14 hours at a time at the craps table.
MCCAIN IS A FLAMING FRAUD!!!!!!
America's Most Gangsta at 10:20AM on Aug 26th 2008
9. This from Wikipedia:
Re: "Sugar Walls"
The song title is presumed to refer to the "walls" of the vagina, which was perhaps sufficiently subtle by itself, but the general content was considered suggestive enough to qualify the song for the "Filthy Fifteen". For example:
Blood races to your private spots
Temperatures rise inside my sugar walls
Come inside my sugar walls
Come spend the night inside my sugar walls
Heaven on earth inside my sugar walls
In addition, Sheena's seductive spoken-word cooing of lines such as Take advantage, it's alright and I can tell you want me, it's impossible to hide/Your body's on fire, admit it/Come inside
I think John McCain was hooking up with Sheena and her Sugarwalled vag a couple decades ago, while his wife was waiting for him at home, broken and sick. Their relationship abruptly ended when he met Cindy Hensley.....or was it because he punched Sheena in the mouth, knocking out 8 teeth? I always get those two things confused.......
America's Most Gangsta at 10:28AM on Aug 26th 2008
10. Excellent piece dimwit. Who wrote it for you?
Geoff Barker at 10:53AM on Aug 26th 2008
11. Dinesh, is sort of right about this. If Obama is dealing more pragmatically with the issue of world-wide "walls" as opposed to idealistically, I can agree with that.
Obama's philosophy does not ring true though with the relativistic position the left has taken over the course of the past 2-3 decades.
Theirs is a belief system that doesn't respect another's rights to their walls, if indeed those walls aren't a detriment to other's (Israel comes strikingly to mind as such a detriment).
I don't see how Obama can reconcile this with his "down with walls," if it is not simply pragmatic.
What do the Obama supporters here have to say? Once again I am clarifying to state that I would really like to know. I cannot remotely claim an expertise in regard to his viewpoints, any extrapolation is welcome.
oneblood at 10:57AM on Aug 26th 2008
12. And what has Bush done to bring peace to the world? What do you think McCain can do - more of the same? No thanks.
There is finally a man who thinks there is life beyond his own sandbox. It isn't world domination that has you afraid - Dinesh - after all Bush has been working on that agenda for a few years now, only he calls it the fight on terrorism.
Maybe it is a man who looks beyond the boundaries so many have built around us. Maybe this man questions how the world perceives us and how we perceive the world and finds it unsettling as I do.
Everything has been "our way or no way" maybe there is another way. I for sure would like the opportunity to find out - good or bad, right or wrong - we deserve the opportunity to have someone in the presidency who isn't afraid to look over the wall and try to make friends with those on the other side. That isn't McCain's way and for that I am very afraid.
TJ at 11:04AM on Aug 26th 2008
13. AND ATHEISM ... A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE
Read the rambling, incoherent article gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarbage
Geoff Barker at 11:04AM on Aug 26th 2008
14. AND ATHEISM ... A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE
Same asenine statement, same question. How?
Geoff Barker at 11:09AM on Aug 26th 2008
15. Haven't heard anything about this except on the local news.
Apparently, Denver arrested three or four people in a plot to do smoe long range sniper fire at Invesco Field at Mile High on the night of Democratic nominee's acceptance speech.
naturalpuppy at 11:11AM on Aug 26th 2008