Minimum Standards

[DixieBelle]

I keep hearing how 'historic' this election is. After consideration, I do not agree. Oh, I understand the contention. Barack Obama is the first black man to be elected President of the United States. And the media seems to be bragging about how this has advanced the United States, morally, in doing so. But that really does not seem to me to be the case.

First, let's start with the notion that a black man winning election makes that election 'historic'. Really now, by that logic we have had a lot of 'historic' elections. George Washington was the first president, John Adams the first president not named Washington, various presidents were the first to be elected of their party, Thomas Jefferson was the first president to be elected in a contest decided by the House of Representatives, Martin Van Buren was the first natural-born American to be elected president, John Quincy Adams was the first president elected in an election where citizens voted for their states' electors, James Buchanan was the first and so far only bachelor to be elected president, John Kennedy was the first Catholic president, and so on and so on. Party, region, constitutional quirk, all kinds of 'firsts' have come to pass over the years. Skin tone hardly seems to jump out as a significant reason to call an election 'historic'.

I do realize that those who are cheering this election as 'historic' see this as more than a cosmetic change. But there again, I cannot agree. Barack Obama was hardly the first black man to run for president, even as a candidate for a major political party. Jesse Jackson and Alan Keyes preceded him as notable democrat and republican candidates, but even they were not the first. Barack Obama did not win because he had overcome a prejudice against black candidates; he won because of a combination of slick advertising, a popular message, and an economic crisis with the sitting president belonging to the opposing party.

What is strange about Obama's focus on being the first black president, is that he started his campaign claiming to be beyond that. Beyond playing the race card, beyond attack politics. Of course, we know that was just a lie; Obama's campaign regularly attacked any criticism as "racism". Obama's campaign saw nothing wrong with sexism or age bias, either. McCain was cast as 'too old' and Team Obama started countless rumors about his health. Palin was the target of a relentless smear campaign, from lawyers sent to paw through her trash to talk show hosts trashing her success as a governor, this of course coming only after similar smear campaigns against Hillary Clinton. That's not to say too much against Obama; Bill Clinton and Richard Nixon used smear tactics with similar success, so in that regard Obama was merely following a proven method to winning. But anyone claiming that Barack Obama represented a higher standard of ethics and personal integrity is well off the mark. Barack Obama is a man of minimum qualifications and standards, and so is hard-pressed to find an accomplishment he can point to as genuinely historic. Certainly this election does not promise such lofty hopes.

http://wizbangblog.com/

[Chris_]

Barack Obama is a man of minimum qualifications and standards, and so is hard-pressed to find an accomplishment he can point to as genuinely historic. Certainly this election does not promise such lofty hopes.<p>
I hope this guy's life insurance is paid up.  The fuhrer has already started ruling does NOT take kindly to being caught in an awesome truth.

[Traveshamockery]

The real irony?  I read somewhere last week (I can't remember where - maybe it was here) that if he serves the entire four years, that will be the longest he has ever held one job.  Well, except for that whole Messiah gig he's got going.

But seriously, I'd think long and hard before I'd hire a person of his age who has not held one job for longer than four years. 

But yet, he's now in charge of our country.  Yea for America!

 

[thundley4]

Can someone explain how egotistical a person must be to write an autobiography before they have even done anything with their life?   Looking at the two books he wrote, how he was elected to the Illinois senate, then to the main senate, and now president, I would not be surprised to find that he Is an actual Manchurian Candidate. Every about his life seems planned out to attain the presidency.

[Chris_]

Can someone explain how egotistical a person must be to write an autobiography before they have even done anything with their life?   Looking at the two books he wrote, how he was elected to the Illinois senate, then to the main senate, and now president, I would not be surprised to find that he Is an actual Manchurian Candidate. Every about his life seems planned out to attain the presidency.

Once he knew he was smooth and clean, the rest was clear to his handlers.

Of COURSE he is a Manchurian Candidate -- he couldn't generate an original thought in his brain if his life depended on it.  Not only will he be fuhrer, he wil the fuhrer-puppet.

As far as the books go, his arrogance doesn't seem to be more than the stupidity of those who bought his rag.

[Thor]

Once he knew he was smooth and clean, the rest was clear to his handlers.

Of COURSE he is a Manchurian Candidate -- he couldn't generate an original thought in his brain if his life depended on it.  Not only will he be fuhrer, he wil the fuhrer-puppet.

Puppet to the Soros machine........... Socialism is just around the corner

[Ree]

Can someone explain how egotistical a person must be to write an autobiography before they have even done anything with their life?   Looking at the two books he wrote, how he was elected to the Illinois senate, then to the main senate, and now president, I would not be surprised to find that he Is an actual Manchurian Candidate. Every about his life seems planned out to attain the presidency.

Are ya'll sure he wrote the books???

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

Obama '08: Because Sometimes Politics Really are Skin-Deep

[DumbAss Tanker]

Obama '08: Because Sometimes Politics Really are Skin-Deep

Well, let's be fair, McCain did as much to lose the campaign as Obama or anyone on his side did to win it.

[Eupher]

Well, let's be fair, McCain did as much to lose the campaign as Obama or anyone on his side did to win it.

Agreed.

I've examined this in some depth. The geriatric McCain, due to his shoulder having been broken while as a POW, simply couldn't wave his arms over his head high enough. Instead of looking like an earnest candidate, he looked like a crippled deer about to be finished off by the cammo-clad hunter.

Seriously, I don't think there's any doubt that Ayers, Rezko, and Khalidi were planning on putting Dear Leader on the fast track as long ago as 1994 when he (Dear Leader) began writing his first book.

His book sales have made him a millionaire. But that's just a bonus.

Politicians are made, packaged, and sold. Obama is one of the more glaring examples of how advertising works.

[DixieBelle]

Agreed.

I've examined this in some depth. The geriatric McCain, due to his shoulder having been broken while as a POW, simply couldn't wave his arms over his head high enough. Instead of looking like an earnest candidate, he looked like a crippled deer about to be finished off by the cammo-clad hunter.

Seriously, I don't think there's any doubt that Ayers, Rezko, and Khalidi were planning on putting Dear Leader on the fast track as long ago as 1994 when he (Dear Leader) began writing his first book.

His book sales have made him a millionaire. But that's just a bonus.

Politicians are made, packaged, and sold. Obama is one of the more glaring examples of how advertising works.

True and scary isn't it?

Exactly why we need to be better about packaging our own brand.