Posted by
Bert Chapman on Wednesday, June 04, 2008 7:28:53 PM
Illinois Senator Barack Obama is now the Democrats presumptive presidential nominee. Hailed by many sectors of liberal intelligentsia and media as the newest secular messiah, Obama has ridden his vapid mantra of "change we can believe in" to apparently become his party's newest presidential aspirant. A sluggish economy, dominated by high gas prices, and continuing conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan have made many Americans, including some normally sensible ones, susceptible to Obama's seductive oratorical enticements and fresh image.
Oratorical eloquence, a new image for presidential candidates, and infantile babbling about change are not valid prerequisites for entering the Oval Office even at a time of acute economic angst. Despite his rhetorical espousal of change, Barack Obama actually represents McGovernite liberalism at its retromingent worst. Like the dimwitted South Dakota Senator, Obama has a naive utopian belief that international disputes with intrinsically hostile dictators or terrorists can be easily resolved by dialogue or "feeling their pain." Obama doesn't understand that international relations and national security policy involve dealing with a Hobbesian world where possessing effective military power and the willingness to use that power to defend national interests is the essence of effective leadership. The recent obscene anti-Israeli babblings of Iran's five o'clock shadow head "President" at the World Food Conference in Rome effectively illustrate that certain world leaders are beyond the psychotherapeutic diplomacy "messiah" Obama espouses. Another obscene leader at this conference is Zimbabwe's Mugabe whose collectivist agricultural policies and leftist ethnic victimology rhetoric have turned what should be one of Africa's best countries into an absolute humanitarian disaster. Don't hold your breath waiting for Brother Barack to speak truth to power to a dictatorial thug who happens to be an ethnic compatriot.
We'll have time to learn about Barack's vision for America over the next few months and it won't be a pretty one. The fact that Caroline Kennedy has just been appointed to be on his vice-presidential search committee should clearly demonstrate that looking for a centrist or even quasi-conservative running mate for Obama is not in the cards. Pay particular attention to the people Obama appoints to advise him on policy issues. See if he has the guts to support the elimination of racial preferences as Ward Connerly as tried to do in recent years through state ballot initiatives. See if Obama does anything to lessen the Democrats rigidly abortionist platform stance or if he is willing to take concrete legislative steps or executive orders to preserve traditional male-female marriage against unrelenting assaults from the gay rights lobby. See if Obama is willing to take concrete steps to increase access to domestic petroleum reserves in ANWR, the Rocky Mountains, or off the California and Florida coasts. See if Obama is willing to appoint strict constructionists to the federal judiciary. If he actually is willing to do these things he might plausibly portray himself as a candidate of change. I expect, however, that the contrary will be true.
It will be an interesting ride. If there are actual townhall debates without moderators, as Senator McCain has proposed, I hope conservatives will attend those at fire tough in your face questions at the Barackster and see how he responds to them.