Fun With Play-Dough

While speaking out about Reverend Wright today, Obama looked beaten down. I feel a little beaten down myself, just watching this unfold. Obama is finding out first hand that running for office is no picnic, and that he’s hit quicksand. Once you are in quicksand, you rarely get out; the harder you try to escape, the deeper you sink. The reason he is where he is: he tried to solve this with a soft approach. He tried to be nice, and in the electoral process, there is no room for nice. There is only room for hiding in the bushes and waiting to pounce.

Is this going to cost him the nomination? Possibly.

Time for Obama to fight back. How is up to him, but here are some suggestions.

• Keep smiling. I know, this sounds inane, but when you get that worried look on your face, people subconsciously interpret it as doubt and crankiness. Facials are important; smiling gets a certain sense of confidence across. If you have your own teeth, smile big; if not, keep your mouth kind of closed while you smile. (That means you, Romney).
• Keep talking. Unlike what the media wants everyone to believe, many of us continue to care about your message. If you continue to talk about what really matters (hint: NOT rev. Wright) we will keep listening.
• Go on Colbert a few more times.
• Secure Edwards’ endorsement, you know he’s been keeping quiet, and you need to close the deal before Hillary does. Bribe and blackmail if you must.
• Fight fire with fire. For god’s sake, somebody needs to dig up some dirt on whatever church McCain belongs to. What are you paying those interns for, anyway?
• Don’t you have Oprah in your corner? Remember that white-women swing vote you’ve heard so much about? Listen, babe, they all watch Oprah, and what’s worse: they actually listen to her. Send Michelle, she’s pretty.

Many people are wondering why Rev. Wright doesn’t keep his mouth shut. He has decided to finally speak out, and he doesn’t know when to stop. Why is that? Oh, that’s right; Free Speech.

Of course, Reverend W. has forgotten the cardinal rule today: we only like Free Speech in theory. Whoever has the audacity to actually make use of that right, will be punished faster than you can say sorry Massa, did I forget my place?

Reverend W. makes people uncomfortable; the truth tends to do that. Especially if that truth comes from a black preacher and Civil Rights activist.

I think the question of why he chooses to speak now is insulting in and of itself. The real question is, why not? Let me rephrase that. Why the hell not? Because he hits the sore spot? Because he might be right? Because, if we are honest with ourselves, and try to really listen to what he has to say, we have to become part of the discussion? And maybe because listening to him makes it necessary for us to think?

Disagree with him if you feel like it; I know I do. Some of his statements have pissed me off, I can’t deny it. But disagreement is essential in a democracy.  Telling somebody to shut up is not.

Of course, there’s fall out for Obama. But if this is going to cost him the nomination, we are worse off than we thought. The point was brought up by one commentator that many voters will have lingering doubts as to whether Obama secretly agrees with Reverend Wright. That means Obama needs to cater to those voters that can’t think for themselves.

As a nation, we have some growing and maturing to do. I sincerely hope we can get to that one of these days. Meantime, I don’t think reverend Jeremiah Wright should talk less; I think he should talk more. And while he’s at it, he should call all his friends to do the same. 

It seems another burning question has been answered:  Is it possible to be laid up with the flu during an election year, not watch any Television, listen to the radio, or read any papers for a week, and not miss anything?

Why, yes, it is. So, what’s on the news?

There are continuing problems with the Michigan and Florida primaries, and the bickering between Hillary’s  and Obama’s camp goes on as before.  There are questions about Jeremiah Wright, some anonymous white guy has been shooting up a highway somewhere, and the good people at Wal-Mart are still idiots.

Nope; nothing new. 

The Wal-Mart story pisses me off, though. It’s almost a pity I never shop there; if I did I could stop. How on earth does a company’s arrogance grow so out of control? Besides all the immoral aspects of this case, how dumb do you have to be to not foresee the bad publicity?   Read the full story; then stop shopping. 

Wal-Mart Still Plans to Take Money from Brain-Damaged Woman 

A very big storm in a bucket of water: Obama made two mistakes today, and then he did something right.

He made the rounds and distanced himself from Rev. Jeremiah Wright, and kicked him off his campaign. He then claimed that he didn’t find out until recently what outrageous drivel he has been spouting from the pulpit.  Of course, he may not agree with these types of statements, but he knew. You do not get to be a member of any congregation without knowing what’s going on, what’s being said, who’s doing it with whom, and so forth. Church members gossip, everybody knows that.

So, he knew; I am sure of it.  And so he probably lied a little bit when he talked to the press; and then he made his second mistake: he waffled. I always hate it when politicians waffle; don’t they have advisors that tell them they need to sound self-assured? When you waffle, even the declaration of Independence sounds iffy.

Obama’s words didn’t ring true, until he, finally, put the motives and character of Jeremiah Wright into context. Then it dawned on me: all you have to do is remember the generation that lived through the sixties; remember Jim Crow, remember the backseat of the bus, and remember desegregation. Suddenly, the reverend’s statements make more sense. What Obama should have said was, “I denounce the statements, but I do not denounce the man.” Obama likes to tell us that this is a new day, a new era in America, where change can happen. Let’s hope he’s right.

And Tony Perkins is an asshole. Let’s move on.

I liked it better when we were still talking about hookers.

French Foreign Minister Kouchner says the ‘magic is over’ for the United States.

I don’t find that statement insulting, just puzzling.  What magic is he talking about? The Iraq magic? Our economic magic? The moldy magic you can find growing on the walls of the FEMA trailers? Or the fairy tale magic that has ruled the White House for the past two terms?

But then, Kouchner also thinks it’s a really great idea to sit down for a nice discussion with Hamas.  Talk about losing the magic.

In other news, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright is making the rounds on YouTube. I honestly don’t know how people can listen to him week after week. I particularly like his complaint that Hillary falls short as a candidate because “she wasn’t born a poor black boy in a country that’s ruled by rich white folks”. And what, dear Reverend, do you suggest she do about that? Kill herself and pray she reincarnates? Also, I don’t think comparing Obama to Jesus is necessarily such a brilliant move. Those of us that don’t like Jesus think of him as a divisive force; the ones that do like him won’t be happy to have him be compared to a politician.