CONVENTION,DAY THREE
IT'S A DONE DEAL
I wish I could celebrate quite as much as Juan Williams, but he's a respectable man so we'll take him at his word about the electrifying significance of Obama's nomination for the Presidency.
I really do wish it -- I wish Obama was "the guy" whose accomplishments and biography showed him to be worthy of both the political and personal plaudits now being lavished upon him. But sorry -- he's not. This celebration is a dreary pageant which is about one thing only, and that is race. His nomination is fundamentally unserious, and if he should win the election, the consequences of an unserious administration will be devastating, far beyond the borders of one nation. It's a sad thing.
I wish it were otherwise. What I really wish is that this moment -- certainly a milestone in history, unfortunately diminished by a lightweight candidate -- were given its due context, that of a long and rich story of progress in America for the descendants of slaves (which Obama, of course, is not). There is far too much rhetoric, from the candidate himself and even moreso from his wife and his circle of unsavoury associates, painting the rise of Barack Obama to the apex of American power as if it has come like an unprecedented shot from out the deep, mirey chasm of centuries of entrenched racial discrimination and oppression.
Poppycock. And such an insult to his forebears, who DID ascend to places of honour only by punching their way through nearly insurmountable barriers. It's been more than a century since black pioneers, close upon the heels of slavery, fought their way into the ranks of teachers, doctors, the military, and the Catholic clergy, just to name a few. Later came politics (local and national), law enforcement, and the military officer class, among other things.
Barack Obama stands on the shoulders, at the very least, of Thurgood Marshall -- and what ingratitude it betrays that neither Obama nor his liberal disciples can bring themselves to acknowledge the continuing historic significance of Marshall's successor on the court, Clarence Thomas, plus two black Secretaries of State, Colin Powell and Condi Rice, one of whom was also Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. All four of these exceptional people have life stories of genuine struggle and perseverance against tremendous odds, beside which the Obama biography of prep school and political opportunism pales by comparison.
Yes, we have the first (real) black nominee for President -- an office not so many breaths above those that have been held by these minority achievers who preceded him. It has been a slow but gradual -- not sudden, overnight -- ascent to the mountaintop.
Convention wrap-up:
Some woman nominated Hillary "in the name of all women" -- excuse me? As the anti-war thumpers would say, "NOT IN MY NAME!!!"
Could someone tell me why THIS scary woman (left) DNC Secretary Alice Travis Germond, wearing her Washington, D.C. helmet-head of hair, is somehow Ms. Cool for the Democrats,
but Katherine Harris (right), Florida Secretary of State in 2000, was vilified, ridiculed, and trashed by the party of feminism for having bad hair, make-up, and the gall to rule against Gore.
Just askin'.
The first "spiritually" (or whatever) black President, Bill Clinton, has just delivered his usual mysteriously captivating oratory and was a good soldier, giving a vacuous and platitudinous but highly charged endorsement of Obama, without sacrificing the opportunity to ooze his charm from every pore and remind everyone how terrific he is. He donated one unwitting gift to the Republicans by reminding us that even he was considered too young and inexperienced to be Commander-in-Chief in 1992. He was. [read it here]
The Biden video, and even his handsome son, have just produced some interesting fictions: Obama tells us that he spoke out against some vague aspect of the Iraq war, and Biden himself rails about an unnecessary war and an abuse of power (so why'd you vote for it, Joe?), and then Barack assures us that Joe's best quality is his honesty (except when he's borrowing not only the words but the life of British pol Neil Kinnock).
Certain aspects of Biden's biography are indeed compelling and tragic -- but the damage he has done, especially his repugnant conduct of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has had tragic consequences for way more than one family. Beau Biden (a National Guard captain heading for Iraq in October -- good on him!) has asked something of me that no other political campaigner ever has: would I please "be there" for Barack and his dad. The Therapeutic Culture triumphs! E-e-e-e-e-w-w-w-w.
Biden is going all Evangelical with an antiphon/refrain thingy ("that's not change, that's more of the same"). Bo-ring. It's murky and peripatetic. Now Biden just got snotty about the "claim" that things are better in Iraq and that's why we don't hear about it. Then he recites a litany of how McCain was wrong on Iraq and Obama was right. He doesn't think his ""good friend" John McCain had enough parts of his body twisted up like a pretzel, he has to do the same to his record and his character? Feeling that bayonet again, John? In the back? BIZARRE!!!!!!!!!! I think Joe may live to eat those silly words. [Mirengoff at Powerline puts it all together.]
Finally he goes right up over the top with "Remember when the world used to trust us? With Barack Obama they'll trust us again." YEE-HAAAAAAA!!! Boil that boilerplate! We've all been knocked down, but we'll get up again. Cue CHUMBAWAMBA:
At last -- The Messiah has arrived in the building: Re-cap of major speeches (successful or oherwise.) Explaining why he will be doing the Superbowl Halftime thing tomorrow. Apparently it all started with a "simple idea." Hm-m-m-m-m.
What are they calling the Greek temple stage now?
-- Temple of Obamacles
-- The O-cropolis
-- My Big Fat Greek Acceptance Speech
-- Barackolis
(hat-tip: National Review/the Campaign Spot)
May I add?:
-- Circus Taximus
-- Par-Olympus
-- Pant-theon (pant, pant, pant)
-- Come-and-seum
-- Animal House II
Biden seems to have a large, cute family, especially his mom.
I wonder what colour the sky is in his world.
