Oped: The Grim Significance Of The 2008 Elections

[Terri]

By Christopher G. Adamo
November 13, 2008

Perhaps the most disheartening reaction to the November 4 election of Barack Obama has been the attempt by conservatives to laud his victory as some sort of worthy racial milestone in American history. This lame effort to find conciliatory ground with the far left will ultimately prove futile. Worse yet, it lends an air of credibility to a malignant and corrupt political machine that threatens the very future of America and thus deserves no such tribute.

In truth, the racial "glass ceiling" that once tainted the American political landscape has quietly been eradicated for perhaps the past three decades. During that time, numerous American black luminaries have risen to the pinnacle of their fields, including several who achieved very high positions within the U.S. Government. Admittedly, as Republicans and conservatives they are rarely credited for their groundbreaking achievements.

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[thomas]

"Consequently, patriotic Americans owe no unconditional "oath of loyalty" to Obama,"

So I guess it's ok to say "he's not my president. I didn't vote for him?" Sounds familiar - I think I have heard this more than a few times over the past 8 years. Hmmmmmmmmm - is this called what's good for the goose is good for the gander, turn about is fair play, flip / flop? Hmmmmmmmmm What a sad state of affairs this great country finds itself in!
The Old Chief

[Fenton]

Sadly, this is true. I come from a very multi racial family and we do not see color but the person. When Americans speak of how far we have come. I have to wonder, how far have we come? When we vote for a candidate because of his race, not his merit. Is that not discrimination? It's a hypocrisy. We have not come far. When I hear that the majority of our black and white young voters voted for Obama just to show the world how we have changed from our forefathers. When I hear that 95% of the black voters voted for Obama, with a large majority who never cared enough to vote in any of the before elections. Why? One woman was 106 years old and never registered to vote? It frustrates me, when I see the black community crying "I thought I would never see the day." Maybe they could have seen this day come sooner, if they would have taken the time years before to vote? A right that so many of our forefathers fought to have, and yet they chose not to use it?? Now we have President elect Obama who was able to "inspire" the black voters, to vote without knowledge of the candidates, but specifically because he is a black American. How far we have come! Race and the media bought this election. What a disgraceful example we have set for the democratic system!

[steve66oh]

The point about Obama's contradictory messages about race is valid, but not new.

Democrats have always represented a fragmented coalition of special interest groups. One day, a Dem might speak to an assembly of social workers and community organizers, saying "See that factory there? I want more poor people to have those jobs". The next day, the Dem might speak to the factory's workers: "I support your right to protect your jobs and wages from the people (I saw yesterday) who would come in here and work for less". The following day, to environmentalists: "That (same) factory is an evil polluter - help me shut it down forever". And the following day, to the factory owner: "Thanks for the contribution, now, what does your industry need? a bailout (GM)? Wind subsidies (GE)?"

This is the basis of Dem identity politics - identify a group, ISOLATE them in an arena, tell them what they want to hear (we'll take from THAT group to help YOUR group), and control broadcast media so no group hears what was said to a competing group. Internet will help Dems, by facilitating targeted propaganda in place of news.

Many on the Right criticize the Left for looking at issues as zero-sum equations, when their success has been in promising all their constituent groups more benefits for lower costs with burdens shifted to "others". Class envy, Balkanization, "wedge issues", all part of the Dem playbook. So, we live in a world that has been convinced to believe insanity like "no-fault divorce empowers women", when it actually forces a wage-earner out of the home, raises housing cost for the family, and leads to a 30% housing surplus which undermines the WHOLE economy and makes us all poorer.

The answer for AIG, GM, Bear-Stearns, is to let the market do its job, let bad policies (and companies) fail. The answer for Socialism is to let it have all the rope it needs to hang itself - let the new idealistic ObamaNation experience the consequences of its own mistakes, let them learn that there is no free lunch, not even from government.

I do not fear Socialism, because I know that it does not work, so I have no fear that it might succeed.

[Bullwinkle]

I do not fear Socialism, because I know that it does not work, so I have no fear that it might succeed.

Well, yes. But contrary to your own wishes, you might be forced to live under it, regardless of whether it works. Millions of people in the world have been so forced and still are, after all. We are not immune. Whether socialism succeeds in terms of its propaganda-based goals has nothing to do with whether unfortunate people get run over by it.

We've been getting closer and closer to socialism all the time. It didn't start with Obama, and it wasn't done only by the Democrats.

[MamaCat]

Mr. Adamo is quite straightforward, and I find him very convincing. Unfortunately, this kind of honest-speak may not be tolerated for long.

In response, real Americans must put futile attempts at "graciousness" aside, recognize the dire nature of the situation in which they find themselves, and say so publicly. They must immediately return to a political discourse that is defined by truth, and not tainted beyond recognition with "political correctness." Good must be called "good," and evil must be called "evil," with no concern for the predictably overblown and hysterical reactions of the opposition.

My feelings exactly!

[schillerbjr]

The American "DEPRESSION" of 2009!

[Luckyme]

I have been an advocate against PC for a while since it stifles free speech and puts so many words, topics, or issues into the "hate speech" column.

How can we hope to change anything if we can't talk about what's wrong using words or phrases that we can all understand.

I completely agree with Christopher Adamo on this.

[qrayjack]

I completely agree with Christopher Adamo on this.

As do I, but the Democrats are already staffing the new Thought Police bureaucracy, which of course will have the support of the liberally biased driveby media. Don't believe it? Wait until the Dems use the Censorship Doctrine to shut down conservative talk radio.