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February 16, 2008

And now, the backlash…. 

We all like Barack Obama. We all think Barack Obama is the height of cool. But as I have pointed out before, the upcoming election in November will determine the leader of the free world----not our national student council president. At some point, we have to get beyond the hype surrounding Barack Obama’s personal appeal, and analyze his plans for the country in detail---read the fine print, as they say. 

 

I have been saying this for weeks now. Other sources, including Slate and CNN are now echoing the same: 

From Slate.com: 

“There is also plenty of self-hype to knock down. Obama is not as bold as he claims and doesn't tell as many hard truths as he professes to. His Senate record of bipartisanship is fine as far as it goes, but that isn't as big a deal as he makes it seem. Cooperating with Republicans on nuclear proliferation and lobbying reform is not nearly as hard, nor does it require the same skills, as forging agreement on taxes and spending, judicial nominations, or electronic surveillance. On the day Sen. Patrick Leahy endorsed Obama and I asked him what problem Obama could solve with his powers of bipartisanship, the Democrat from Vermont asserted Kennedy parallels rather than name one.”

From CNN and the Washington Post: 

CNN's Carol Costello said that audience response at a Barack Obama rally is "a scene some increasingly find not inspirational, but 'creepy,' " quoting columnists who have likened Obama supporters to members of a cult or described their enthusiasm as "creepy." On-screen text during Costello's report read: "OBAMA-MANIA BACKLASH" and "PASSION 'CULT-LIKE' TO SOME." Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer similarly cited other writers to make the same assertion: "ABC's Jake Tapper notes the 'Helter-Skelter cult-ish qualities' of 'Obama worshipers,' what Joel Stein of the Los Angeles Times calls 'the Cult of Obama.' "

Source: MediaMatters.org

And then there is website, which is more of a parody than a thoughtful critique of Barack Obama’s campaign. Images on the blog Is Barack Obama the Messiah? depict the candidate with a halo. 

This last site will doubtlessly drive some of the most fervent Obama faithful off the deep end. But the satire exposes a truth of the Obama-mania: Many of Obama’s supporters are so eager to like him, that they are giving him a free pass on the tough questions. Yes, he’s going to “bring us together.” But then what? 

This is ultimately bad news for those who would like to see a President Obama. Why? Because this free pass won’t last much longer, and certainly not into the national campaign.