[OFB Cafe] Political Challenge

[Timothy Butler]

>>>
>>> As far as the whole Ayres thing goes, let's look at the facts:
>>>
>>> 40 years ago, when Obama was 8 years old, Bill Ayres formed a group
>>> that was responsible for the deaths of 3 of their own members and no
>>> one else.
>>
>> 	But, of course, aimed to do quite a bit and did bomb a NYC Police  
>> Dept.
>
> Yeah, what's up with that!? Why isn't he still in prison? Or did he  
> serve his time? Oh wait... the charges were dropped. Some terrorist  
> he is. He didn't even blow himself up!


	Yes, they illegally wiretapped. Under the (unfortunate) USA PATRIOT  
Act, however, he'd probably have been in Gitmo by now. There really  
isn't any doubt to his guilt (he admits it), he got out on a  
technicality. It doesn't make him any less the terrorist.


>>
>>
>>> Bill Ayres and Barack Obama have been in the same room
>>> exactly 12 times since then, for meetings of a Chicago charity of
>>> which they were both members.
>>
>> 	Obama also blurbed a book of Ayres, launched his political career  
>> at Ayres's home and Obama's own campaign described a "friendly"  
>> relationship between the men as late as early this year. CNN has a  
>> nice report:
>>
>> 	http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvROBLortBQ
>
> He didn't launch his political career at Ayers' home - that is a  
> flat out lie. Ayers threw "a coffee" for him, just to toast his run  
> for political office. Obama's career was already launched.

	Well, I guess you can term it whatever you'd like. But, CNN -- which  
typically doesn't go with flat out liars trying to argue for McCain --  
views it as Obama's "coming out party."
>>
>> 	Trying to tie Palin to Vogler is going to be a lot more  
>> difficult... actually, impossible.
>
> Steven the super hero performs the impossible:
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmYqRfp6-x8

Will check it out. Given that Vogler died in 1993, though...
>
> As my African American friend Mike Simmons once told me: "Racism is  
> alive and well in every part of America. It's been refined to be  
> nearly invisible to those that don't wish to see it for what it is."  
> The late George Carlin spoke about this numerous times in his  
> standup routines... you sugar coat the language until the meaning is  
> clear but the words sound harmless... unless you are the person (or  
> people) that those words are being spoken against.
>
> "Don't get me wrong, I'm not a racist. I have some black friends. I  
> just don't want to see one of them in the White House." - Millie  
> from Tennessee.
>
> You are deluding yourself if you think that a lot of people will be  
> voting for McCain because of his good judgement, Tim.

	I'm not saying some won't vote for racist reasons. Frankly, if that  
is what put McCain over the top, I'd rather see Obama win. But, I'd  
suggest the majority will vote for other reasons. First, the country  
is relatively evenly divided amongst Republicans and Democrats; the  
idea that most McCain supporters are racists is going to be difficult  
to justify. Were they anti-ketchup company owners in 2004?  
Conservatives do not support Obama because he is a a liberal;  
moderates who do not support him do not do so because he is farther  
left-of-center than, say, President Clinton. Some do not support him  
because they want a veteran in the White House. Some like McCain's  
economic policy. Some like his pro-life policies. Some like his Iraq  
policy. Some like all of the above.

	(I'm in the final category -- I like McCain's war hero status as a  
test of character, I think his economic policies will be more  
effective for all people, including the middle class folks like  
myself, I am troubled by Obama's anti-life/pro-choice stances that are  
a quite a bit stauncher than those of many Democrats, and I feel his  
Iraq policy will cause more violence, not less.)

	I'd also suggest some "reverse racism" actually in Obama's favor,  
amongst those who feel guilty if they don't vote for him and amongst  
African Americans who will vote for him simply because of the color of  
his skin.

	Whether racism will be a factor in the outcome of this election, I  
think, is less than clear. I hope it isn't, regardless of who wins.

	-Tim

---
Timothy R. Butler | "Philosophy  always  requires  something  more,
Editor, OfB.biz   | requires the eternal,  the true, in contrast to
tbutler at ofb.biz   | which even the fullest existence as such is but
timothybutler.us  | a happy moment."
                                                -- Søren Kierkegaard

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