Obama Knocks Pt. 2

He has unsavory people around him:

Tony Rezko, felonious, unsavory part of a scene of corrupt Chicago politics. Obama did a little land deal with him that was unethical. Barack admitted it was a "bonehead thing to do." No favors were granted, no criminal wrong doing and not exactly a financial boon. This is a legitimate concern. However when all the facts are looked at it appears to be just as Obama put it, a bonehead move on his part. Not to be excused, but all in all, not that big a deal. Unless we find out more which is unlikely. Rezko is being sent up the river for corruption. During his trial nothing came up regarding Obama and it doesn't appear Rezko has anything to offer to lighten his sentence. It should be noted Rezko did have a fund raiser for Obama a while back as well.

William Ayers, a violent radical in the 60s who admits to participating in bombings, now a professor at the University of Illinois after turning himself in and not being charged with anything. Ayers wife held a fund raiser for Barack in their home once and Obama also served on a board with him. There is no other link. When asked if he was friends with Obama, Ayers scoffed at the notion. There's nothing here.

Reverend Wright, Obama's former pastor and spiritual mentor. Any search on Google will produce plenty of inflammatory rhetoric that can be interpreted a number of different ways. Obama's speech on race dealt with Wright as well. After more incendiary remarks, Obama disavowed him completely. I try not to use religious measures myself. My personal beliefs aside, the Constitution calls for no such test and that makes sense to me so I abide by it. Wright has been referred to as anti-American though he served in Vietnam as a Marine honorably. Mainly because he said that God was dam(n)ing America for our foreign policy over the years and his blunt and vulgar at times sermons regarding race. I can't say I cared for the comments. But Obama has said nothing remotely that mirrors these sentiments. In fact, he said that he believed that Wright's generation was not helping the problem with his rhetoric. That his mindset is stuck on resentment and though he understood why, he would not harbor that same resentment. Obama took positives from his relationship with his controversial pastor and doesn't seem to share his more radical views. To attribute Wright's words to Obama is a stretch and not a fair comparison. Yes, there is a possibility that Obama is lying and really does share his pastor's views but there is no evidence to support that, so why believe it?

He's an elitist and out of touch:
Cue the music. In a nutshell, Barack Obama was born in Hawaii and abandoned by his father at 2. Raised by his mother and her parents, a black child in a white home in Kansas in the 60s. He earned scholarships into private schools. Earned scholarships to go to Harvard Law School. Became the editor of the prestigious Harvard Law Review. Moved to Chicago. Taught as a professor of Constitutional law at the University of Illinois. Served as an Illinois state Senator and U.S. Senator.

He plays the race card:

To what end? Oh, yeah, to play on liberal white guilt (eyes rolling now) No he hasn’t played the race card. If you need proof read his amazing speech dealing with race. Conservative talker Michael Smerconish was so moved he has become the scourge of his colleagues on the right. Obama not only talked about blacks, he empathized with whites who might feel bitter at the notion that they have an advantage because of their race. Jesse Jackson uses race, so does Al Sharpton. In that same speech, Obama alluded to their generation impeding race relations by their rhetoric.

My conclusion, for what it's worth:
If you listen to the guy speak, you can tell, he doesn't just say what you want to hear, he actually empathizes with others. He gets it. You have to understand people's concerns to effectively address them. He is a statesman. That is, he represents. This matters my conservative friends. Remember Ronald Reagan's gift. He was an amazing statesman. And he won us favor around the world. Obama can bring that and we need it. We need it to fight the war on terror. We need it to keep the dollar a standard currency around the world. We need it for our economy at home as well. Much of the criticism for Barack Obama I've witnessed in the media, from talking heads, candidates, surrogates and campaigns just isn't that big a deal. The potential, the speeches and perception, the intelligence and quick thinking ability, the empathy, the statesmanship for this time in our history, it appears the right person for the job is just an election away and it's not john Mc Cain who I'll write about later.

I implore my fellow Americans, don't get caught up in the hype (of which this post is part of) and do your due diligence as an American citizen. Research, read, give a hoot. Don't be cowed by anyone in the media, not newscaster or opinion spewer. No news paper or blog posting. I'm only sharing what i've gleaned through my own filter. Obviously there are other viewpoints that counter mine and don't mirror yours. Seek them out, weigh them, research them. Spend a little time on your country, it's the least you can do for having the privilege of living in the greatest country the world has ever known.