Looking for Super Obama - Democratic Underground

McCamy Taylor

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Mon Sep-12-11 06:34 PM
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Looking for Super Obama

Edited on Mon Sep-12-11 06:58 PM by McCamy Taylor

I. The Myth of the Birth of Obama

No, this is not a birther thread.

Remember when Bill Clinton called the Obama 2008 campaign a “fairy tale”? He was right, maybe in the way he meant or maybe in a way he did not mean. I don’t know what goes in inside the head of Bill Clinton, but I have a pretty good idea what goes on within the collective consciousness of American voters. Obama was the hero of a fairy tale that went something like…

Once upon a time there was a not-kingdom that was plagued by three dragons. One was called Racism. It was a mean old reptile that liked to build burning crosses and then light them afire with its breath. Another was called Colonialism. It got its kicks from stealing from folks in other countries. The final dragon was the worst of all. He was called Despair. His specialty was sneaking into homes at night and whispering to voters as they slept “Give it up, dude. There is nothing that you can do that will change anything in this country.”

Everyone in the not-kingdom was terrified of the three dragons. They prayed for a savior. So, when a likely candidate appeared, one who fulfilled the criteria for hero (as set out by Otto Rank), they rallied behind him. And they beat that old dragon, Racism. They stomped that monster, Colonialism. And they sent Despair into outer space.

And then, they all lived happily ever after---until it was time to go back to their daily lives.

So, what went wrong? First, very few people actually bothered to listen to the Hero Obama. They were too busy admiring their own reflections in the gleam of the halo which they had placed on top of his head. They were going to end racism. They were going to end colonialism. They were going to end despair. All this by sending a check and putting a bumper sticker on their car and writing some stuff online and casting a vote. Whoopee! We are all heroes!

If they had listened to Hero Obama, they might have noticed that warrantless wiretap was ok with him. They would have heard him mention his plans to escalate the war in Afghanistan. They would have noted that most of his money came from corporate donors. They would have looked under the bus and seen Reverend Wright, a liberation theologist who was more in step with the left wing of the United States than the Senator from Exelon.

But who needed to listen? The man was so young, so attractive. So JFK-like, as confirmed by Kennedy’s own family. Sorry, did I call him a “man”? I mean demigod.

Three years later, the deity has clay feet that reach all the way to the top of his head---and a whole lot of would be heroes-at-the-voting-booth are fuming “We got robbed!”

Sorry to tell you this, but you were not robbed. You gave it away yourself. Next time, maybe you will listen to your Founder who said “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.”

II. We Won’t Get Fooled Again!

Back in 2008, I wrote a journal that sank like a lead balloon at DU. I called it “Obama as Messiah: The Myth of the Birth of the President.” For anyone who is scratching their heads trying to figure out why left wing Democrats deified a man who was on record as supporting tax breaks for oil companies (the Energy Policy Act of 2005) and advocating the escalation of the war in Afghanistan, the link below might help shine some light on the subject.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2615969

The majority of Americans value judgments of the heart more than those of the head. Could be our rugged individualism. Popeye speaks for all of us when he says “I y’am what I y’am.” Maybe it is because we distrust authority, which has always lied to us. (Gulf of Tonkin resolution ring any bells?) Or does it have something to do with the way our schools get coaches to teach history and social studies, almost as if they want to raise us ignorant of the way our government works?

Now, there is nothing wrong with putting your candidate on a pedestal. It makes the election process much more fun. Thanks to wall to wall media coverage and unlimited campaign spending, presidential elections in this country are almost a spectator sport----Political Olympics! You just have to keep reminding yourself that once the election is over, your guy or gal will have to step off the pedestal, at which point that big gold medal is not going to do a whole lot to right the wrongs that afflict this country.

It should be easier this time. We learned our lesson in 2008. In 2012, we will put substance above image. We will listen to the candidates’ words and not how he or she delivers them. Right?

Right?

III. We Don’t Need Another Hero, We Need… a Superhero

Oh looky! It’s election time already. How did three years pass so quickly? Time to go to the polls to nominate another Democrat for president. What are we shopping for this year? Forget hope and brotherly love. Those are soooo 2008. There is a class war going on this time, and we need a president who can kick some butt. It is not enough to merely suggest that the rich give up some tax breaks so the federal government can invest in jobs creations. No, we want our leader to terminate those tax cuts---terminate with extreme prejudice. Forget about Medicare solvency. Our leader must be prepared to save Medicare. If the House Republicans cripple him by failing to repeal the 30% mandatory Medicare provider cuts that go into effect in January---- if they slice off Obama’s right hand, he should strap a chainsaw on the stump and show them what’s what. Because he is the Super president. He does not need Constitutional authorization. He can leap tall buildings in a single bound and write new legislation all by himself.

Naw, just kidding. A Super President can not write legislation by himself. That would be impossible. A Super-duper President uses his extrasensory powers to force Congress to do his will.

This time around we are looking for someone with 1) a spine, 2) balls, 3) an automatic rifle in case all else fails. Oops! That sounded like a Republican. Democrats do not want their president to carry a gun. No, they want him to use his laser beam eyes.

In the 2012 election, the pressing question is not “Will he support the middle class?” The question I hear over and over at DU is “Will he fight?” for us. So, at this point, I would like to suggest the 2012 Democratic Dream Team: Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura and former television star, Mr. T. Kicking ass for a better tomorrow.

PS Because I am a rugged individual, I am sending off right now for my Obama 2012 bumper sticker. Yes, I did not support him in the 2008 primary (I supported him in the general, of course). Yes, I worried that the folks who praised him to the skies were not really paying attention. But I think he is doing a pretty good job all things considered---even if he does not have laser beam eyes and extrasensory powers. Consider this my official endorsement. Might have to consider moving to General Discussion: President, though.