DENVER — After the phony roll call vote was taken here to formally nominate Barack Obama — a roll call that did not remotely reflect the true delegate strength of Hillary — the media exploded in an orgy of celebration about the historic character of the moment to which they had just been privileged to be witness.
"The first black presidential nominee ever of a major party in history!" was proclaimed. Coming on the 45th anniversary of Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech, Barack's nomination is being hailed as the last great step forward in the long march to equality and justice in America.
The moral pressure to join the march of history is enormous.
Nor is it unfair to say that some journalists here are obsessed with the issue of race in this campaign. There may be wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, rising tensions with Russia, a falling regime in Pakistan, and reports of U.S. and NATO warships headed for the Persian Gulf, but here it is all about the first black ever nominated for president.
During the primaries, Bill Clinton was charged with racism by liberal Democrats for saying that Barack's claim to being consistent on Iraq was a "fairy tale" and for implying that Barack's victory in South Carolina was no big deal because Jesse Jackson had carried the state twice.
Here at the convention, the media watched Hillary and Bill's speeches with a commissar's care — to ensure they not only embraced Barack but "validated" his credentials to be president. Should they not go all out for Obama, we are told, the Clintons are dead in the party.
The psychic investment in Barack's candidacy is immense.
So great is the moral pressure to conform that John Lewis, the young hero of Selma Bridge, buckled and recanted his endorsement of Hillary. And that act of disloyalty and betrayal, a capitulation to race solidarity, is regarded as praiseworthy.
Black radio has become a cheering section for Obama. Every GOP ad mocking Obama is inspected for racial motives. Campaign books that portray Obama as a radical or phony are denounced by people who have not even seen them. The thought police are out in force.
Michelle Obama's speech about her upbringing and beliefs — crafted by Barack's hires — is said to be the last word on what a mainstream patriotic woman she is.
But why, then, would she have taken her two lovely daughters to be baptized by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright and to listen on Sundays to his racist rants against America?
Abroad, we are told, Europe and the Third World are awaiting the moment when America turns her back on her racist past and elevates this black man to the presidency. The subtext is that this is not just a political contest, but a moral test for America.
Indeed, many have begun to see this election in solely racial terms, an issue of whether racism once again triumphs in America, or racism is buried one and for all.
Questions arise. With this immense moral and emotional investment in a Barack victory — by 94 to 1 in one poll black America is behind him — what happens if the nation decides he is too radical, too inexperienced, too callow, too risky to be president?
What happens if the American people reject their marching orders and say no to Barack and black America? What happens if all the hopes and dreams, hype and hoopla, end in disillusionment?
Would the defeat of Barack Obama be taken as an affront to black America? Could we be in for a time of deepening racial division rather than healing? Could we be in for a long, hot autumn like the long, hot summers some of us recall from 40 years ago?
One black preacher here suggested as much to me.
Should that happen, the people who have framed this election as a contest between morality and racial justice on one side, and the clammy hand of America's racist past on the other, will bear the same moral responsibility as did the advocates of mass civil obedience for the racial riots of the 1960s that followed.
Barack has just shot 6 points ahead of McCain. But he has not yet closed the sale. And to prevent his closing of the sale, the GOP must raise doubts in the public mind as to whether he is really a man of Middle America or the closet radical of the Rev. Wright's congregation who said of Pennsylvanians that they are bitter folks, who cling to their Bibles, bigotries and guns because the world has left them behind.
No candidate has ever been nominated by a major party with fewer credentials or a weaker claim to the presidency, or more doubts as to his core beliefs. If Obama wins, the country could be in real trouble. And if he loses, the country could be in real trouble.
What the media celebrate today, they may rue tomorrow.
To find out more about Patrick Buchanan, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.
COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.
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5 Comments | Post Comment
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Pat, the issue is not only how will the blacks react if Obama loses, lets not forget the young people, and people like me: A 50 year old white man!
I have had enough of Washington D.C. and everything that George Bush has done has been nothing but disgusting.
Then to have McCain, who only has three things going for him: He was a POW, He believes he deserves the Presidency, and he is "safe" in the sense that he is not an unknown and he is not a newcomer, and he is not black.
Sorry, all of the things he has going for him has gotten this country in the mess that it is in. I cannot tolerate our debt levels, I cannot tolerate fighting wars for no reason, I cannot tolerate that lobbyists dictate our laws...
If Obama can change something then he will be a success. I personally am tired of watching our country go the way of Rome....
Comment: #1
Posted by: Carl
Fri Aug 29, 2008 6:08 AM
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Pat. You sound like a shrill alarmist. Quoting a single black preacher such as you did, and most likely out of context, demonstrates to me, again, that since the right offers little substance and vision to the American people in its positions on issues of great importance, (certainly they can't stand on their track record of the last 8 years) it will resort to using scare tactics and innuendo on the populace and character assassination on their opponents. They are very good at getting people to vote against their own personal well being and the good of our country. They would like us to overlook the horrendous job of republican leadership over the last 8 years. Yesterday I heard a radio commercial, approved by John McCain, in which the announcer said that Obama's plan for the economy will result in a disaster. HELLO...what do you call the wall street lending crisis, the bailout of Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae, bank failures, declining home values, rising unemployment, rising inflation, a major US city still in ruins, 40 million uninsured by healthcare, $4 per gallon gas, rising food prices, inflation, devaluation of the dollar overseas, the meltdown of Detroit, and billions of dollars per month going to an occupation (where are the WMDs?) of a country that wants us out!? The disaster is already here and was created by the republicans. And they want another 4 more years? I am registered as an independent. Their scare tactics won't work on me. The republicans have failed miserably and I am firing them, as any sensible person would do. I will vote for Obama.
Comment: #2
Posted by: Duane
Fri Aug 29, 2008 7:01 AM
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What Pat has written seems very reasonable, though of course what is judged to be reasonable depends very much on background assumptions and attitudes. As a college teacher of English, I have worried for more than forty years about the way that the English language is commonly misused. When I first heard Senator Obama, I was struck by a new rhetorical style, and I found it interesting and exciting. There were many millions of Americans, and people in other countries too, who felt the same kind of thing. But when the same patterns are repeated, time after time, one starts seeing them AS patterns. When in the spectacular Denver setting Senator Obama declared that the whole campaign was "not about ME," an objective observer would really need to protest, that in fact the campaign had indeed been about "ME." I have not been a regular visitor to this site, and would like to regard myself as a neutral commentator. On this particular night, I was browsing because of interest created by the selection of Governor Palin as a running mate--and the virtually immediate attacks on her for lack of experience and proper qualifications to be "a heartbeat away" from the presidency. What is to my mind very interesting about this whole issue is that to my knowledge the presidency and vice-presidency are political offices and thus do not have ANY specific academic or intellectual or scholarly requirements.
Comment: #3
Posted by: John Jaunzems
Fri Aug 29, 2008 11:41 PM
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What you don't get, Pat, is that the country is already in real trouble. Real, unprecedented trouble. Both campaigns represent a certain amount of desperation in light of that. ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
What you also don't seem to get is that there two kinds of pathways to doom. There are the ones that are fast and furious, like the scenario you want to postulate now or the kind the Republicans traditionally hawk with their war mongering, scare tactics, and subliminal race baiting. ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Then there are the more insidious pathways. These are the ones that are actually doing us in. Guess which kind we've been on for the last 8 years?
Comment: #4
Posted by: Masako
Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:39 PM
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Bless you Carl. There is a lot of fiddling going on right now, the flames are rising, and the hour grows late. ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
To change the subject however, I ask you, Pat, to cease and desist from this obligatory pandering and return to a subject on which you have been absolutely brilliant: Russia and Georgia. .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
What we need from you on this issue, Pat, is exquisite detail on what exactly Georgia did to precipitate the Russian reaction. It appears from commentary by you and precious few others that Georgia waged war on innocent folks, war crime style, and of course, Russia lunged at the opportunity to reciprocate times ten. However, essential details are lacking about Georgia's first move, and they are desperately needed. ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Do it for journalism, Pat. It's a rare commodity these days.
Comment: #5
Posted by: Masako
Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:28 PM
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