Political Rant

Senator Obama distancing himself from General Clark's comments regarding John McCain's lack of leadership skills yet again put a bad taste in my mouth.  I still think Obama is the most exciting candidate in a generation [important qualifier here:] to make it through the contorted primary process, but I'm growing exhausted of him running from every little hint of controversy. 

All I want him to do is stop with the rhetoric and pandering for one minute and take a solid position on something... on anything more tangible than "hope."  There was no reason for him to reject Clark's comments, other than appearing "above it all."  Myself and a whole lot of other people work in marketing.  Obama and his campaign staff are masters at it and should be applauded for their exceptional work, but you don't have to be in marketing to see how transparent this "good cop" schtick is.  It's not fooling anyone.  I know this is going to get taken out of context and I'll have hell to pay for it, but the National Socialist German Workers’ Party won over the public with two things: creating a state of fear [which the Bush administration has taken right out Göring's handbook and relied heavily on] and seductively good design [why do you secretly think thier unifoms look so good?  Hugo Boss designed them, and there was absolutely nothing undeliberate about it.]  There is nothing evil about good design, but Obama's campaign has such a tight and uniform aesthetic that I feel like I'm looking at propaganda from another era sometimes and it seriously creeps me out.

Sunday was not the first time Wes has made this point about McCain.  There was a lengthy interview with him three weeks ago on this very subject.  Military leadership is McCain's main strength in the general public's eye, but in reality it isn't really that strong.  [To be fair, it's more of a strength than, say, economics... a subject General Clark has a master's degree in and taught at Westpoint - where he graduated valedictorian.] 

Now that General Clark is Obama's primary military adviser, one might think that the campaign would be aware of what he's been saying all over the press for months.  I'm disconcerted that only now, after he's made the same statements on national television, Senator Obama feels the need to "reject" those statements.  Have some bloody integrity and stand behind the people on your front lines, especially when they're just telling it like it is, and more than likely were encouraged by the campaign to do so.

I have no intention of casting doubt on the good senator.  On the contrary, I want very much to see him in the White House.  This is how I feel though, and I hope sooner than later he can show some balls.  I  want to believe he has them, but I don't like the idea that there is some secret pact with all us educated types that he'll be himself ["wink-wink, nudge-nudge"] after the election.  That's almost worse than the wishy-washy dork with his polo shirt tucked into his jeans we're seeing now.  I want him to say what he means and mean what he says and leave no ambiguity.  I know that's asking the impossible of a politician, but that is the kind of change I can believe in.

Back to McCain:  I really respected this guy during the 2000 elections for trying to restore the integrity and core values of his party.  It was sad to see the likes of Carl Rove tear him down and put him through the meat grinder.  [If there's anything learned from Reagan, it's that ethics should never impede your objectives - especially when it comes to power and money - and it's okay to pretend to be morally superior to get the church vote.  Every single day I think about how The Gipper should have died naked and weeping on a cold prison floor for the damage he did to the mentality of American culture.]  It's even more sad to see McCain now pander to the very extremists who corrupted the party of Lincoln. [I know that's compliated too, but it's for another post.]  McCain has either lost his mind, getting some terrible advice, or has just given up all of his ideals out of total desperation.  I'm guessing a combination of all three. He sounds like a totally different person than he did eight years ago.

The other day I was talking to a decorated Vietnam vet who said, "McCain doesn't know war.  This sounds terrible, but he experienced Vietnam from inside a box.  He has no idea what war is like.  If he did, he wouldn't have the views he has."  [My dad has gotten really feisty since retiring, and I love it!]