Barack
Obama, the candidate who likes to call himself the candidate of change
is,
in fact, the King of Politics as Usual.
And the voters who cast their ballots for King Obama
have been duped by Obama’s empty rhetoric.
It is astounding.
To be that change candidate, to get beyond the divisiveness that has
become the way of America’s politics, Obama would have had to play the
political game differently. He would have had to have been innovative;
he would have had to have been courageous.
He proved to be neither of
these two things so that what might have been a truly iconic moment in
American politics has been lost. And the candidate who could have made a
difference proved instead to be just another cowardly politician who
lacked the courage to stand by his conviction, assuming he ever had one.
To cite an example that King Obama is nothing more than a typical
politician let’s look at the events of the last few days.
Last Friday, after being asked by editors of the Sioux Falls, S.D.,
Argus Leader why she remained in the race, Obama’s opponent in this
contest, Senator Hillary Clinton, arduously and in artfully tried to
make the point that in a nominating process anything can happen and the
contest wasn’t over until it was over.
In making her point Clinton brought up the specter of Robert Kennedy
reminding those listening of the fact that in the eleventh hour of that
political season, Kennedy was assassinated, which of course changed the
dynamic of that political year.
The Hillary hating press took off after Mrs. Clinton like a pack of
bloodthirsty hounds. Long seeking the ammunition to put Mrs. Clinton’s
candidacy away and anoint King Obama, but so desperate at this point in
the scrappy campaign they’d seize on anything that would help accomplish
their goal, they turned the innocuous historical reference into
political fodder feigning outrage at Mrs. Clinton’s if nothing else
sloppy reference (does anyone truly believe that Senator Clinton is
hoping that Barack Obama is assassinated?). Then they fully
declared not only her candidacy over because of her insensitive remarks, but
all chances of her being in the second position on an Obama ticket as
well.
“Off with Her Head” was about the only headline not splashed across
America’s NOT-newspapers, but other headlines were equally and
disdainfully clever and as insensitive as the same newspapers and media
outlets claimed Senator Clinton’s reference to RFK to be.
Now here’s where Obama could have shown himself to be that which he
professes to be: a new kind of politician – could’ve, should’ve and
didn’t. Instead, Obama did what every typical politician does; he had
his campaign issue a statement in order to fan the fire of the Clinton
gaffe with the goal to finally bring Senator Clinton down or perhaps,
more evilly, give him the cover to not have to name her to the
vice-presidential slot.
"Senator Clinton's statement before the Argus Leader editorial
board was unfortunate and has no place in this campaign," Obama campaign
spokesman/henchman ("Off With Her Head") Bill Burton said in an issued statement. The New
York Times reported in a deliberately leaked inside the campaign
news bite that “privately, aides to Mr. Obama were furious about the
remark.”
Then,
following the usual political playbook, the Obama Camp sent out its
surrogates to further the damage. For the requisite day or two,
Obama himself looked to remain above the fray keeping his hands clean of
his campaign’s dirty work.
When
the campaign felt that the damage had been sufficiently done, the high
and mighty King of Politics as Usual, put on his kingly charm seeking to
look American presidential and came to the damsel’s rescue. In politics
they call it “taking the high road.” In real life it’s taking the low
road.
“I think that when you’re on the campaign trail for 15 months, you’re
going to make some mistakes,” Obama offered in a seemingly magnanimous
gesture. “I don’t think Senator Clinton intended anything by it, and I
think we should put it behind us,” Obama said, also calling Clinton’s
remarks, “unfortunate.”
What a nice guy.
Which takes it back to January 16, 2007, when Barack Obama officially
launched his presidential exploratory committee when he issued the
following words as the reason for his candidacy: “We have to change our
politics, and come together around our common interests and concerns as
Americans,” Senator Obama said. “This won't happen by itself. A change
in our politics can only come from you; from people across our
country who believes there's a better way and are willing to work for
it.”
About this Barack Obama is right. Change in our politics can only come
from you, from people across our country…because it’s not going
to come from HIM, the anointed one, the King of Politics as Usual.