Tomorrow, November 4th, has all the makings of a truly historic, if not contentious day that promises to be one of the most memorable elections for some time to come. For awhile it appeared that Obama clearly had the momentum, and his campaign certainly has been more enthusiastic and energized than McCain’s. It hasn't been until this last week, though, that John McCain finally started to show some signs of life. If you expect to convince others of what you stand for, you have to be passionate about your beliefs.
In that regard John McCain has fallen flat, and has left it to Sarah Palin to get the crowds fired up. But these past few days, McCain has finally been saying why he wants to be the next President like he really means it. Obama, though, if the polls are any true indication, looks like he will be the declared winner. Looks like, that is unless the undecided’s truly become decided about the principles our country was founded on.
I’m not particularly crazy about McCain, and Palin, bless her heart, tends to grate on my ears with that annoying country-bumpkin twang, but in spite of the oddball political partners these two make, they do represent an idealism that is closer to what most Americans believe are the values that make this country great; liberty, of course, but also opportunity, enterprise, and responsibility.
With Obama, there are odd little curiosities that leave much to question. At the beginning of his campaign, his connection with Pastor Jeremiah Wright was subject for much nightly news fodder until Obama finally threw his long time friend under the bus. Regardless of his disassociation of Wright, one has to wonder how much of Obama’s values and beliefs have been shaped by a man who has been openly critical of Israel and has vehemently perpetuated the myth of a persecuted black in white society. As Wright has said in many sermons, “Racism is how this country was founded and how this country is still run… We [in the U.S.] believe in white supremacy and black inferiority and believe it more than we believe in God.”
Wright is entitled to believe what he wants, but what we certainly don’t need is a President who may harbor the same beliefs.
Another curiosity has been the symbol that features three red stripes crossing a white orb with a "sun" rising on a blue background. Obama uses this on his campaign plane, banners, and email. One can’t help wondering why he chose this particular symbol and whether it reflects any real meaning or not.
Obama, with his gift of eloquence, certainly has been effective in appealing to people’s sense of pathos. And with what we’ve experienced recently with the economic downturn in the housing market and the financial implosion on Wall Street, it is easy to be persuaded that we need a “new change.” Should Obama win, though, the change we may get may not be the “change” we expected or wanted.
By S L Cunningham
