Vice-Regal Saint: His Mightiness Confounds
Well, some people aren't confounded. Besides the commenters, Peter Hitchens has some pretty strong views: The night we waved goodbye to America... our last best hope on Earth
Now that Barack Hussein Obama has been democratically proclaimed His Mightiness Elect of the world, courtesy of the people of the United States, we should wonder how such a man managed to confound so many people, so many conservative-minded people.
When the supposedly Tory Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, enthusiastically endorses him we can chalk this up to be nothing more than pure political calculation (he is Mayor of London after all, how many Londoners were supporting McCain do you suppose?). But when a former Ronald Reagan speechwriter supports him because he believes him to be an honest to goodness Burkean, what is it about this man that confuses people?
Who is this man, anyways? Is he a progressive or a Burkean? Is he a Muslim or a Christian? Is he a hawk or a dove? Based on his parentage, can we even really say he is black or white? On almost any question, the man confounds.
There is one thing that everyone can agree upon, however, and that is his oratorical mastery. He is right up there with Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, the man can deliver a speech in the evangelical American tradition where such speech-giving has been historically cultivated.
Remember, we don't produce such men because we come from a different tradition, and have a completely different political culture. I don't think Obama's skills would shine through in Parliament, Westminsterism has a way of putting you in your place. In a politician's republic, there is nothing that puts you in your place. You have the ability to become something of a God to the masses. We are witnessing such a moment tonight.
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13 comments:
The only reason why people think he is a Muslim is because a raving lunatic anti-semite said he was and FOX gave him coverage.
There has been immense scrutiny of him over the past couple of years and he has not been found wanting.
After eight years of Bush, he only has to do a half decent job to come out looking like a brilliant president.
Now, I do not expect for a moment he will be able to live up to the expectations placed on him, I certainly do not think he is some kind of messiah-like figure who will 'restore' America. But he is a highly intelligent and thoughtful chap who will at least try and do a decent job.
I think the idea that he has confounded people is pure bollocks. He has done no more than any other modern politician who polishes his image and speeches so as not to be pilloried by the mass media. McCain was no different.
The simple fact is after eight years of Republican incompetence America was not prepared to put them back in power, and at the same time you had a young-ish, charismatic and intelligent Democratic alternative. Nothing confounding about that, it is why we have democratic governments, to punish poor governence.
I agree with Lord Best's assessment.
Hear, hear. I wholeheartedly agree with Lord Best and Mr Kidney. We shall see whether (and what) he can deliver, and that is all that there is to it.
I agree with Best. In the end, why does it matter that much? The US is not where our focus should be.
To answer your questions:
Q: Is he a progressive or a Burkean?
A: Neither.
Q: Is he a Muslim or a Christian?
A: Christian.
Q: Is he a hawk or a dove?
A: Neither.
Q: Based on his parentage, can we even really say he is black or white?
A: What does it matter? His father was a Luo Kenyan, his mother 'white' American, and was raised by his maternal grandparents.
Now let us return to the topics that matter.
I agree with Best. In the end, why does it matter that much? The US is not where our focus should be.
To answer your questions:
Q: Is he a progressive or a Burkean?
A: Neither.
Q: Is he a Muslim or a Christian?
A: Christian.
Q: Is he a hawk or a dove?
A: Neither.
Q: Based on his parentage, can we even really say he is black or white?
A: What does it matter? His father was a Luo Kenyan, his mother 'white' American, and was raised by his maternal grandparents.
Now let us return to the topics that matter.
Don't be so dismissive, Lord Worst. There is something to what I say when so many conservatives are divided over what he represents. But I agree about the utter drunken calamity of the Dubya years.
I am happy to see that not every person in Europe is enthusiastic about our next president. The way American media makes it sound, voting in Obama was the only way to make friends again.
Americans have been duped by the rose colored glasses of "change" that is his catch word. His kind of changes are not something that I believe will be beneficial to the US or the world.
The problem is not that conservatives are divided over what he represents, but rather, that there are very few Burkean conservatives left in the U.S., as the fulminations of the senile Mr. Jeffrey Hart well illustrate. Obama is a dyed in the wool progressive liberal. His past associations, statements of political philosophy, and voting record all support that conclusion. The political reality of winning Presidential elections in the U.S. is that one must run “to the center” in order to win. Obama did precisely this. We shall see how he governs but no one will be surprised to see the U.S. government lurch ever more socialism and pluralistic secularism. That is the "change" Mr. Obama promised.
I would also suggest that one should not casually dismiss the relevance of this development to the United Kingdom and more specifically to goals as outlined in this online journal.
It is in everyone’s interest that he goes well. It might help to stop the America hating that has been going on for some time now.
As for this "Remember, we don't produce such men because we come from a different tradition" are you kidding! Look at the way Australians go over that stupid Mr Rudd!!!
I am sorry if I offended you MR Beaverbrook, but I get sick of the Obama bashing that goes on, and I say this as someone who probably would have voted for McCain. Up until he chose that woman as his running mate.
I will judge him according to what he does, as I judge Bush. He is a liberal democrat and his policies will reflect that. However, he is intelligent, and if he proves competent then his policies should be positive ones. Ideology is not grounds enough to reject something that works. Until then I will give him the benefit of the doubt.
I also agree with My Byers that this represents an opportunity for much of the unfounded anti-Americanism in the world to end.
You ask whether he is a Christian or a Muslim. He is, as was pointed out, a Christian but does it matter? No it does not, a person's religion is their own affair.
I am British and a member of the Conservative Party but I am glad that he won and would have voted for him if I had been American. I also live in the Middle East and have done for twenty years and have seen first hand the harm to USA's image by the present President's policies. The country needed a change and it has had that. Let us hope he can live up to the expectations which will not be easy.
There is no such thing as "American Conservatism." Classical Liberalism - yes, Conservatism? No.
Both Obama and McCain are republican liberals. End of analysis.
At the end of the day, the Republican Party lost the right to govern via their own stupidity, ignorance, and radicalism.
Best, Kidney, and Stauffenberg have it right. Time will tell. Neither candidate was anywhere near truly Conservative; indeed, in the English-speaking West, the Establishment is now very much liberal and not Conservative and has not been Conservative for quite some years. Conservatives, true Conservatives, are now very much a minority in the English-speaking West. One who is Conservative by nature or choice can only vote for the least liberal/left-wing candidate or party on offer; but true Conservatism is nowhere near the political force it once was. This much is quite clear. PS: Best is quite right. The naive, credulous, deceitful, and quite incompetent 'neo-conservative' administration of G.W. Bush has been a great setback for real Conservatives everywhere: only a truly orthodox and highly competent Conservative political leader and party in government in a major English-speaking country, i.e. the US or UK, will gain the credibility and respect that GWB and his ilk have lost the Conservative cause by acting so deceitfully, naively, and incompetently, all in the name of 'conservatism'. Regrettably, the 'neo-cons' and their foolish deceit and gullibility have damaged true Conservatism enormously.
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