7.02.2008

This is not the Onion

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/06/06/notes060608.DTL

Many spiritually advanced people I know (not coweringly religious, mind you, but deeply spiritual) identify Obama as a Lightworker, that rare kind of attuned being who has the ability to lead us not merely to new foreign policies or health care plans or whatnot, but who can actually help usher in a new way of being on the planet, of relating and connecting and engaging with this bizarre earthly experiment. These kinds of people actually help us evolve. They are philosophers and peacemakers of a very high order, and they speak not just to reason or emotion, but to the soul.

The unusual thing is, true Lightworkers almost never appear on such a brutal, spiritually demeaning stage as national politics. This is why Obama is so rare. And this why he is so often compared to Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., to those leaders in our culture whose stirring vibrations still resonate throughout our short history.


Perhaps it isn't fair to judge a candidate by his supporters, but I'm very much making an exception in this case.

3 comments:

Ben said...

I wouldn't call it fair in the slightest. Please elaborate upon how these fools allow you to "very much make an exception."

For the record, I'm very much making an exception as well. Mine is in favor of Obabma. I donated $200 during the primary and will likely give at least that amount again. It is the first time I've ever donated to a political campaign. I'm a supporter of his, yet somehow I found this article vomitus. Is that incongruous? Why stop at the candidate? Why not judge all of his supporters by these supporters?

Also, for the record, by fools, I do include the author for writing this ridiculous puff piece, and the editor for putting it to page. However, I find your one sentence answer to to their absurdity equally foolish. It's perfectly fine to object to Obama on policy grounds, as it stands your objection is piffle.

Anonymous said...

I’m still glad Hillary will not get the nomination but I have to say that as soon as this became settled I found my ability to like Obama became nearly impossible.
My workplace was located about 100 feet from his then state headquarters and for about 2 weeks got to experience Obama’s campaign first hand as I came and left from the building, went to lunch, etc. There were many irritations but the one that really got to me was how campaign workers seeking registrations (almost all 20 something males of oddly small stature, tight jeans, tight tees, studded belts, stubble and Pete Wentz-like haircuts) would just glom onto us with religious fervor*. When walking faster and not talking wouldn’t make them go away pointed policy questions would only result in yet another recounting of how life changing it was to actually…..meet….Obama!!!
The media is little better. Admittedly the subject of this post is rather extreme example but that a very mainstream paper would even publish it gives some indication of the larger media climate. Every day when I drive into work NPR slavishly gives equal time to the campaigns: a daily listing of McCain’s weaknesses and Obama’s virtues.
Is the adoration justified? I can’t rationally see how it is. He’s a young, good looking and highly educated but he has a short, undistinguished political career and is still a “Chicago politician' with all that implies. And as far as I can tell his positions on anything could most charitably be described as confused. Is he against NAFTA or isn’t he? Does he want to double cap-gains or doesn’t he? I strongly believe no one, most of all Obama, truly knows the answer to these questions.
In his autobiography Obama described himself as a blank screen on which people of vastly different political stripes project their own views. My treatment of the issues is often partial and incomplete.. So much like Chance the gardener in Obama’s appeal has less to do with any virtues he may have and more to do with the dissatisfactions people have with their current situation. (Bush’s approval rating is below 30% for a reason).
*This is not remotely close to normal campaign volunteer behavior. I used to actually work on a balcony overlooking the common area of the Indiana GOP headquarters for almost a year, witnessed a Hillary speech in front of the building I now work in and McCain visited my workplace this year. There’s enthusiasm and then there’s drinking the
blood of kali.

Joe said...

Glad to see the activity over here! The more you guys post, the more new words and obscure foreign phrases I learn.

Piffle...now that's a word!