Much has been said about the Barack Obama's near mythical status among people of the left and Europeans. The Left, Europeans, Newspaper reporters and Celebrities swoon over him. As we all know, this prompted the McCain Celebrity ad. Of course, there are those who think that that the Obama hype has gone beyond celebrity status to something more epic. Rush Limbaugh jokingly pokes fun of Obama calling him the Messiah. The funny part is that Obama supporters genuinely believe he is.
Just check out any of the Obama Campaign schwag you see out in the area. It's not just a "Vote Obama" sticker or "Obama/Biden 08". It's Obama's face in Che fashionista style above a single word, a profound concept such as HOPE, CHANGE or BELIEVE. It's almost as if the message they are trying to convey is that Obama like Jesus, Krishna, Buddha or Ganesh is more than just a politician. Obama is the entity that can deliver these philosophical concepts to you and give you inner peace. Check out this Obama Messiah blog. It is a hilarious collection of Obama deity imagery and religious comments from his backers.
Now, personally I know that Obama is not the reincarnation of any deity. But honestly if anyone deserves Messiah billing it is probably McCain.
I came across this article long before the RNC and the stirring video before McCain's speech. This article is from a fellow POW who spent time with McCain. There's also an accompanying video interview of Tom Moe and I highly recommend you all watch it. Tom Moe recalls how as a POW he carved out a small hole in the wall of his cell so he could peak into the neighboring room. His neighbor, John McCain and him became friends as for a long period of time McCain was the only person who Tom could communicate with. But Tom's story relays the difficult moments of McCain's POW stay. Tom, a retired USAF colonel, recalls how McCain would be taken out daily for interrogation and beatings. But everyday when they brought him back and you could see the damage done to his body, McCain would make sure Tom could see him and give him a thumbs up sign. Tom states how McCain's attitude was something that helped him to get through the trying times alive and back to his family. McCain inspiring Tom helped in some ways to save his life.
Taking it even further, McCain's suffering and abuse more closely parallels another Messiah we all know who suffered as a prisoner and endured torture and abuse. And as for Crucifixion, well just watch MSNBC and CNN.
Seriously though, McCain is not Jesus. I will remove the candles and incense from my McCain shrine at home. But the next time you see an Obama "Hope" sticker, think about the candidate who has inspired hope in the most gruesome of circumstances.
To find it within you to see that your fellow man has the hope to endure even though all your bones are broken and you are a beaten man is superhuman inspiration indeed.
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Afrolistic,
Thank you for this article. You have found a very entertaining and erudite way to discuss the way so many of us feel about the differences between the candidates.
Coming from a 20 year career in sales, it's difficult for me not to notice the incredible marketing in the Obama campaign.
It's not just the blitzkrieg of media domination; it's not just the imaging and the message management; it's not just the repeated promises to tell 'us' what he specifically plans to do as President, while never actually revealing it; it's not just the repeating of wild accusations against his opponent's strengths.
Lol, ok ... I could go on.
They've created this nebulous identity, called Barack to his followers, which has no real definition of it's own, but can shape-shift into almost anything the believer wants it to be.
I think this explains at least some of the vapid faces of worship we see in some of his supporters. Kinda hard to reason with someone who believes Obama literally embodies their most heartfelt personal values, even though they can't cite a single example in his record or platform.
On the other hand, Sen. McCain stokes our individual fires of love of country with his extraordinary ability to maintain his faith in the goodness of humanity under the most extreme tests of character.
That's not a nebulous shape-shifter with no form of its own!
Sen. McCain deserves our admiration, our appreciation, and our vote.
Your piece was very moving to me and I enjoyed the article from the Dayton publication as well.
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