The Chosen One

Claremont Review of Books ^ | July 13, 2011 | Angelo M. Codevilla

[4buttons]

In our time, asking how a young man of scarce achievement got into position to win the Democratic Party's nomination for president courts the contemporary synonyms for "impious": "birther," "conspiracy theorist," and, of course, "racist." Granted, to inquire into what formed a president is not as important as to understand what he does. Nevertheless, because fully to know where anyone is going requires grasping whence he comes, let us open ourselves to wonder how, minus miracles, a 10-year-old boy without obvious talent who had lived in Indonesia since age six ends up with an eight-year scholarship to Hawaii's most exclusive school; a scholarship to Occidental College; a transfer into Columbia University; acceptance into Harvard Law School, and editorship of its law review; and how he goes from job to prestigious job without apparently mastering any of the previous ones. No wonder some of Barack Obama's supporters treat him as if he were anointed by an extraterrestrial power.

[4buttons]

worth a look.

[Oratam]

let us open ourselves to wonder how, minus miracles, a 10-year-old boy without obvious talent who had lived in Indonesia since age six ends up with an eight-year scholarship to Hawaii's most exclusive school; a scholarship to Occidental College; a transfer into Columbia University; acceptance into Harvard Law School, and editorship of its law review; and how he goes from job to prestigious job without apparently mastering any of the previous ones.

Someone had to be opening doors, pulling strings, and generally shepherding young Obama to his destiny. Roman Castevet from Rosemary's Baby comes to mind.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks 4buttons.

[BigLittle]

Someone had to be opening doors, pulling strings

And closing those doors behind so no records can be shown.

[Kinzua]

There is an individual of my acquaintance, whom I knew before I knew of Obama, that has been given increasingly important positions and grand opportunities that this individual is completely unqualified for.

I clearly remember upon learning of Obama that I instantly recognized the same personality in the two.

Hoping the similarity holds; this sociopath of my acquaintance has now been/is being exposed as incompetent and the magic of the confidence, pomp, and charm is not working like it used to.

[itsahoot]

Someone had to be opening doors, pulling strings, and generally shepherding young Obama to his destiny.

You know of course theat Donald Trump asked these very questions, then he suddenly shut up.

[Excellence]

Codevilla wrote “America’s Ruling Class — And the Perils of Revolution.” Rush read the whole thing on his show. I have it here beside me all printed out and bound. Worth it.

[Sherman Logan]

a 10-year-old boy without obvious talent who had lived in Indonesia since age six ends up with an eight-year scholarship to Hawaii's most exclusive school

This is reasonably easily explained by grandma's connections.

a transfer into Columbia University; acceptance into Harvard Law School, and editorship of its law review

Also easily explained. A scholarship for a clean, articulate black guy allowed those making the decisions to pat themselves on the back for their superior virtue.

Height of the white guilt trip era.

I have an example of this I find enlightening.

In 68 I was 12 years old. Older brother and I joined Kansas City Bike Club. First meeting we went to they were electing officers. Only one black guy in the club, he was almost unanimously elected President. He got my and my brother's vote, despite our never having met him and our not being from a particularly liberal family.

My point is that all the white folks in the club (everybody else) were desperate to prove to themselves and others they weren't prejudiced. Black guy did an OK job as president, AFAIK.

Of course, Obama getting into college and all was end of 70s, a different time, but I suspect a lot of the same dymnamic still applied.

[Biggirl]

We got a President who is in over his head!

[expat1000]

I never thought I would see the day I was a conspiracy theorist, but that started to change when almost from the first day he was a senator, the media, including FNC, which had him on almost weekly, started to fawn over Obama as an ‘up and comer’. It just made no sense, and now I start to wonder who is pulling the strings - all the strings in every political party in every major country.

[tank_sherman]

I highly recommend that Freepers read the entire article. It explains quite a bit about the mystery man in the White House.

[Pollster1]

. . . let us open ourselves to wonder how, minus miracles, a 10-year-old boy without obvious talent who had lived in Indonesia since age six ends up with an eight-year scholarship to Hawaii's most exclusive school; a scholarship to Occidental College; a transfer into Columbia University; acceptance into Harvard Law School, and editorship of its law review; and how he goes from job to prestigious job without apparently mastering any of the previous ones . . .

Coincidentally, The Manchurian Candidate, by Richard Condon, was published in 1959 and released as a movie in 1962, shortly before the Obama tabla rasa (his life story) took form.

[Rocky]

Thank you for posting this. I hope others will read the whole article. It helps us to understand not only who our President is, but some of the reasons that this nobody with no qualifications rose to the top.

It really does appear that there is a ruling class, and that they have spawned a system which is destroying our country. The ruling class are therefore like the man who sits on a limb and starts sawing through the limb between himself and the trunk. We have to take our country back.