Oh Bama! “The belief in things not seen.”

The National Review.Com ^ | 7-28-04 | Rich Lowry

[hope]

Boston, Mass — Barack Obama's keynote speech at the Democratic Convention here has gotten a rapturous critical reception, justifiably so. Here are a few more follow up points about it:

NATIONAL UNITY. His litany in which he made the simple phrase "there's a United States of America" a rallying cry of unity and togetherness was simple and powerful. Most of the unity rhetoric this week has had a false ring, especially coming from people who have done more than their share to divide the country. Obama's call seemed more deeply felt and was more resonant, wrapped in patriotism: "We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America." Subliminal message: We are not the party of Dukakis — we like pledging allegiance.

HAWKISH NOTES. He made this week's best, most trenchant criticism of the Iraq war, saying we should "never ever go to war without enough troops to win the war, secure the peace, and earn the respect the world." The criticism reflects a hawkish attitude: We need more troops. It invokes the opinion of the world but also with a hawkish tinge: The world should respect us, because when we confront an enemy we do it right.

"AN AWESOME GOD." The emotional high point of the speech may have been his declaration that "We worship an awesome God in the Blue States." He thus rebutted the notion that the Democrats are the secular party, and did it in authentic, unashamed language. The theme of faith was woven throughout the speech, from near the very beginning when Obama talked of "a faith in the simple dreams of [America's] people, the insistence on small miracles." This is language that Democrats often can't muster, and it gives added oomph to two other key themes from the speech.

"MY BROTHER'S KEEPER." Democratic social programs often seem mushy or purposeless or pandering. Obama connected them with one of the deepest of all ethical imperatives — to love our neighbors as ourselves: "It's that fundamental belief — I am my brother's keeper, I am my sisters' keeper — that makes this country work." This is a liberalism with some emotional depth, and a meaning much more profound than the dollar signs next to line-items in a federal budget.

"THE AUDACITY OF HOPE!" We've heard a lot of talk of how important it is for the Democrats to be optimistic. But the optimism of forced smiles and focus-grouped phrases can be a wan thing indeed. Obama's optimism was expressed in the language of faith. When he talked of "the audacity of hope!" he was reaching for something inside the breast of every religious believer, and connecting with the audacious hope that has fueled heroic American projects, from the nation's very founding to the civil rights movement.

For all of these reasons, by the end, when Obama said "the people will rise up in November," and "this country will reclaim its promise, and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come," it seemed more than garden-variety political rhetoric. Because it was.

	http://www.nationalreview.com/lowry/lowry200407281612.asp

[bayourod]

"Which is why it's a shame that Keyes -- as a social conservative -- can't get any air time. "

Keyes stayed in the primary long after it was obvious that he had no chance of winning. Instead of being a team player he sought to advance his own interests at the expense of the team. He has no ground to complain that the team isn't giving him feature billing.

[GSlob]

"a Democrat Party with a moral center, wouldn't that be a concept?"
Such a thing is logically contradictory, hence impossible. Moral center, if somehow implanted into a political party, would immediately become fake or get rejected. If not, the party would atrophy, wither away and die.
The relation of morality and politics was best explained by Machiavelli and Guicciardini. The shortest summation is that they are qualitatively different and do not have anything to do with one another, unless for piety shows (Obama's performance is an example here).

[bayourod]

I think I see your problem, you don't even have a clue as to the importance of the immigrant laborers in our economy. You probably think they only mow lawns.

Haven't you ever wondered what those 11 million undocumented workers were doing? Haven't you wondered why every industry association in the nation wants immigration reform to allow more guest workers?

You and your family are blessed to be living in the greatest economy in the history of mankind and you want to kill the goose that lays this golden egg.

Union brainwashing?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Not when it's coerced by government. That's anti-liberty. If you want to help your neighbor then good for you. If you want to rob me so you can help your neighbor then you're anti-liberty. Get it?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

I didn't mean to be curt with the "get it." I know you're smart and you get it as well as I do. I just meant to ask do you get my context. Sometimes typed words can come across wrong -- you know, without the inflections and stuff.

Obviously you are correct in a Biblical context. That's not what I meant or what he meant.

[dennisw]

He's another Democrat phony who will vote the RAT party line and vote against George Bush's judicial selections. I have no use for this slickster. And he isn't very Black. He was raised by his white mother and never saw his Kenyan father until he was 10.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Walter Williams says it far better than I do:

An argument against legalized theft should not be construed as an argument against helping one's fellow man in need. Charity is a noble instinct; theft, legal or illegal, is despicable. Or, put another way: Reaching into one's own pocket to assist his fellow man is noble and worthy of praise. Reaching into another person's pocket to assist one's fellow man is despicable and worthy of condemnation.

For the Christians among us, socialism and the welfare state must be seen as sinful. When God gave Moses the commandment "Thou shalt not steal," I'm sure He didn't mean thou shalt not steal unless there's a majority vote. And I'm sure that if you asked God if it's OK just being a recipient of stolen property, He would deem that a sin as well.

[GSlob]

"Not when it's coerced by government."
Not when it is coerced by anyone. Period. And by all means one should resist being sent on guilt trips. If they want to send me on a guilt trip, THEY will have to pay for tickets (both ways) and for decent accommodations.

[ExSoldier]

"My God is an awsome God he reigns from Heaven above, with wisdom, power and love, my God is an awesome God."

The Late Rich Mullins?

[rwfromkansas]

Oh. I did not understand you were referring to govt. coercion.

You are correct that the Hillary/Obama "we're all in this together" via redistribution of wealth is cetainly NOT Biblical.

The conservative vision, people helping people, is.

Thanks for the clarification.

[sawmill trash]

I think they have hopes of him being the second black president.

[presidentbowen]

But wait iraq osama! According to your parties logic, aren't there two America's?

[geopyg]

From his speech it doesn't sound so much as a faith in God, but :"a faith in the simple dreams of [America's] people, the insistence on small miracles."

And then in talking about beliefs: "It's that fundamental belief — I am my brother's keeper, I am my sisters' keeper —that makes this country work."

As a politician talking about faith in the dreams of the American people is fine. But it is not a faith in God. Unless your god is Yourself, or Humanity, and then the best form of that god is GOVERNMENT.

I'm reminded of Jesus's teachings to the Roman Emperor telling him to talk care of his subjects and to treat them with kindness and fairness and to give them shelter and feed them and give them a cup of cold water. /sarcasm

[L.N. Smithee]

Keyes stayed in the primary long after it was obvious that he had no chance of winning. Instead of being a team player he sought to advance his own interests at the expense of the team. He has no ground to complain that the team isn't giving him feature billing.

I know what you mean. If Keyes had just dropped out sooner, Bush would have won. </sarcasm>

[Trust but Verify]

I'm not being sarcastic at all. White liberals don't vote for black candidates for high office. They just don't, and there is plenty of evidence for it. How many blacks are in the US Senate? Where were the high-ranking blacks in the Clinton Administration?

[bayourod]

"I know what you mean. If Keyes had just dropped out sooner, Bush would have won. "

President Bush could have easily lost Florida. What if Keyes had dropped out as soon as he realized he couldn't win the nomination, joined the Bush team (like Dean, Gephard, Ghram, Edwards did with Kerry), and actively campaigned for Bush in Florida?

Keyes was a vanity candidate from the beginning; interested only in getting publicity to advance himself.

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

If they want to send me on a guilt trip, THEY will have to pay for tickets (both ways) and for decent accommodations.

LOL!

[French-American Republican]

"I'm not being sarcastic at all. White liberals don't vote for black candidates for high office. They just don't, and there is plenty of evidence for it. How many blacks are in the US Senate? Where were the high-ranking blacks in the Clinton Administration?"

Well, they're putting Obama on a pedestal, aren't they? I get the feeling they want folks in Illinois to think "If you're not voting for Obama, then you must be racist" as a tactic.

By the way, does anyone have any poll information on the Senate race there? Does the Republican have a chance of winning?

[Trust but Verify]

There is no Republican candidate at this time! Jack Ryan had to drop out and the recruitment of Ditka failed. The GOP in Illinois is a sad state of affairs.

[French-American Republican]

"There is no Republican candidate at this time! Jack Ryan had to drop out and the recruitment of Ditka failed. The GOP in Illinois is a sad state of affairs."

Ugh. Is the seat currently held by a Republican or a Democrat?