Posted on 09/29/2008 9:31:56 AM PDT by jazusamo
Most of the pundits, columnists, commentators and other wise men missed the key comparison arising out of the first presidential debate of 2008. They talked of whether the candidates appeared presidential, whether they presented their life story adequately, whether they looked at each other, whether they were too specific or too general, whether they displayed charisma or guts, whether they stuttered or hesitated and many other matters that appeared to me as trivial.
What they almost all seemed to miss was perhaps the most important determinant of suitability for the White House - the values of the candidate, his character, and his guiding beliefs. When I made that comparison, I found it striking, as it revealed so much about the candidates.
In my view, Sen. Barack Obama made his values, or lack thereof, patently obvious, usually reinforcing what we already knew. If you read between the lines you find the same old lefty liberal with the values of the left: He expressed the anti-American sentiment that has characterized his thinking and his associates. He expressed the need to subject America to a world test a la John Kerry in 2004 - we have to please the world rather than live up to our own ideals ... which too many in the world often reject. He expressed his tendency toward appeasement, retreat and defeat, which is one of his most dangerous and startling weaknesses. He showed the lack the real qualities of a leader, by refusal to admit error in a situation where he is almost alone in a foolish assertion. And he also expressed a moral equivalence between good and evil. These are standard values of Sen. Obama, of his party and of the left. Let's examine some of them in the context of what happened in the debate.
Obama's World Test
You'll recall that during the 2004 campaign, Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic candidate for president, said that in launching international efforts we have to meet a world test. The idea that before exercising our right of self-defense or exercising other measures in our national interest, we have to make sure that it passes a world test. This is part of a tendency of the left to subject American sovereignty and American decision making to international bodies and international opinion. This is not a test that should determine American policy, which should be guided by what is right and what is in our national interest.
Sen. Obama's comments in the debate suggest he is afflicted with the virus of the world test. In fact, you have to notice the point he made in his closing, presumably what he thought was most important. He said, "Part of what the next president has to do ... is send a message to the world that we are going to invest ... in how ordinary people can live out their dream." So we have to meet a world test not only on our foreign policy but our domestic policy, too.
The implication of his statement is that somehow America is no longer the shining city on a hill. In the style of the left and in his usual style, he emphasized putting America down. He continued, "The ideas and the values of the United States inspired the world. I don't think any of us can say our standing in the world now, the way children around the world look at the United States is the same." It is as though he is ashamed of America, stating: "One thing I intend to do is restore America's reputation in the world."
His anti-American sentiments ooze out in these observations, perhaps also reflected in his 20-year association with Rev. Jeremiah "God Damn America" Wright, with his friend and associate who is an unrepentant terrorist, William Ayres, and with the views of his wife, who said for the first time she was proud of her country. Perhaps that's why he first refused to wear an American flag in his lapel, putting it down as a symbol of false patriotism, and why he refused to put his hand on his heart when the national anthem is played. Perhaps that's why he put our own military down in time of war, with his infamous comment that our troops are just "air raiding villages and bombing civilians."
There is nothing wrong with America's values. There is something radically wrong with Sen. Obama's values and those of his associates. America is still the place everyone wants to go and nobody wants to leave. We are still the greatest nation in the history of the world, and the greatest force for helping others and fighting evil on the face of our planet, just as we have always been.
If our reputation is down in some parts of the world, it is not because of what we do, but because of the distorted values of many nations and their people. In many lands, most people think America was responsible for 9/11. You're not going to talk those people back to sanity. Sen. Obama's natural stance is to call for understanding of evil rather than fighting it, just as his initial statement after 9/11 did. By like token, he thinks he can enhance our reputation abroad not by sticking to our fundamental values and protecting our basic interests, but by somehow doing what will make the rest of the world happy.
Obama's Blindness To The Difference Between Good And Evil
Sen. Obama's misplaced concern about our international reputation is closely related to his inability to recognize the difference between good and evil.
You'll recall that when the Russians illegally invaded Georgia, Sen. Obama initially called for restraint on both sides and said we'd be in a better position to complain if we set a good example ourselves. This suggested a moral equivalence between naked, illegal Russian aggression in Georgia and our legal, U.N. sanctioned liberation of Iraq. This is the most dangerous disease of the left - moral equivalence. The left often equates aggression and self-defense and makes the claim that one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist. Then Sen. Obama tried to dance out of his position adopting five different positions in four days. But he showed conclusively that he can't get it right on first impression and lacks the kind of seasoned judgment needed in the White House. There you have to make a decision and can't be bouncing from one to another from day to day.
Sen. Obama's inability to distinguish between good and evil was emphasized again in the debates, when he stuck to a position that is almost universally condemned - that he would personally negotiate without precondition with the likes of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hugo Chavez, Fidel Castro and other members of the axis of evil.
As Sen. John McCain pointed out, if Mr. Ahmadinejad said to Sen. Obama that he is going to incinerate Israel, then what would be Sen. Obama's reply? Perhaps he would say, "No you won't." Sen. Obama would lend credibility to genocidal maniacs intent on destroying their neighbors, our allies and the U.S., and would seriously damage all the forces allied against these dictators. He tried to justify his position, by saying meeting without preconditions doesn't mean meeting without preparation. But the thrust of his initial position remains the same, and he said at the debate, "I reserve the right, as president of the United States to meet with anyone at a time and place of my choosing if I think it's going to make us safer."
Then Sen. Obama claimed that former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger and other secretaries of state said we should meet with these dictators without precondition. Sen. Obama kept repeating that assertion. Sen. McCain says he's known Mr. Kissinger for 35 years and he would never say that. As it turned out, Mr. Kissinger said Sen. McCain was right. But the bottom line is that Sen. Obama is still trying to justify his foolish position, and can't and won't admit he made a mistake.
Sen. Obama often repeats his argument that it is ridiculous to think we hurt these dictators by not meeting with them. No one but Sen. Obama has made any such argument. We don't think we punish them by not meeting with them. We just don't want to lend credibility to their genocidal anti-American agendas.
When someone meets with a genocidal maniac like Mr. Ahmadinejad, you can be sure that sweet reason and oratorical lullabies will not change anything. The only thing that will change other than lending evil credibility is that Sen. Obama - like Neville Chamberlain - would be giving the appearance of appeasement. Mr. Chamberlain met with Hitler to achieve peace in our time and the world paid the price of World War II. Sen. Obama would achieve the same by his appeasement of the likes of Mr. Ahmadinejad. And closely related to this tendency to appease evil, is Sen. Obama's desire to get out of Iraq and in effect retreat into defeat. He is willing to lose a war to score political points. This would be a catastrophe for the world, with Iran and terrorism taking over Iraq and threatening world oil supplies.
Inability To Admit Error
An authority on the presidency recently wrote that one of the characteristics of a great president is the ability to admit error and move on. The debate and all the preceding campaign show that however egregious the error, Sen. Obama can't bring himself to admit he made a mistake.
In the debate, Sen. McCain pointed out that Sen. Obama still will not admit the surge was a success. Virtually every observer now says the surge succeeded, but Sen.Obama adheres to his original position finding one verbal gyration after another to somehow explain that what is a success is in fact a failure. During the debate, Sen.Obama refused to admit that the surge succeeded and that we are winning in Iraq. Sen.Obama and the Democrats are so invested in our defeat in Iraq, that they can't bring themselves to admit we are winning.
I myself don't want someone in the White House who has a scent of anti-Americanism. Sen. Obama's comments and positions make you wonder if he is really proud to be an American or whether he thinks we have to be transformed so the world will again accept us. I don't have any doubts about Sen. McCain's love of America or of his patriotism. I don't want someone in the White House who is unable to distinguish between good and evil. Sen.Obama often seems confused, as he equated Russian aggression and Georgia self-defense. Sen. McCain showed his usual moral clarity by denouncing Russian aggression. I don't want someone in the White House who can't admit he made a mistake. Sen. Obama can't, even when he makes many major league blunders. Maybe he can't be blamed, as he makes so many mistakes, he's be doing nothing else if he conceded errors. I know Sen. McCain can admit he makes mistakes. In fact, he did so on one occasion during the debate. And I've read enough of his books to know he doesn't hesitate to admitting even a major mistake.
The mainstream media not only acts as the campaign manager for Sen. Obama, but also fails to focus on the most critically important differences between the candidate. If the public gets the truth about Sens. Obama and McCain, there will be no contest and Sen. McCain will be an overwhelming winner.
Herb Denenberg is a former Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner, Pennsylvania Public Utility Commissioner, and professor at the Wharton School. He is a longtime Philadelphia journalist and consumer advocate. He is also a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of the Sciences. His column appears daily in The Bulletin. You can reach him at advocate@thebulletin.us.
Bookmark for later
We in the Philadelphia area are fortunate to have the Bulletin.
Herb Denenberg is a Pennsylvania institution. He has fought for the average consumer during his entire career. It is so gratifying that he is in the McCain/Palin camp.
Yes, it is good, AW. Herb has done his homework on BO and has written many pieces lambasting him.
Great graphic, Dick.
Jaz,
Thanks for the kind words. This clown cannot be allowed anywhere NEAR the WH again.
GREAT “About” page BTW.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WDrbbtaO0E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypLu49pq3bI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIo8FJJMps8&feature=related
Outstanding videos!
Thanks!
Pray that what’s left of American — the IDEA — can survive all of this.
Bump that, Dick Bachert. I’ve wondered the same.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.