Obama's Vain Beginning [Alan Keyes]

WorldNetDaily ^ | January 23, 2009 | Alan L. Keyes

[EternalVigilance]

Never forget the difference between good-sounding reasons and good sound reasoning. That was one of the first admonitions I remember hearing from my debate coach in high school.

Barack Obama's address at the high-priced ceremony marking his first day as an occupant of the White House is a masterful symphony of good sounding reasons, filled with allusions to America's founding principles, high ideals and high-minded purposes. Yet in the whole of it, there is not one shred of reasoning based on those principles, not one line that takes true account of their content and deliberately connects it with the view of government he articulates, or the wisps of policy he rhetorically flourishes. He uses words that evoke the founding ideals to give his assertions an aura of legitimacy, but he does not accept them as the starting point for deliberate reasoning that would justify those assertions. He respects their usefulness, not their authority.

Though Obama cleverly exploits the positive emotions still evoked by references to our founding ideals, he speaks without regard for the understanding that justifies those emotions, the logic that transforms them from good feelings to reasonable convictions; from vague hopes to truths which inform our lives and deserve our allegiance; and that we can sustain in the face of great sacrifice, pain and danger, even unto death. Because he refuses to acknowledge the vision of faith and reason actually articulated in our founding documents, his effort to portray the hard work and sacrifices of previous generations falls woefully short, in terms of truth and effectiveness:

[little jeremiah]

Hve you seen the youtube - there were a couple of threads about it today - of 0bama getting angry when one reporter softballed a question while 0 went to “be friendly” with them in the White House?

It was EXTREMELY revealing. Very. His anger was palpable - his voice change - his demeanor changed - his body showed his anger - all because of one little question. And it looked to me as though he was trying to control his anger.

The man is a freaking ticking time bomb. The sooner he explodes the better. He’s a dangerous psychopath.

[little jeremiah]

Beautiful and well spoken comments and I agree 100%.

[little jeremiah]

Check out the video when he gets angry at one reporter. He practically comes unglued. The man will defeat himself. I just he does it very soon. The words “wicked” and “evil” are not excessive when describing him.

[conservative cat]

Really good but simple writing there. I sent it to a few people.

[Democrat_media]

Obama's and the communist Democrats' growing the government even more than it is will really wreck the economy.

And then maybe we can Let Sarah Palin begin the down-sizing of this huge 3.2 trillon massive government the Democrats have burdened America, capitalism and Free market with.

If everyone read this book there would be no Democrats/socialism or big government which is the cause of all problems : Free to Choose

The international bestseller on the extent to which personal freedom has been eroded by government regulations and agencies while personal prosperity has been undermined by government spending and economic controls.

[Carley]

The pathetic quality of public education in this country has made us vulnerable to the ‘tyranny of the majority’.

We send our children off to school and the brainwashing begins in kindergarten. We’re not taking the time to teach our children values that remain true in good times and bad. We don’t teach self reliance, and we haven’t taught them to question the propaganda spewed in the classroom.

[RPTMS]

So he lost to Obama. He can still criticize him.

[Ann Archy]

Obama=”the Kid’s Table” President.

[gakrak]

Amen, and may God Bless.

[TypeZoNegative]

You do have a point. The mainstream country club Rino GOP has a tendency to Blackwell VERY good, VERY conservative minority politicians. If they had their way, they would have Blackwelled Jindal. If they Blackwell Jindal nationally over some milquetoast like Pawlenty, they can kiss my ass when it comes to any support whatsoever.

[panthermom]

I get annoyed with the school indoctrination thing. As a parent, it is our responsibility to teach our children our value system, why have we let the schools do it? People can only do what you let them do.

How many parents sit and talk to their kids about government? What our responsibilities as citizens are? When your kid got his first paycheck did you go over it with them and explain the taxes to them? Do you as a parent explain the principals that our nation was founded on? Do you take the time to talk to them about what is going on in this country and put it in context to their lives so they have a better understanding of what they will be faced with when they are adults.

I have always told my kids, be respectful and polite. You are in school to learn academics, however, while they are your teachers, I am your parent and when it comes down to it, I make the rules, they start with their opinions outside of academics and it is against what we value in our house, you tell me and I’ll take care of it.

Having said that, I live in a conservative area and the school reflects that. As a matter of fact, during the election, they had a representative from the Republican and Democratic parties come and talk about their party platforms. Apparently, the attendance was more than expected and they, the students tore the Dem a new one, especially with regard to abortion.

[Crolis]

Thank you. A great read.

[RipSawyer]

My knowledge of Keyes is that he campaigns on the eternal truths, the values that made the nation great, the majority of Americans seem to have no interest in hearing that now. Would you have Keyes run a phony campaign? I suspect there is no other way for the man to be elected to any important office. If George Washington reincarnated announced for the presidency now he would probably do no better than Keyes or Ron Paul. The state of the American electorate is pathetic.

[rbmillerjr]

...Extremely well written...

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"James Madison, known as the father of the Constitution, was right when he said that justice is the aim of government, the aim of civil society: not freedom, not prosperity, but the determination to do what is right, as God enables us to see the right. In his disregard for the vision of justice that shaped the founding of the United States, Obama reveals the shoddy inadequacy of his vision for America, his fanatical commitment to the tawdry and ultimately self-centered materialism that binds and deforms his leftist ideology at its core. Except for this, he would have understood that before power, before prosperity, even before the Constitution framed our national institutions for liberty, America's true greatness was given, by God's Providence, in the moment when the leaders and people of the 13 original states, living in what Europeans then considered a savage, backward wilderness, committed themselves to form an independent nation that derived its identity from their common acknowledgement of the existence and authority of God."

Unfortunately, Alan, Obama didn't learn that at Columbia or Harvard. And his parents didn't teach that to him either. It is unlikely he will learn that from his buddies at MSNBC. What's worse is that the people who voted for him didn't learn that at the public schools they attended. They are not allowed to learn that.

[Carley]

How great that your school system is respectful of conservative values. In our community any teacher that didn’t spew the left’s position was not given tenure.

We worked hard to teach our children the value of life too and my daughter especially was not afraid to speak up.

My son’s high school freshman english teacher used the book of Genesis for the first semester. Can you imagine using the bible in a classroom now. The teacher wouldn’t even be allowed to have a bible on the desk.

[panthermom]

Although the community is changing, we have been fortunate. The vast majority of our teachers live in the community and their children attend the same schools. FCA and Younglife our the biggest of all of the school clubs. I think because we are all so intertwined the school then represents the heart of the community.

I have a Sr. and a Jr. and one in the 6th grade, I do see the writing on the wall though and we will be leaving. Our area is changing quickly. The teachers are becoming frustrated as well, the people moving in don’t feel the same sense of commitment that has been the tradition.

People just don’t realize the hard work that goes into making a great community and school, I guess they assume it just happens. They see our success, then of course want to be a part of it. But they want to be a part of it on their terms, they complain and then they can’t understand why we are now not the school/community we once were. The disrespect I am hearing about towards the teachers now is absolutely appalling. My children have known most of their teachers their whole lives, through church, friendships and other activities. The new people have no ties with any of us, nor do they want any. The big complaint is we as a community and the teachers do not know how to relate to them. I guess now that they’re here we have to change for their comfort instead of them embracing what has been a proven success.

We are outta here.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Keyes:"Whatever words he speaks in the service of his power and ambition, Obama has articulated views and pledged himself to policies that resist and reject the renewing influence of grace."

[NYer]

Barack Obama's address at the high-priced ceremony marking his first day as an occupant of the White House is a masterful symphony of good sounding reasons, filled with allusions to America's founding principles, high ideals and high-minded purposes. Yet in the whole of it, there is not one shred of reasoning based on those principles

He speaks in sound bites. There is no substance to anything he says ... whatsoever. He is a 'made by the media' president.

[beachn4fun]

There are a lot on Obama. Do you have a title or a link?