Posted on 12/30/2008 12:32:54 PM PST by radar101
Obama is positioning himself against the Chicago Machine (the Blagojevich, Bobbie Rushes of this world)...again. He’s siding with the Democrat caucus. Of course, Burris wasn’t one of the “chosen” on Obama’s list. So this isn’t necessarily surprising. But it still pits him against the Machine that runs Chicago and Cook County.
Here’s an interesting sidelight I don’t know if I told you before. Back last August my wife’s corporation ran her annual store inventory (usually held in August). As usual, they bring in a contracted “team” from Chicago to do the counts while my wife’s store crew, aided by other area store managers, oversee the event. Most of these crew members are Blacks from Chicago.
During an afternoon break, my wife overheard crew members discussing the upcoming election. To a man (or woman) they were dissing Obama, saying things like “what makes him qualified to be president” and such. Not a lot of love lost between them and Obama.
Obama may be a product of the Chicago Machine. Don’t doubt that. But he isn’t necessarily a member in good standing. And this is part of the Obama/Blagojevich dichotomy. Obama owes the Chicago Machine for past favors. Is he again showing his individuality? And what will that mean in the future?
This should have read, "The world of today is not the same world of the 1880's.
This is also related to the recent talk of "qualifications to be a Senator" that began with Caroline Kennedy. We should combine our two posts and start making this succinct argument on related threads as they continue to arise.
-PJ
These young whippersnappers sure don’t know much about history, do they!
I’m old enough to have gone to school when they actually taught history...LOL. Also being raised in Virginia helped. They actually took history — particularly the history of that era — seriously way back then. :)
Thanks for your reply, PJ. I'd be happy to do so. In fact, I've made this argument many times over the years I've posted on FR. Unfortunately, it's tilting at windmills, because the 17th Amendment will not be repealed.
Very few Americans these days understand the balance of power written into the Constitution by the Founders. In fact, "balance of power" is taught, somewhat misleadingly, as "checks and balances." Few people today understand the true relationship between the states and the federal government. Heck, since the Civil War, even the states have largely allowed the feds to turn them into barely more than regional subdivisions of the federal government rather than respect them as the sovereign entities they originally were and ought to be even now.
Still, I think it's worth trying to educate people about the finer points of the Constitution, which is why I'd be happy to join your efforts regarding the 17th Amendment.
Interesting what you wrote about your wife's experience. I am in the deep south and generally not well informed on the more liberal issues of the north eastern states unless something ‘big’ happens - as it has - beginning with Obama.
Had I ‘grown where I was planted’, I would still be in Pennsylvania and dealing with Murtha, lol.
I do quick looks at the Drudge Report to see the latest news and figured that Blago became even more ired and decided to poke his finger in Reid and other dem’s eyes.
Day by day Obama is getting more and more put on his plate to deal with. There should be no lack of ‘interesting times’ ahead for us.
I'm just spewing some of my own thoughts here as I have not read this thread at all.
You don't understand. Whoever is appointed by Blago is not to be touched with a ten foot pole - doesn't matter if the guy is Black. Reid will make sure a different Black is appointed from IL - possibly who Obama wanted in the first place. But he will get something out of Obama - support for a bill of two that The One didn't want to help. Or it will be some other Illinois Black, if Reid and Barry can't deal. The special election will not be held because the Republican might win this time...
Likely true. But it's missing something. By this, Obama is bucking the Chicago Machine...the Chicago Mob. That's who Blagojevich is. That's not a good thing to do. Obama owes them and they don't forget.
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