Comments on: Be Careful Now http://larison.org/2006/10/16/be-careful-now/ n. the principle of good order "Observe the strange inversion of all order and sense! Dignity debased; how vilely is the function of a consul prostituted!" ~The Craftsman Tue, 06 Jan 2009 10:08:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Vanishing American http://larison.org/2006/10/16/be-careful-now/#comment-4830 Tue, 17 Oct 2006 03:49:02 +0000 http://larison.org/2006/10/16/be-careful-now/#comment-4830 I am puzzled by all the hype and hoopla over Obama, but I guess it is part of the same phenomenon as the Powell cult and also the adoration that many Republicans display towards Condoleezza Rice. When she was still new on the political scene, so many Republicans were fawning over her, and promoting her as the next President. At the time I had no real opinion of her, since she was an unknown quantity in politics, but she had (and still has, to a lesser extent now) a cult of followers. Shelby Steele is sort of on the right track with his assessment, but I don't think it's 'gratitude' that is the reason; it's that so many people have a fear that they might really BE the racists they are accused of being. Thus when they find a black person they admire or like, they feel vindicated that they are not racists after all. So many people are eager to prove to themselves, as well as others, that they are not 'racist.' I am puzzled by all the hype and hoopla over Obama, but I guess it is part of the same phenomenon as the Powell cult and also the adoration that many Republicans display towards Condoleezza Rice. When she was still new on the political scene, so many Republicans were fawning over her, and promoting her as the next President. At the time I had no real opinion of her, since she was an unknown quantity in politics, but she had (and still has, to a lesser extent now) a cult of followers.
Shelby Steele is sort of on the right track with his assessment, but I don’t think it’s ‘gratitude’ that is the reason; it’s that so many people have a fear that they might really BE the racists they are accused of being. Thus when they find a black person they admire or like, they feel vindicated that they are not racists after all. So many people are eager to prove to themselves, as well as others, that they are not ‘racist.’

]]> by: James Kabala http://larison.org/2006/10/16/be-careful-now/#comment-4829 Tue, 17 Oct 2006 02:01:44 +0000 http://larison.org/2006/10/16/be-careful-now/#comment-4829 The "that" before Nixon's name is a relic of an earlier draft of the sentence, and there should be a comma after "1960." The “that” before Nixon’s name is a relic of an earlier draft of the sentence, and there should be a comma after “1960.”

]]> by: James Kabala http://larison.org/2006/10/16/be-careful-now/#comment-4828 Tue, 17 Oct 2006 01:58:50 +0000 http://larison.org/2006/10/16/be-careful-now/#comment-4828 Not only has no Senator has been directly elected President since Kennedy in 1960 but that Nixon was the last President who had EVER served in the Senate. Being a Senator is not a good road to becoming President. Not only has no Senator has been directly elected President since Kennedy in 1960 but that Nixon was the last President who had EVER served in the Senate. Being a Senator is not a good road to becoming President.

]]> by: Pithlord http://larison.org/2006/10/16/be-careful-now/#comment-4823 Mon, 16 Oct 2006 20:58:31 +0000 http://larison.org/2006/10/16/be-careful-now/#comment-4823 This is typical Klein. What he looks for in politicians is approximately the same thing that twelve-year-old girls look for in pop singers. This is typical Klein. What he looks for in politicians is approximately the same thing that twelve-year-old girls look for in pop singers.

]]> by: tedschan http://larison.org/2006/10/16/be-careful-now/#comment-4821 Mon, 16 Oct 2006 20:16:46 +0000 http://larison.org/2006/10/16/be-careful-now/#comment-4821 I came across this today:: http://boundless.typepad.com/blog/2006/10/beauty_and_poli.html This may help explain part of the appeal. I came across this today::
http://boundless.typepad.com/blog/2006/10/beauty_and_poli.html

This may help explain part of the appeal.

]]> by: jsinger008 http://larison.org/2006/10/16/be-careful-now/#comment-4819 Mon, 16 Oct 2006 20:00:36 +0000 http://larison.org/2006/10/16/be-careful-now/#comment-4819 I also never understood the appeal of Obama and I would go further, he actively annoys me. As a long-time observer of the Chicago political scene, I remember when a local paper did a fawning cover story on the then State Senator and as I read Obama's thoughts on government I kept thinking to myself, "this guy thinking is warmed-over liberalism, but he uses a strange rhetoric to basically disguise the fact that he doesn't have a single interesting policy idea." I still think this, and reading excerpts from his new book in the Sun-Times yesterday, I was once again annoyed. You should check out the excerpt, as it would be shooting fish in a barrel were you to blog on the subject. I also never understood the appeal of Obama and I would go further, he actively annoys me. As a long-time observer of the Chicago political scene, I remember when a local paper did a fawning cover story on the then State Senator and as I read Obama’s thoughts on government I kept thinking to myself, “this guy thinking is warmed-over liberalism, but he uses a strange rhetoric to basically disguise the fact that he doesn’t have a single interesting policy idea.” I still think this, and reading excerpts from his new book in the Sun-Times yesterday, I was once again annoyed. You should check out the excerpt, as it would be shooting fish in a barrel were you to blog on the subject.

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