Q. Is it because he’s an expert on foreign policy?A. Nope. He’s not, having been in the Senate only a year.
Q. Because he’s tall and good looking?
A. No-no-no, couldn’t be. Indiana’s Evan Bayh is tall and good looking and a presidential possibility but nobody knows when he goes overseas or not.
Q. I know! It’s because Obama’s black, tall and good-looking.
A, No-no-no, couldn’t be. Massachusetts’ Edward Brooke was black, tall and good looking. In addition to which he served two terms, was mentioned for vice president. Also Carol Moseley Braun was black, not tall but pleasant looking with a 50,000-watt smile. No laudatory coverage of a first time trip to the Middle East like that for her.
Q. Let’s see. He’s black, tall, good-looking—also a power in the Senate?
A, No-no-no, wrong again. He’s black, tall, good-looking and is second to the bottom in seniority in a Republican Senate which means he’s not a power.
Q. It’s got to be obvious. Is it because the media have determined to single him out as the leading representative black person in politics and plays him an emblematic for an entire people?
A. You’re getting warmer.
Q. I know: it’s because media decides the people who should be singled out for future victory…
A. Keep on, you’re almost there.
Q. …about what party should be singled out for future victory and who their choice is to be destiny’s tot in order to be balanced with a white woman to become their pick for a ticket they are pulling to win!
A. Bingo.
Q. But, tell me, wasn’t Edward Brooke who was all these things eligible for fame as well? About the time when Jeane Kirkpatrick was mentioned for president?
A. Yep, now tell me what Brooke wasn’t.
Q. Let’s re-cap. He was black…
A. Right.
Q He was tall…
A. Right.
Q. He was good-looking…
A. Right.
Q. He was brilliant…
A. Right.
Q. He was--, he wasn’t--.
A. He was what?
Q. He wasn’t a Democrat! He was a Republican!.
A. Bingo again.
Q. That’s right. Of course, media can’t have a Republican tall good looking smart black Senator promoted as destiny’s tot. That’s not the right casting. Why didn’t I think of that before? Stupid me.
A. Stupid you.
Senator Brooke spoke at one of the Oberlin Collge Young Republican Lincoln Day Dinners in the early 1960's. He was quite impressive. (A lot more impressive than U.S. Rep. Gerry Ford was during another Lincoln Day speech.)
ReplyDeleteIs it possible that the reason Obama is so popular with the press is that the man is something very rare anymore in Washington - a nice guy with some good ideas.
ReplyDeleteTom, you hit it exactly. The media wants to pick a winner like a casting director rather than a democracy.
ReplyDeleteWhere are the Tribune/Suntimes/Channel 2 stories about Obama championing the "Bridge to Nowhere"? Subsidies for General Motors fatcats? Partnership with Dick Durbin on taxing ethanol imports from Brazil (50 cents a gallon in tax for a clean, renewable fuel)?
These stories don't fit with the media's fable of Obama being a honorable representative of the citizens rather than a typical hack in tow to big lobbyists, big oil, and the big three, so we never see them. I can assure you, your wallet feels the pain, but Obama gets none of the blame from our negligent media outlets.
JBP
Tom, you hit it exactly. The media wants to pick a winner like a casting director rather than a democracy.
ReplyDeleteWhere are the Tribune/Suntimes/Channel 2 stories about Obama championing the "Bridge to Nowhere"? Subsidies for General Motors fatcats? Partnership with Dick Durbin on taxing ethanol imports from Brazil (50 cents a gallon in tax for a clean, renewable fuel)?
These stories don't fit with the media's fable of Obama being a honorable representative of the citizens rather than a typical hack in tow to big lobbyists, big oil, and the big three, so we never see them. I can assure you, your wallet feels the pain, but Obama gets none of the blame from our negligent media outlets.
JBP