Posted by
Bob Siegel on Wednesday, January 21, 2009 5:15:01 PM
NOTE: I originally wrote this article a few days after the election. After yesterday's ceremony, it seems very relevant again.
Bob Siegel
The gleeful news bellows throughout the land: America has made history!
An African-American has become president! I agree that history was
made. This was indeed a first. But make no mistake,the election of an
African-American was only one of many firsts.
It was also the first time we elected a man who raised funds for a self
confessed, non-repentant terrorist. He also wrote a foreword for the
man's book. This same arrogant terrorist, fellow, (Bill Ayers ) had
written an earlier book as well, a book co-authored with his wife, a
book dedicated to Sirahn Sirahn, Bobby Kennedy's assassin.
And it was the first time we elected a president who claims to support
Israel, but who toasted an ex-terrorist, Palestinian professor on his
birthday, saying in the toast, "My wife and I have had our thinking
challenged by you."
It is also the fist time in American history that we elected a man who,
as a State Senator, voted against the Illinois Infant Protection Act, a
law created to stop infanticides in hospitals. This same man claims to
be about compassion and this same man tells us that the Democrats are
the party of the weak and disenfranchised. How anybody is weaker or
more disenfranchised than a new born baby, whom hospital nurses are
refusing to feed, I would love to hear Obama explain.
Oh, yes! It was also the first time we elected a man who promised to
sit down and talk (without preconditions) to the Nazi loving, Jew
hating, Iranian leader, Ahamadinnejad.
But wait! There's more! It's the first time we elected a man who said
he wanted to see our constitution changed by judges to provide a
mandatory re-distribution of wealth.
On that same subject: It's the first time in history we elected a man
who had a plumber audited for daring to ask him a question about
redistribution of wealth.
It's the first time in history we elected a man who sat at the feet of
a racist pastor for 20 years, all the while claiming he never heard any
of these racist words.
It's the first time in history we elected a man who claimed his
opponent, (John McCain) was using racist tactics by warning people to
not vote for a black man. McCain, of course did no such thing. Then,
after Obama won the election, he publicly thanked John McCain for
running such an honorable campaign. See how it works? When Obama was
afraid of losing, he portrayed John McCain as a racist. But when Obama
won, he felt so good, he was free to admit the truth: McCain actually
did run an honorable campaign. As for Obama's campaign...
It's the first time in history we elected a man who ran such a
DIS-honorable campaign, a man who himself made race the issue, and a
man who gave money to ACORN, an organization which registered people to
vote in ways so fraudulent, they would have made Al Capone blush.
It was the first time those who did not want to vote for a candidate
were told that they were racists if they did not vote for him.
Supposedly, none of the issues listed above were fair game to be
concerned about. If I chose not to vote for Obama, it was because I am
a racist. End of discussion.
On the other hand, it is the first time in history when many peopled confessed that they had elected a man precisely because of his skin color. Certainly there were many African-Americans who did not vote for Obama. As a matter of fact, quite a few spoke out against him. Still, most African-Americans did vote
for the man. Ironically, many who voted for Obama have conservative
values. They would be appalled at the idea of abortion, let alone
infanticide. And many of them voted for the marriage amendment in
California, an amendment Obama said he was against, (even though this
same Obama said he did define marriage as a union between a man and a
woman). How could a person voting for the protection of marriage
support a president who is vocally against it? Simple: The man was
black. And many MANY African-Americans admitted that they elected Obama
for exactly that reason. This, of course, was not to be viewed
as racism. But I wonder how Martin Luther King would have felt. He
dreamed of a day when a man would be judged by his character, not by
the color of his skin. Personally, I have no problem at all with the
color of Obama's skin. But when it comes to character, the man falls
just a little bit short.
Perhaps you want to tell me that I would feel differently if I was
black. Go ahead. And then I will remind you, once again, about the
African-Americans who opposed him. I will also remind you, that I
myself, am Jewish, part of a people very much the victims of racism for
countless centuries. In 2000, Joe Liberman was Gore's VP running mate.
I was once asked about this in church by a fellow who knew I was a
Jewish-Christian. He said, "Are you going to vote for Gore because he
has a Jewish running mate?"
I answered, "I wouldn't vote for Al Gore if Jesus Christ were his running mate!"
Many white Americans also admitted to voting for Obama because he was
black. They were taught in universities that all white people are
racists and voting for a black man was the very least they could do.
They would still be racists afterwards, mind you, but at least they
would be nicer and more honest about their racism. I must ask the
question: Was this election an indication that race is behind us, or
was race very much the front and center of the election?
Not to say that race was the only motive. It was also the first time in
our history when countless individuals voted for a man they knew
nothing about. On the plane, en route to Israel, I spoke with a young
lady who admitted she never followed politics. She even went so far as
to confess that she knew absolutely nothing about Obama or any issue
related to the election. I appreciated her honesty. Many, just as
ignorant, would have pretended to know everything. I did ask her a
question, however. "I mean no disrespect, but if you knew nothing
about the issues, why did you vote?"
"I just got a good feeling from him...He gave me good vibes."
She then proceeded to tell me that she does not believe in big government and she considers herself to be a Libertarian.
"If that is, true, " I replied, "You have voted for a man as far on the
opposite side of your principles as one can possibly be."
"Really?" she said with sincerity.
Oh yes! This was an historical election all right. God save America!
This is Bob Siegel, making the obvious, obvious.