01.26.12
Their Own Personal Obama
What argument can one make to someone who still supports Obama that can account for the emotional investment that such a person has in The One? It isn’t enough to list for him Obama’s many acts of cronyism, contempt, incompetence, and hypocrisy. It is too late for facts when defending Obama is defending one’s own political judgement and personal intelligence. Would an appeal to decency and love of country be enough to move an Obamaton to concede what ought to be conceded: that his statist ideology is destructive of the economic character of this country; that he is a law-breaking corporatist; that he is a campaign finance cheat and liar; that he is a hypocrite on civil liberties and warfare; that he is a vindictive narcissist?
No, the investment is too great. The racism inherent in the choice of voting for a man because of his race is too deeply held. The personal identification with this post-American agent of our dissolution is too complete. Democrats are prone to such personal idolatry (e.g., Obama, the Kennedys, FDR, Wilson, et al) and it reflects poorly on them.
But whatever it takes, the dominant narrative of a populist Obama who just wants what is fair and even and right for all must be resisted because it is false and it is dangerous. It is un-republican in the most literal sense.
I do not make idols of politicians. I do not understand those who do.
