The cult of Obama
Thursday, 23 October 2008 | 7,808 readers so far
The cult of Obama
The dictionary defines a cult as “an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers: the physical fitness cult.” In my opinion, America’s newest cult is a man named Barack Obama.
I have resigned myself to his presidency. I accept that he is a gifted speaker. He’s certainly much more composed than his rival, the cranky old man who gets to wear the “war hero” tagline. However, I’m still depressed about this cult.
Barack Obama gives people who feel disenfranchised hope. He rallies all those angry about the huge loss of civil liberties that has occurred over the last eight years under the Bush administration. He does represent a form of change for America. He’s also a thief. That’s what depresses me.
As our President, Obama will be no different than every man who has held the post in the 37 years I’ve been alive. They have all been perfectly willing to steal money in ways that clearly violate the highest law of the land, the U.S. constitution. Sure, Obama may roll back a spy program or two. He may change the way taxes are collected. He’ll also try to restrict my choices when it comes to firearms, health care and god knows what else.
I don’t need a cult leader and I have no interest in worshipping. Obama represents mob rule and I want no part of his cult of personality. I’m interested in human freedom. I’m interested in less government. I’m interested in choices, rational discussion and education. Where are my people? Where is my party?
1 October 24th, 2008 at 2:21 am
kitanis says:
I did my voting already as Oregon dose a Mail-in Ballot.. I will say this.. I did not vote for Obama.. or McCain.. or Bob Barr. (I choose a write in) I just could not in good faith put my vote to the idiot… who I refer as Obama. I also do not care for McCain’s plan. I refuse to bow down to the media “two party” standard for elections.
But I have been keeping track of the election news constantly. With today’s attack of a McCain volunteer in Pittsburg to me was appalling. The woman was attacked by a man angered by a McCain bumper sticker as she was getting money from a ATM… the man attacked her.. took $60 dollars and then with a knife.. he put a letter B on her Face. The press seems to be ignoring this tidbit.. Where is the Outrage? Why the Hell did’nt Obama condem this action?
Heck.. the Associated Press has made sure that a skepptical attitude is put into the story.. although there is a actual police report and a photo of the woman. and three newsoutlets in Pittsburg put the story on their websites.
I am deeply ashamed for our country in this election cycle because from what I have seen.. the American People have been taken for a ride for over 19 months…
2 October 24th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Gringo_Malo says:
Here’s an interesting piece by Stanly Kurtz about the connection between the Community Reinvestment Act, the Clinton administration, Congressional Democrats, ACORN, Barack Obama, and our present financial disaster. I’m convinced that Obama is a dangerous Marxist who must be defeated. I’m planning to hold my nose and vote for McCain, only because he’s the most likely candidate to defeat Obama.
3 October 24th, 2008 at 3:02 pm
kitanis says:
Boy.. do I feel like a asshole now.. the girl who claimed attack in Pittsburg made the whole thing up..
But I still did not vote for obama.
4 October 24th, 2008 at 9:49 pm
Mac says:
Just a little note here. A vote for anyone other than McCain is a vote for Obama. McCain is a liberal populist who will cause this nation problems. Obama is a dangerous socialist who may very well destroy this country. Think of the US as a town in Alaska surrounded by wolves in the dead of winter. Who would you rather have running the place? That is the current world situation. The US is surrounded by wolves [Iran, Venezuela, Russia, China, most of the third world]. Now vote your conscience. But, vote McCain.
5 October 27th, 2008 at 1:34 am
kitanis says:
Hi Mac
I understand what your saying.. when you vote for someone else you give a “tactile” vote for Obama. But here is the rub for me.. Your telling me to vote my conscience. But,vote McCain.
So what your saying is.. you have to vote McCain… Period.
I don’t feel that McCain is any better than Obama at this point because McCain has done things over the years that I do not agree. Yet..people expect me to vote for him because Obama might get into office. I voted opposite in every election.. and look what happened in the Clinton years.. he still got into office.
My vote is cast all already.
6 October 27th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Trevor says:
Thanks everyone for at least thinking hard about who you are casting a ballot for. I don’t know that we really have any control but at least we are still free to think we do.
7 November 8th, 2008 at 1:47 pm
Eric says:
I don’t need a cult leader and I have no interest in worshipping (nobody is telling you to worship anybody). Obama represents mob rule (how in the world is he supposed to represent “mob rule???) and I want no part of his “cult of personality” (what the fuck?). I’m interested in human freedom (so is he). I’m interested in less government (so is he). I’m interested in choices (so is he), rational discussion (so is he) and education (so is he). Where are my people? (nearly everyone in the US is for the same thing) Where is my party? Wow… what to say? I mean you obviuosly know about Obama by your comment “Sure, Obama may roll back a spy program or two” and a few other statements in relating the candidates, but if you really know what obama is about, then why go after him like you do? He is for many of the things you claim is not in any party. It just suprises me how much it looks like you might know, but yet your mind skips over the very values and policies that Obama has.
8 November 8th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Trevor says:
Eric:
Watch the video of the Obama supporter (a more recent blog entry of mine). The whole attitude that “if I vote for Obama I won’t have to take responsibility for my own life anymore” is what concerns me.
I have no personal animosity towards the man, but I have no reason to believe he is going to enrich my life in any way either. Rather I am concerned that he will help popularize policies that will push this nation in directions I’m not interested in going.
Nearly everyone in the U.S. is for the same thing? I don’t think so. If Obama is interested in less government please point me to your sources. I won’t argue that he might think his policies are going to improve education, increase human freedom and lead to a new renaissance era of free thought but I’m dubious how the federal government is going to achieve all of that. Unless Obama has a plan to replace the entire U.S. Congress with a fresh batch of people who are actually honest I don’t see how it can be done.
9 November 8th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
Pauline says:
Just ran into this interesting blog. I did vote for Obama quite happily, with tears of joy. Let me explain the joy to those who wonder. When I came of voting age in 1981 I voted for Reagan
with the advice of my family and the majority of the nation.
There were even jokes of making him king of the USA. However,
Reagan ushered in an administration that was brutal to South American nations (training Contras to kill civilians), criminal in ours and financially devastating to US citizens for years.
I felt betrayed when I was finally old enough to know better. I felt ashamed that I was part of that terror on so many innocent people. Then Bush Jr came along for eight years of insanity. Our economy is in shambles, our military is depleted, our kisd have not health insurance and we have the highest infant mortality rate of all the developed nations.
When I saw Barack Obama speak four years ago at the DNC I was shaken by hope, by his words that described a nation of Americans that had been torn in two by a divisive administration. A nation that had come together on 9/11 and summarily torn apart a few months later by the son of the former director of the CIA and VP to Reagan. The hope in his words spoke of an America I used to know, a place where people helped each other. It spoke of an America that we’ve dreamed of, where women and people of color have the same opportunities as everyone else. I was wishing HE was running for president and not boring old Kerry.
And miracle of miracles he did and won.
THe death, wars, hate, meanness and viciousness that has come from the Reagan/Bush era, (with a Clinton intermission) are now at an end. And, if nothing else, at least for that we can be thankful and rejoice. (Why is rejoice spelled with an i and not a y?) And I am rejoicing along with the rest of the world.
Obama is a Marxist? A lefty? A socialist?
Who the hell cares. Those beat being a fascist any day.
And that’s what we said goodbye to on November 4th.
Long live Democracy!
10 November 9th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Trevor says:
@Pauline:
Pauline, Marxist philosophy led to gulags. I’m not trying to destroy your optimism but I would like to temper it a little.
Let’s see what happens. And let’s talk about it. If Obama really does all the things he talks about without making government bigger and more oppressive then I’ll rejoice too. I just don’t see how he can.
11 November 9th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
kristen says:
you are crazy and im sad that you feel that way.
12 November 10th, 2008 at 12:15 am
Stephen says:
You could say the same thing of McCain. He was the mob-ruler of the republican mob. Well, I dont think so, but based on your argument for Obam’s cult…
It’s clear you dont like him and that’s fine. I just dont see this cult you are talking about. I, for one, am still glad he won.
13 November 10th, 2008 at 6:40 am
Doc. says:
All democratically appointed leaders are by your over generalized definition “cult” people - thus by virtue of this definition its no fucking surprise you could classify Obama, as you could any president, a cult figure, moron..
14 November 10th, 2008 at 9:19 am
Trevor says:
@Doc.:
You obviously don’t understand the term cult of personality. I’m not going to bother attempting to explain it to you since you don’t have the decency to speak politely. Go away and stay there.
15 November 10th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Trevor says:
@Stephen:
McCain doesn’t have the stage presence that Obama does. Many Republicans wanted nothing to do with him. They’re very different in that way, although I liked McCain as little as I like Obama and didn’t vote for either one.
16 November 10th, 2008 at 9:22 am
Trevor says:
@kristen:
I’m not crazy and I’m not alone in worrying about what kind of leader Obama will turn out to be and what kind of atmosphere his followers will create.
17 November 14th, 2008 at 2:03 am
Greg says:
I’m a Canadian, and up here, even our most conservative government is generally considered to be extremely leftist by American standards. But we’re hardly socialists, let alone Marxists. Our civil rights have never degenerated the way they invariably do in communist states. Obama represents a fairly standard liberal democratic approach. If he were white and his name was bob, people might still be annoyed that he won, but they wouldn’t be flipping out and worried that he was going to destroy the country.
18 November 14th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Trevor says:
@Greg:
I think you’re wrong on that Greg. A) Country is already destroyed. Our currency is worthless and we just haven’t acknowledged it yet. B) Hillary Clinton winning would have worried me much more than Obama winning has. She’s white and I’m no misogynist but I am scared as hell of her.
Canada is great on many levels. I know - I was born there. However, where the U.S. goes Canada is inevitably in the shadow.
19 November 14th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
TexasVoter says:
I’m not satisfied that Obama is eligible to take the oath of office. I suspect, since he is concealing the birth and college records that might settle things, that his detractors who suggest he is not a natural born citizen of the US may be onto something.
We’ll know more after Obama responds to the Writ of Certiorari filed with the Supreme Court. A response is due on or before Dec. 1, 2008.
20 November 14th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Trevor says:
@TexasVoter:
I’m not as worried about where he was born as what his policies are.
21 November 15th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Jhoanna says:
I sure feel sad for the individual posting on this site. Bigotry still very much alive in this country, and you are some of them. Congratulations! you should feel like to live in a beautiful country that allows you to speak your mind, even if it means professing your ignorance and racist views.
22 November 16th, 2008 at 1:44 am
Gokarna Gurung says:
Obamna is great and i fully support him no matter he is bhlack or etc. just as a human being we needed good leader fo this world to arrange without violence and wars.
23 November 16th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
Trevor says:
@Jhoanna:
Are you suggesting I am a bigot? If so, you are an idiot. If you’re suggesting I’m a racist then I suggest politely that you go to hell.
My views in relation to Obama have nothing to do with his race and everything to do with his philosophy of leadership. Come back when you can speak from a rational viewpoint.
24 November 18th, 2008 at 2:23 am
Scott says:
I have a friend who is a confirmed lefty. He is also extremely intelligent, well-informed and passionate about politics, local, regional, national and international. During the early days of the Democratic Primary process, when Obama appeared on Letterman’s program, the host observed ‘That’s a great suit’ (any inaccuracies in verbiage are mine, as it could have been ‘one hell of a suit’ or something equally praising of the tailor - my memory for detail is good, not perfect). My friend, who decided as soon as Edwards left that race that he would vote for Obama and then spent a year trying to convince me that Obama/Biden was in every way the superior choice to any other, at this early date worried aloud that perhaps Obama was just that - a Suit. I shared his concerns then but have not, as he was, been convinced otherwise.
I fear not just those who are currently in power - a legislature with a terribly comfortable majority in the same party as the executive is frightening to me (to forestall - I do in most cases prefer gridlock to shortsighted policies, sweethear deals, and unchecked ambition) - but those who excoriate anyone who disagrees with their opinion of a guy who spent a good deal of time as a teacher, then won an open race against a candidate chosen weeks before the general election, and then spent two years doing little of any note (anyhitng behind the scenes he may have accomplished appears to have stayed there) before jumping into the Race To Make Sure Hillary Clinton Stays In The Senate and who appear ready to follow him blindly.
To forestall a few other questions, yes I believe that more than 98 percent of the people currently residing in those levels of power are interchangeable as people, with aboout a half dozen differing opinions on matters one could describe as core values. The raw material is the same, Commie or Fascist. Wouldn’t let none of ‘em in my house, fer damn sure. Criminal Facilitators at best, in most cases. Also idiots. Not necessarily fundamentally unintelligent but short-sighted, self-indulgent, inclined to shouting over the speech of other people until the commercial break ends all arguments rather than listening and responding to statements of disagreement, and fueled by personal ambition over any other motivations. The few who do not qualify on all of these will generally hit four a day with resounding consistency.
Also, I’m longwinded on a keyboard.
25 November 18th, 2008 at 2:25 am
Scott says:
I’d also add that I don’t buy the gifted speaker tag - he’s a gifted reader, but when he must present unprepared comments, he sounds little different than the guy he’s replacing. Just as many fillers, pauses and stumbles. Read transcripts or listen with eyes shut. Disregard personal charisma. Here comes another four to eight years of policy-by-polling.
26 November 18th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Trevor says:
@Scott:
I haven’t had the stomach to watch enough ObamaTV to hear him when he is unscripted. Maybe I should have said that he reads speeches from a prompter well.
I have no personal dislike towards Obama, but I distrust him based on his chosen profession. Politicians in America, at the federal level are fundamentally dishonest in my opinion.
27 November 18th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
abi says:
i didnt now that u somk
28 November 19th, 2008 at 2:26 am
Petey says:
Sorry but, but you can’t have all the things you want, choices, freedom, rationale discussion, education, without some form of government, and not just less gov’t. What does “less gov’t” mean any way bud? Read the Federalist papers. I like your ideas…but I think they are somewhat naive. It’s a complicated world…and talk is cheap. It takes leadership. Maybe this guy is the real deal. If so, it’s been a long time coming. Or so Petey says.
29 November 19th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Trevor says:
@Petey:
Less government to me means less government. Particularly moving many functions to the state or local level and eliminating other functions entirely. I want to live in a community devoid of people in far off cities dictating more than a few functions that affect my life.
What things should we have national policy on? Defense, maybe environment. Can’t think of anything else.
If Obama is the real deal he sure hasn’t shown it by his initial cabinet choices to this point.
30 November 19th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Royston says:
Isn’t that picture fake?
31 November 19th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Joe says:
Your are basically jealous, envious or unable to accept the prospect of defeat. “Can’t win the all” sometimes the better man wins, for what ever reason, timing, money, destiny etc.
Everyone worships something, I am not surprised that after 8 years of ternary, corruption and oppression that the suffocated masses all over the world are eagerly craving resuscitation. We NEED A BREATH OF FRESH AIR! is the cry. PLEASE RESTORE TO US SOME SINCE OF DIGNITY, HUMANITY, HOPE IN THE COMMON DECENCY OF HUMANITY!
The “CULT” is not hard to understand by those who are thoughtful and considerate.
Those who know his history are rightfully optimistic about the prospects of his leadership. He has in the past shown a genuine concern for others who are subject to the will of there indifferent elected leaders.
The future looks brighter but it is yet to unfold!
It the masses over the world want to rejoice don’t rain on their party even if pessimism is your drug of choice.
At least show your wisdom by admitting that the world WANTS to move in the right direction.
32 November 19th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Trevor says:
@Royston:
No idea. I found it on the Internet. I wouldn’t call it real but I don’t really care whether Obama smokes. It isn’t relevant.
33 November 19th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Trevor says:
@Joe:
Joe, I don’t disagree with having hopes and dreams. Dignity and humanity are things I believe in. Maybe I’m jaded but I’m certainly not jealous or “unable to accept the prospect of defeat.”
Obama doesn’t represent change. He represents statism. That’s how I see it. He cannot fix America’s problems by redistributing wealth and making more rules. He may be able to make America a better place to live for many people if he focuses on incentives to personal responsibility, higher individual productivity and more personal freedom. I don’t think he will do any of those things.