Mind Your Place...

For the longest time Barack Obama's problem was he was perceived  too soft politically.  Could he stand up to the heat the Clinton's "kitchen sink" strategy during the primaries.   Just weeks ago John McCain was challenging him to go meet with the troops and generals in Mesopotamia "you can't miss it its right on the border with border with Pakistan".  He was accused of not having the experience to deal matters on the world stage, like meeting with the president of Checkoslovacia.-Isn't it funny how McCain can get away with inaccurate statements like that?  Really the country of Checkoslovacia has not existed for nearly 15 years!! And this is the guy with the experience.

Anyway, Obama goes to Iraq but Afghanistan meets with the troops and much heralded General Petraeus, a general that by all accounts has done a remarkable job given the circumstances.  Barack Obama being the neophyte in the category of military leadership showed leadership by sympathizing with the generals position but saying that his strategy 

was different.  It was not just the McCain campaign saying, "who does this Obama guy think he is, questioning the judgement of Gen. Petraeus.  Cries of he's arrogant started to pop up in the main stream press.  

From saying that going to war in Iraq was a mistake to we have drop the ball on prosecuting the "true" war on terror by neglecting the front in Afghanistan , to saying that it is time to end this war in Iraq, Barack Obama has laid waste to the notion that experience equals good judgement.

Obama met with the same leaders that John McCain had met with shortly after he secured the Republican primaries.  You might not remember because you were more interested in the Democratic primary.  John McCain gave speeches in Columbia and Canada among others during that period.  Obama was criticized for taking a premature victory lap.  Overlooking the fact that his candidacy in itself is a testament to hope, not only in this country but around the world.  

Believe me, if John McCain had the charisma to attract over a 200,000 people to one of his speeches he would not turn it down.  Nor do I think that he would be perceived as arrogant.  

The more I hear Barack Obama referred to arrogant and pompous, I hear as a black man, "uppity".  The fact that he can handle himself with confidence and strength and does not shrink from the responsibility of the office that he seeks, I think that some parts of the American family feels threaten.  They warn Obama indirectly to mind his place.  Who are you to question the judgement of generals or shake the hands of heads of state.

It is the reason why given all the advantages of youth, party affiliation , the issues and a fantastic world wind tour, that  Barack Obama shows little separation in the polls.  That's why even with an electorate that put George W. Bush into office twice, think that Obama is the more risky choice.  Now I'm am not filled with racial paranoia just a healthy scepticism  of America's ability to turn the page in this country.

Goldie Locks

When you don't have anything to run on, not the economy, not the environment, not taxes you can always count on the Republicans to turn to scaring the American people. "The next president will be tested" says former Democratic loser turned independent Senator Joe Lieberman. John McCain is now saying to anyone that will listen, that Barack Obama can't be trusted because he changed his mind on campaign financing in the national election. We have documented extensively McCain's 3 pages of flip flops. He is not the John McCain of the 2000 campaign.


From what I have observed and read of Sen. Obama's positions from his speech on race to his fathers day speech on fatherhood and the black community have been common sense or centrist positions. He has called for personal responsibility and understanding of the other persons views. As possibly the first black president in United States history, he has no other choice than to play the middle. He can't be too far left or too far right. Like the children's story of "Goldie Locks", his positions have to be just right. Jessie Jackson's campaign in 1984 registered a large number of new voters and he won a couple of states in the primaries but his leftest views on many issues gave him no shot at the democratic nomination.

Barack Obama's upbringing in a multi cultural society also contributes to his centrist positions. Growing up black, white and Indonesian gives him a unique vision to see things from a lot of different perspectives. He is a politician running on the platform of change and compromise to get things done in Washington. His politics run to the center because that is where the majority of people in America are. Its hard to compromise with a zealot on either side of the isle.

If you want to be president of all the people by representing half of the people.