Honesty and emotional intellect Obama"s big assets
Honesty and emotional intellect Obama"s big assets
Story by RASNA WARAH
Publication Date: 4/7/2008 IN THE MURKY WORLD OF politics where lying is considered to be an art form and a survival tactic, it is refreshing to see a politician speak with such honesty that his words leave a permanent impression on one"s mind.
I am talking about Barack Obama. Here"s a man who can put all Kenyan politicians to shame with his ability to confront the truth, not just about himself, but about American society, with such clarity, it leaves even his detractors speechless.
Through his books, Obama has exposed his soul to the world and entered places where no politician dare go. Like many children of mixed parentage, he has admitted to having ambiguous feelings about his black Kenyan father " a man he barely knew " and about his maternal relatives, including his white grandmother, who helped raise him " a woman who confessed to being afraid of black men who passed her on the street, and who on more than one occasion, had uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that had made the young Obama cringe.
In his book, Dreams From My Father, Obama, unlike most American politicians, admits that self-doubt dominated his youth largely because he was trying to become a "black man in America", yet no one around him knew exactly what that meant.
The feeling of not knowing where he belonged or where he fit in led him to experiment with various drugs because he "grew tired of trying to untangle a mess" that wasn"t of his making.
His journey to Kenya some years after his father died helped him to reclaim his blackness without denouncing his white ancestry.
This transformation allowed him to view his own parentage and American society at large with a wide enough lens to accommodate all races and ethnic groups.
In what might be considered his best speech yet, Obama explained to a Philadelphia audience why race or ethnic stereotypes have no place in societies that are built on the concept of justice, and that if Americans looked at their society through this prism, they would see that there are people of all races who have not benefited from the American dream.
"Like the anger within the black community... resentments aren"t always expressed in polite company," said Obama. "But they have helped shape the political landscape for at least a generation... Talk show hosts and conservative commentators built entire careers unmasking bogus claims of racism while dismissing legitimate discussions of racial injustice and inequality as mere political correctness or reverse racism...
""JUST AS BLACK ANGER OFTEN proved counterproductive, so have these resentments distracted attention from the real culprits of the middle class squeeze " a corporate culture rife with insider dealing, questionable accounting practices, and short-term greed; a Washington dominated by lobbyists and special interests; economic policies that favour the few over the many."
It was a courageous statement to make, especially in a racially polarised society where loyalty to one"s race is considered a sacred duty by many.
What makes Obama so special is that he has the ability to rise above petty politics and name-calling, which has dominated the US presidential race so far, and to make his flaws look like virtues.
Even as Hillary Clinton tried to score points by claiming that she had more experience than he did, Obama managed to convince voters that his lack of experience may actually be what the American electorate needed.
"People want judgement and hope that experience is often a good proxy... Experience can actually be an impediment to good judgement," he responded.
Voters are bound to compare Obama"s style with that of Clinton. Despite being a woman, Clinton seems to be out of touch with her own feelings, not to mention those of the American public.
Her speeches appear calculated and insincere. Image consultants have tried to tone down her brash over-ambitious zeal with softer speeches, and an odd tear or two, but even when she tries to show emotion, it seems staged.
She is a product of cut-throat American corporate and political life " all style, no substance. In a pre-Obama era, she would have been the perfect candidate for the job of president; she has the toughness of Martha Karua and the intellectual clout of Golda Meir. But she lacks the emotional intelligence and sincerity that make Obama so appealing.
The American masses, it seems, are rebelling against the fakeness and insincerity of American political life by teaming around Obama, a man who couldn"t lie even if you tied him up with bomb attached to his stomach.
The question that will always haunt me is this: if Obama had, by some quirk of fate, been raised in Kenya, would he have become a different kind of man? Would he have joined the bandwagon of lying, corrupt politicians? Or would his soul have remained intact? I will never know.
RE: Honesty and emotional intellect Obama"s big assets
Quote:
ORIGINAL: wahoohunter
In his book, Dreams From My Father, Obama, unlike most American politicians, admits that self-doubt dominated his youth largely because he was trying to become a "black man in America", yet no one around him knew exactly what that meant.
The feeling of not knowing where he belonged or where he fit in led him to experiment with various drugs because he "grew tired of trying to untangle a mess" that wasn"t of his making.
Should I write a book about my struggle to become a "***anese girl in America?" Anyone interested?
So then he used drugs to "untanglea mess that wasn't of his making." Well gee, ain't that sad. What a load. He used drugs to get high just like everyone else who does drugs.
Hearing an intelligent guy who has make it BIG, BIG, BIG,do all this whining makes mewant to barf. United States Senator Barack Obama, the poor opressed black dude. Give me a moment to brush away the tears.
Yuck, Yuck, Yuck.
__________________
Proud parents of our own "Daddy's Little Girls"
I heard Jesus He drank wine and I bet we'd get along just fine.
RE: Honesty and emotional intellect Obama"s big assets
He's more truthful than Hillary, I give you that. But to say he would have left the church if Wright hadn't retired is BS, like America is going to believe Barack puts up with 20 years of racism and anti-American sentiment, but draws the line at 21. I believe he also lied about troops being in Iraq, as it has come to light he won't be pulling out willy nilly as he has stated.
RE: Honesty and emotional intellect Obama"s big assets
Well, he lacks discernment. Thats for sure. Anyone that would sit in that church with that racist overtones in public office lacks discernment, and should not be allowed to sit as POTUS.
Honesty and emotional intellect Obama"s big assets
