Did John F. Kennedy ride the winds of change into office or was he the "wind beneath our wings?" Either way, his election signified that, back on firm peace-time footing after President Eisenhower's two terms, America was ready to move ahead with "great vigah."
With his uplifting oratory and youthful good looks, Barack Obama has drawn comparisons to Kennedy. Nor has he been quick to disabuse us of the notion that he can recover JFK's fallen torch.
For instance, in the spirit of JFK's legendary challenge to "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country," Barack issued a "call to serve" back in July.
Describing we Americans as "our greatest resource -- not our bombs, guns, or dollars," he promised to increase national service opportunities if elected. He'd double the size of the Peace Corps and expand the AmeriCorps program. Also, he'd create a Craigslist-like network to connect volunteers, including retirees, with opportunities for service.
The first to make the "linkage [between Kennedy and Obama] explicit and [give] it official sanction," according to the Telegraph of London was, Kennedy's chief speechwriter and long-time associate, Theodore Sorensen.
"Mr Kennedy reached the hearts of voters," said Sorensen. "And so does Obama."
He gave short shrift to the "experience" question that dogs Obama. "Judgment is the single most important criterion for selecting a president. . ." which, Sorensen continued, Obama "demonstrated in his position against the Iraq war even before it started."
It's one thing when a non-politician who also happens to be Caroline Kennedy, weighs in with a New York Times oped this Sunday bearing the none-too-subtle title, "< A HREF="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/opinion/27kennedy.html">A President Like My Father."
"I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them," she writes. "I believe I have found the man who could be that president."
But it's another when experienced Washington hands like not only Sorensen but Gregory Craig, one of Bill Clinton's impeachment lawyers, who might logically be expected to support Hillary, are swept away by Obama.
"The election of Obama will not only change the players in Washington," Sorensen said. "It'll change the game itself."
Hold on there, old-timer. That's light years beyond what the election of Kennedy, who was more of a walking, talking zeitgeist than a man with a plan, accomplished. In fact, what Sorensen is conjuring up sounds more like a new Mikhail Gorbachev.
Gorbachev? A Russian leader? Not the Gorbachev who dragged his feet on withdrawing from Afghanistan and who, aside from freeing high-profile dissidents, failed to inspire with his record on human rights.
But the Gorbachev of glasnost (government transparency and freedom of information) and perestroika (restructuring of the economy). As well as the Gorbachev who yielded to the Eastern bloc's nations to determine their own affairs.
In another words, we need a president who will roll back the secrecy of the Bush years and break up the media monopolies. Also, he needs to take the economy apart and put it back together again.
Russ Wellen is the nuclear deproliferation editor for OpEdNews. He's also on the staffs of Freezerbox and Scholars & Rogues.
"It's hard to tell people not to smoke when you have a cigarette dangling from your mouth." -- Mohamed El Baradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency
"We go to the moon and do the other things, not because they are easy but because they are hard."
Ok, so what's "hard"?
Obama could demand some kind of "sacrifice" of Americans --- beyond maxing out their credit cards, that is. An appropriate sacrifice would be to stop consuming so much energy in the form of coal and oil.
"O, but we can't do THAT," say Americans. "China and India might outpace us as the greatest economies on the globe."
Well, then, how about dismantling the military-industrial complex?
"O, no, not THAT. The only industry still functioning at full tilt in the US is the arms industry. Just look at all the jobs we'd lose."
Ok, well how about stop bitching about how high taxes are and start spending some of those taxes on social welfare rather than corporate welfare.
"What??!! Tax-and-spend like a drunken liberal? Can't do THAT."
In sum, are Americans even willing to consider what they can do for their country? Or will that have to wait for another 4 to 8 years?
by
delia (0 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 111 comments)
on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 11:58:18 AM
Voting For the reauthorization of the Patriot Act,
And NOT opposing the Homegrown Terrorism Act, S 1959, otherwise known as HR 1955.
Threatening Iran with Missile strikes, not taking Nuclear strike off the table, threatening Pakistan, and saying he couldn't bring the Troops home from Iraq before 2013.
He parrots Bush and Hillary too much on these important issues, and has VOTED to infringe on our rights. I don't know why anyone would think he would change anything. His actions and votes prove he wouldn't on anything except Domestic policies.
by
Highstreet (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 26 comments)
on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 1:05:40 PM
Don't count Obama out yet. I truly believe he is the one to do it. He won't be able to change the entire system overnight, mind you, but he will work with all concerned (Dems and Repubs) to make it better in the end. All he needs from us is our blessings to help him get the job done, I believe.
by
b2008 (4 articles, 2 quicklinks, 7 diaries, 43 comments)
on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at 4:08:55 PM
