Will Obama Be ‘Punished’?
April 2, 2008 on 9:25 am | In Race for Prez |
I’m still trying to sort out my reaction to Obama’s comments over the weekend about his daughters making a mistake and “being punished with a baby” or perhaps an STD.
The right-wing blogosphere and talkers like Hannity and Rush have jumped all over it (and, of course the lefties jumped on them). Click here to see the full video of Obama’s comments.
My initial reaction was one of horror. But then I decided to cut him some slack. After all, anytime you have to speak for 18 hours a day, you’re bound to say something stupid once in a awhile (Hillary would never make such a mistake, however).
I think I understand what he was trying to say: one bad choice should not result in a lifetime of consequences. Indeed, that’s probably what he should have said.
Still, it was an ugly assertion. As someone who has two kids whose babyhood I cherished every minute of, I think it’s safe to say I find his comments offensive, especially when uttered in the same paragraph as STDs.
How ironic that those words came on the heels of Obama’s endorsement last week by pro-life Sen. Bob Casey, whose late father was denied by the Clintons the opportunity to speak at the 1992 Democratic convention, ostensibly because of his position on abortion.
There are a lot of pro-life Dems in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, Obama’s words will feed into the notion that too many pro-choicers are really pro-abortion and that they hate babies, motherhood and apple pie.
I think it’s a big mistake that perfectly illustrates the dilemma the Dems are facing. If the superdelegates give the nomination to the battle-tested white candidate and push aside the black man who received more votes and delegates, then there will be blood on the streets of Denver (literally).
If, on the other hand, they nominate a guy who is largely a blank palette in whom millions of Americans have vested their hopes and aspirations, then the Dems 
will be, as Bill Clinton famously said, “rolling the dice” in a year when they had seemed to have a lock on regaining the White House.
Wherever they are, I’m have a feeling John McCain (and Jake) are smiling right now.
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It looks like the Dems are again in the process of letting the latte liberal wing of the party choose their candidate (the folks who brought you John Kerry and George McGovern). So you have to feel good about McCain’s prospects. That said, McCain doesn’t particularly excite me, so it is really only a half smirk.
But I’m with you. These guys give hundreds of speeches and answer lots of questions. I don’t hold the “punishment” thing against Obama. But there is no doubt that once you read his first book you come to realize what he really believes. If every voter in the country was required to read that book, my bet would be that he’d win fewer states than George McGovern.
Comment by Jake — April 2, 2008 #
Fewer than McGovern? That would be zero. Remember that bumper sticker from when we were both in the Bay State in ’72?: “Don’t blame me. I’m From Massachusetts.”
Comment by Terry — April 2, 2008 #