More on Obama

Actually this isn't so much about Obama as it is about the media adoration of Obama, AKA Obamania.  It's definitely swelled with last night's victory over McCain.  There are only a couple things things that irk me.  When people fawn over other people, I am deeply troubled.  There isn't a single person who can solve our problems and to put somebody on a pedestal like they are the messiah who will save his people does a disservice to the citizens and the object of adoration.  Granted, this election is historic and has unleashed powerful emotions from many people, understandably so.

My first issue is about the historic-ness of the event.  It is historic, though I don't like how it's been framed by some.  I keep hearing on the news how great it is we finally elected a black president.  The way it is said, it's as if we've had a black candidate in every election since the mid '60's and America finally had the moral courage to take a chance on a black man.  Obama is the first legitimate black candidate EVER!  Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson have made their efforts in the past, but they never got very far.  They struggled with the fact that they were running to be black presidents.  Their appeal was mainly to black voters.  Obama reached out to all voters.  He didn't run on a 'black platform'.  There's also Alan Keyes from the Republicans, but like I said in an earlier post, I think he's nuts (the real kind).  The election is historic and I'll go with that; I just don't like the references to Obama breaking the black ceiling.  I know some voted based on his color, but that didn't carry him.  I think he really connected with a lot of people.  I don't fall in line with his philosophy and that will be an issue (that infamous spread the wealth comment just doesn't work for me).

I'm tired of being shown footage of other places in the world.  I know that people in these places may feel a connection with Obama.  It just seems that the news agencies are trying to show the US that we made the right decision, because these foreign folks are celebrating.  Honestly, I don't want their approval.  We were voting for our president, not theirs.  Getting it right is up to us to decide.  It's that I mind knowing that some people around the world are happy about the outcome, but it's being played way too much.  Along with that, I'm tired of seeing the news people near tears.  Too many are treating this like it's a holy communion.  It's an election; historic as it is.  Before we start celebrating too much, let the guy get in office and do something first.  The history doesn't count for another 20 years when there's some perspective.

That's my final post on Obama, at least for a while.  I'm not trying to be down on the man.  I do want to give him a fair chance, though philosophically we are divided.  I certainly doubt the country is going to fall apart.  It will hard to beat Bush at his own game.  I have a natural repulsion to things/people gaining overwhelming popularity.  It took me until 1.5 months ago to finally get an iPod.  I'm sure it's a personality disorder.  I will discuss McCain in a little bit.  I have less to say, because he spent so much time behind in the polls and the media didn't fawn over him that much.  His public image couldn't get under my skin as much as Obama.  I had less feeling that McCain was getting shoved down my throat.