Obama, Carter and the Politics of Passion Rhetoric and Empty Promises

While the connection between ex president Jimmy Carter and Barak Obama might seem far fetched, there are enough relevant links to merit that some attention be given to them.

It does not take many hours of listening to their methodology in the delivery of their speeches as well as analysis of their content to realize that we have here bothers in arms. Their passionate rhetoric on human rights and all issues deemed lofty by humanitarian standards, are strikingly similar. To them the White House would not be as much a decision center for the world's most powerful country, as much as a pulpit from which to preach the ideals that America stands for and the possibilities of the human spirit to stand above its circumstances and be lifted by inspirational hymns from their Christian fundamentalist churches.

They are what I would deem the politics of passion rhetoric and empty promises. Words, claims Obama, in a recent speech involved in controversy due to the accusation of plagiarism, empower and make for change. And so he borrows lines from predecessors and historical figures to illustrate the point. He does not mention that it wasn't the words that motivated the passion and the drive for change, but the actions behind these words. Carter also drew on the Christian faith based passion for inflamed rhetoric, to drive the point that we as Americans would hold the world to higher standards on human rights and the drive to democracy. Once in office the reality became much messier and among the many examples of rhetoric versus cold analytical global strategic maneuvering was his support of general Zia, a brutal dictator of Pakistan, who mocked the president into giving him what he wanted (remember the "that is peanuts" comment).

Carter and his good intentions never made for an effectual president that brought about the changes he so held close to his heart. The White House is not a place for idealists. It is a place for bold leaders and cold hearted strategists. We are an empire that is trying to maintain its ground and not be rendered powerless by the ineffectual rhetoric of dreamers and inexperienced presidents.

Obama would have us believe that if we want to, the world will become as one, that the power of his inflamed speeches will bring about the change in the world's perspective of how we conduct our affairs. He believes that his upbringing in a Moslem world and initial inclusion in the Islamic faith will suddenly bring about a change of heart to all those that so deeply hate us. He claims to breach the gap between black and white, Christian and Muslim, rich and poor because amazingly enough he is all of the above. Much good that experience will do him when he is facing a Putin, Iranian leader or other mavericks that proudly claim to have America as its number one enemy. Actually, those lofty credentials and inflamed rhetoric will only make him more hateful to those he tries to relate to. After all it is not the color of his skin or his upbringing or the fact that his father was black that will endear him to the world, but the changes that he is powerless to bring about.

Much like Carter he belongs to a church (personally I think his religiosity is politically driven), that has very questionable credentials. I would not belong to a church, synagogue or mosque who's leadership had associations that went against my deepest convictions. His church has gone as far as not only supporting Farrakhan, the controversial leader of the Nation of Islam, but has actually honored him. This is the man who called Jews leeches who prey on Blacks (Mosque Maryam, Chicago 19/16/03) and whites as "blue eyed devils". But lest we forget, Carter belonged to a church that segregated blacks.

Carter's years in office were crisis driven years and his capacity to effectively deal with such crisis is on record and can be ascertained from the results it had. Like Carter, Obama will inherit a huge economic and energy crisis, the threat of a Islam that has been bent on taking over the West since it started its march out of the Arabian Peninsula in the 8^th century. He will also have the immigrant situation to deal with, the educational crisis and the health and insurance debacle that will prove to be a nightmare of huge proportions. Does Obama have the right stuff? Who will he surround himself with once in the White House? Does he have the clout and the vision to actually make unsavory decisions that go against what he claims are his deeply held convictions? Carter, unlike Obama was a deeply religious man, who in the White House did little for the empowerment of America, both here and abroad. Obama, will inherit very similar conditions and I fear, act in much the same way. It's all talk and little else. And we, as a nation and a people deserve better. The founding father so invoked in speech after speech, had vision, but they also had gumption and courage. They were generals who stood at the front of the battle, colossal intellectuals who stood up against an empire and dared challenge it at the risk of their well being. That is not the stuff candidates are made of today.