Hitchens On Obama’s Smooth Apologetics
CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS on Barack OBAMA:
You often hear it said, of some political or other opportunist, that he would sell his own grandmother if it would suit his interests. But you seldom, if ever, see this notorious transaction actually being performed, which is why I am slightly surprised that Obama got away with it so easily. . . . To have accepted Obama’s smooth apologetics is to have lowered one’s own pre-existing standards for what might constitute a post-racial or a post-racist future. It is to have put that quite sober and realistic hope, meanwhile, into untrustworthy and unscrupulous hands. And it is to have done this, furthermore, in the service of blind faith. Mark my words: This disappointment is only the first of many that are still to come.
March 25th, 2008 at 4:33 pm
I totally agree with Hitchens’ assessment of the situation and it appears from the feedback I am hearing that about 90% of Americans do likewise. Where in the world are the poll numbers coming from? Are the people just doing a number on the poll takers to confuse the issue?
March 25th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
So how should we respond to Obama’s remarks? If we take Hitch’s approach and say, “what else can we expect in politics?” then there is no hope (and he might very well be correct). Or we can scrutinize what he said for its content and examine to what extent he might have been gambling on an ostensibly apolitical response to his pastor’s reprehensible statements. You have to admit there were some rays of light amidst the bramble… Ichoose to be hopeful.
March 25th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Ah…
I’ve listened to Obama’s speech 4 times, and I don’t think he said anything derogatory about his grandmother. You’ve obviously only heard the “soundbite”. This is bullshit ignorant spin. Just stop it.