What Obama Reads

Once again, I am motivated by an email I received:

Open your eyes and see what he's reading!!!! Pass this on!!!

This certainly makes me question the whole candidate and what he says!
This will open your eyes.
What does Obama read?is reading "The Post-American World" -- it's a Muslim's view.

I am most certainly not an Obama fan, yet, I do not believe in baseless and/or erroneous attacks. According to Snopes.com, this picture is undated, and factually inaccurate as a characterization of the author and the thrust of the book.

Snopes quotes a review from Publishers Weekly, "...it is not about the decline of America but the rise of everyone else...a stimulating, largely optimistic forecast of where the 21st Century is heading...Zakaria predicts that despite it's record of recent blunders at home and abroad, America will stay strong, buoyed by a stellar educational system..."

Further, it is noted that the author, Fareed Zakaria, an Indian-born, Naturalized Citizen of the U.S., a political journalist, authored "Why They Hate Us". In that tome, he uses his upbringing as a secular Muslim, who also celebrated Hindu holidays, and attended Christian schools, to bring perspective to the issues of a post 9/11 world. He is described as a political moderate, though very critical of Bush adminstration policies and activities in Iraq and elsewhere in the Arab and Muslim world.

Because someone reads a particular book, conclusions cannot be drawn about the opinions of the reader. In addition to needing a full understanding of the author and the work itself, a simple question or two of the reader is required. I admittedly have not read "The Post American World", nor have I been able to find any questions or responses from Obama on his take of the book. Substitue McCain for Obama in the above picture, and the answer remains the same. Reading authors and viewpoints diametrically opposed to your own is to me, the hallmark of a responsible, intelligent person. If the Pope reads the Koran, does that act make him less Catholic?

There are a host of things that can be said about Obama's choices being less than appropriate, so his choice of reading material is by default low on the list. Particularly when he has provided so much material that is a much more damning and illuminating indictment of his character. Let's remember Obama's membership in the good Reverend Wrights' congregation; his choice of political godfathers in William Ayers; his personal, political and financial ties to the convicted Tony Rezko, for starters.

Any one of these issues should have been enough to remove Obama from serious consideration for the highest office in the land, much less any position of public trust. Not just for the judgement these acts display, but for the distortions, revisionist history and outright lies told to excuse and/or distance himself from those choices when they turned out to be polictically expensive.

Whether or not I agree with a position or opinion is actually secondary. My primary concern is the honesty and integrity of those beliefs, and whether or not they are owned, particularly when they are unpopular. I would rather have a leader with whom I disagree than one who lies about his beliefs to acheive that leadership role. That is the definition of integrity in my world. Tell me you were wrong. Tell me that you have changed your mind because of a deeper, fuller or simply different understanding of a situation, person or position. Don't insult my intelligence and lie.

I am not a political strategist, but I really don't understand why the McCain-Palin campaign have not simply hammered Obama for his judgement, choices and character. Further, they have allowed one of the most basic qualifications for the Office of President, experience, to be spun into an attack on McCain's age. Of course McCain has more experience, they say, because he is older than dirt. It has only been in the past week or so, since the Palin-Biden debate, that the campaign has forcefully, directly addressed Obama's judgement, as evidenced by his choices.

Perhaps this is the right strategy, bringing these central issues of character and judgement to the forefront at this time. I long ago stopped being a single-issue voter. It's one of the perks of age and experience...learning that the character of the person is more important than the stated position on a single hot-button issue. I refuse to believe I am alone in this perception, but, the vote will tell if I am mistaken in that supposition.

The Obama camp studiously avoids debate, conversation and scrutiny of the issues of character, instead focusing on ephemeral ideas, ideas that have changed based on political expediency. I am generally not a fan of the strategy of negative campaigning, as are most voters. However, when those negative statements are just that...statements...it can not be fairly characterized as a negative, attack focused campaign. Keep telling us what McCain-Palin stand for, but also remind us that a central, integral base of their stance is character, judgement and integrity. Have McCain and Palin merely refer to the astoundingly large body of evidence that shows the lack of character, judgement and integrity of Obama.

On the long list of questions I have for Obama, I would love an honest, forthright response from his former political and social activist allies on their opinion of his current distancing from and disowning of beliefs he once claimed to share. I think the fact there has been no outcry from the extreme left is telling. Perhaps they know something the rest of us are unaware of? Perhaps they believe he remains true to their ideals, regardless of the current spin taken in this campaign? McCain and Palin need to allow this deafening silence speak for them.

As much as I hate even the appearance of defending Obama, I do believe in giving credit where credit is due. The man is most assuredly intelligent and educated. I have no qualms admitting I admire this in him. I simply do not agree with the conclusions and opinions of all that intelligence and education. Nor do I agree with the methods he has chosen to employ in furthering the agenda and outlook his intelligence and education have led him to embrace.

So, keep the emails coming. Keep redirecting the discussion away from spurious attacks on ideas, returning to the important issues of character, judgement and integrity. If this is where the country turns as the deciding factor in this race, there can be no doubt we will have elected the best candidate.

And yes, history will be made...the oldest elected President; the first female Vice-President, and most importantly, the first time in too long proof that the American public is above being suckered in with lies, innuendos, race-baiting and class warfare. This last part represents the most important part of a McCain victory, a victory of common sense.

Again, I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat. I voted for Clinton and for Bush. I felt Clinton at the time was the best antidote for GHW Bush, and I didn't believe stongly enough in Gore. I do admit my vote for Bush was one of default, and I consider Bush-Cheney one of the most corrupt and corrupting White Houses in our Nation's history. This time however, I will vote FOR the Republican candidate based on my belief in his merits. It is just bonus to me that I also get to vote AGAINST Obama.