The Race is Not Always to the Swift(boat)

it was Antony, Caesar, who set me on the throne, and I freely admit that to Antony I have rendered every possible service. Nor do I hesitate to say that you would certainly have found me fighting loyally by his side if the Arabs had not prevented it. As it was I sent him all the reinforcements I could and many thousand sacks of corn; and not even after his defeat at Actium did I desert my benefactor - I gave him the best possible advice, as it was no use sending any more soldiers; I told him there was only one way of retrieving his disasters - Cleopatra's death. If he would kill her I promised money, protecting walls, an army, and my active participation in the war against you. But there it is! His ears were stopped by his insane passion for Cleopatra - and by God who has given victory to you. I am defeated with Antony and with his fall I lay aside my crown. I have come to you placing my hope and safety in my unblemished character, and believing that you will wish to know not whose friend, but what sort of friend I have been.

Thus, Herod, by demonstrating that when he became one's friend, whatever his personal defects, like perpetrating a massacre of innocents, his loyalty was enduring as reported by Flavius Josephus.

Somehow, nuancing his friendship with Reverend Wright in his speech tells more about Obama than will be recognized. He has proved himself eminently suited to be president of this nation. He is in the mold of the last few successful and unsuccessful candidates.

Had he said something like, Whatever this country thinks of Revered Wright, he has been my friend and I explain nothing about that other than, my friendship, once given is never taken back, he would have shown himself a gentleman and thus not in the mold of president. As it was, he did what it was thought he had to do.

I'm a loyalty type of guy. It can be considered a character defect, for if given to the undeserving, obligates one to do wrong. Once given for good reason, to abandon, or worse, to nuance it, for the bauble that is the presidency makes one laughable. Of course, it is the view of a tiny minority, the CEOUSA position being considered important and serious.

People are attacking Obama for having thrown his grandmother under the bus. The words "thrown under the bus" have been overused to the point the voice of humility deems them to have jumped the shark. We also deem "jumped the shark" to have jumped the shark as well. My problem with your man is the same as I have with Jay Severin. A lack of chivalry is a capital offense in my book.

Still and all, I would not have had much of a reaction to all this if it were not for his white supporters. Barack is just a normal garden variety presidential aspirant who happens to be black. Okay, he has sold himself as something more and the melanin impaired cool people have gone gaga over it. Now the intelligent reaction to the Reverend White kerfluffle would be to say, well, okay, he's just another guy, maybe it's time I paid attention to substance and see if I can support him on that. Nah, he's still a god. Below are the words of Dan Kennedy, a Boston area media guy.

Barack Obama's speech was first-rate — passionate yet subdued, easy to grasp yet complex in Obama's implied demand that his listeners hold a number of contradictory views simultaneously.

Yeah Dan, the man's a god.

He goes on to whine, The point is that it's all too easy to imagine some "independent" Republican group making a devastating ad out of the Obama-Wright connection this fall. Ya think, Dan. They wouldn't be making it up out of whole cloth, Dan. Hey, Dan, catch yourself on. What they said about the Duke and Willie Horton worked because it was true.

Udolpho does better on it.

Of the three candidates standing, I shall vote for none of them. Still, of the group, Obama is the least worst and Your Lying Eyes tells the truth on this one.

As to the bogeyman, ya know, I've been kinda wondering about himself. After all, all you get to see about him are the short clips of "GDA". David Henderson over at antiwar.com fleshes things out. My Ma always said, Son, no matter wherever you go, do something religious every day." So, I try to take up a collection whenever possible, but I won't be joining the Rev's church anytime soon even though there may have been a national overreaction to the man.

Speaking of Rev. Wright, in the movie The Commitments, there are a bunch of Dubliners whose leader is trying to transform them into a soul band. One of them says to him, "Don't you think we're a bit white?" William of Cork (liamascorcaigh) from the same island has noticed that though your man may not be named Swede of the Year, he is probably not in the running for the Hutu Pride 2008 award either. Hat tip Steve Sailer