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According to Wikipedia, a “Sister Souljah moment” (referring to candidate Bill Clinton’s public scolding of the hip-hop MC and political activist) “is a politician’s public repudiation of an allegedly extremist person or group, statement, or position perceived to have some association with the politician or their party. Such an act of repudiation is designed to signal to centrist voters that the politician is not beholden to traditional, and sometimes unpopular, interest groups associated with the party, although such a repudiation runs the risk of alienating some of the politician’s allies and the party’s base voters.” Candidate Barack Obama is making some of his previously most enthusiastic supporters feel like Sister Souljah lately.
After supporting Barack in the primary over the seemingly more war-hungry and corporatist Hillary, what are we progressive patriots who care about a sane foreign policy, just economics, and a moderate judiciary going to do now, vote for a spoiler like Nader, McKinney or Bob Barr, and risk four more years of Bush policies?
First, last week Obama reneged on his promise to filibuster any FISA bill that includes retroactive immunity for telecommunications companies who helped the government spy on us illegally, and far from filibustering it, is now supporting such a bill, on very flimsy pretexts. Then yesterday he repudiated the very reasonable remarks of General Wesley Clark (for whom I had had veep hopes) that McCain’s war service does not especially qualify him to make foreign policy decisions. And now, in today’s “patriotism” speech in Independence MO, he’s attacked the huge anti-Iraq-War group MoveOn.org – one of his biggest groups of supporters – for their silly “General Betrayus” ad of a few months back.
I want to ask you Independents and wavering Republicans who frequent the OJ blog, is this working for you? I hope so, because I think you’re the intended audience…
Well, well, well! I guess “the bloom is off the rose” eh?
Though odds are I will vote for Obama, and his candidacy is historic, he, as a candidate, is not all that remarkable.
See, Barack, no brownie points from the righties, just schadenfreude from Hillary supporters.
I’m still voting for McCain, Mr. Souljah. Sometimes people get more reasonable as they get closer to the reality of being in power. Look at the pro-management positions taken by former union-lackey Mayor Villaraigosa now that he is mayor and hence management.
I know you’ll vote for McCain, St. John. (and when can we look forward to your next post?)
My mission – with you – is to convince you that splitting your ticket John Mc Cain / Debbie Cook makes good sense. Don’t say anything yet! Blog post in the works.
Just poking a little fun Vern and I am not so much enjoying others troubles as noting the obvious….I think…??! ~M