Many American progressives, stumped by the similarity between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, have suggested a tiebreaker: Hero-worship of dead presidents. Just as Republican candidates deify Ronald Reagan, Ted Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy, and other auspiciously-surnamed individuals have endorsed Obama because he reminds them of that zenith of Democratic presidents. (I'll give you a hint: It's not Jimmy Carter.)
The assertion that the best candidate will remind us of Reagan or John F. Kennedy is seriously flawed. Kennedy's legacy was cemented when he was shot. But if we believe that what happened during a presidency is more important than the manner of its end, we can more effectively evaluate Kennedy's term in office. While his minor failings (like installing a Baathist regime in a little country called Iraq) are well-known, Kennedy-ites shrug these off, saying that Kennedy's handling of the Cuban Missile Crisis easily excuses his blunders. But was the Crisis really Kennedy's finest hour, or did he take the world to the brink of nuclear war?
Kennedy, a brilliant Harvard grad, author and senator (remind you of anyone?), was the ultimate Cold Warrior, continually criticizing President Eisenhower for the "missile gap" caused by supposed legions of Soviet missiles hidden throughout Siberia. While campaigning in July 1960, Kennedy was briefed by CIA director Allen Dulles on the realities of the situation. By 1961, satellite imagery fully disproved the "missile gap."
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I agree wholeheartedly with your thoughts on Obama; however, I would hope a semi-colon should replace a comma in your text,less it be misinterpreted that you assert Republicans "deify" Ted and Caroline Kennedy in addition to their supposed "deification" of Ronald Reagan (although, "respect" would be a more appropriate word for the sentiment republicans have for Ronald Reagan's years in the White House - I think most would scorn the use of the word "deify" as it comes uncomfortably close to asserting blasphemy, since our faith in God is quite profoundly a sacred sentiment). (Continued…)
2008 Woodie Awards
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Mike
posted 4/09/08 @ 8:28 AM CST
I agree wholeheartedly with your thoughts on Obama; however, I would hope a semi-colon should replace a comma in your text,less it be misinterpreted that you assert Republicans "deify" Ted and Caroline Kennedy in addition to their supposed "deification" of Ronald Reagan (although, "respect" would be a more appropriate word for the sentiment republicans have for Ronald Reagan's years in the White House - I think most would scorn the use of the word "deify" as it comes uncomfortably close to asserting blasphemy, since our faith in God is quite profoundly a sacred sentiment). (Continued…)
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