Obama must beware of turning into a cult

[JoFerret]

<<...a very pertinent caricature of Mr Obama as the new Messiah. In fairness to Obama, the greatest claims for his near-divinity come not from his own lips but from his supporters. One of them is his own wife Michelle, who announced: "Our souls are broken in this nation. Barack Obama is the only person who understands that ... before we can work on the problems, we have to fix our souls." Even such a political veteran as the eighth-term Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush says Obama's political career has been "divinely ordered". His language is moderate compared to that used by some of Obama's youthful supporters, who talk openly of being members of "a cult" and of their rallies as being "religious experiences".

More surprisingly, seen-it-all reporters seem to have undergone a similar epiphany. MSNBC's Chris Matthews – somewhat to the consternation of his co-hosts – declared that Obama "comes along and he has the answers. This is the New Testament". The experienced Washington correspondent for The Australian, Geoff Elliott, reported: "You know something special is going on. The atmosphere at his events is such that one wonders if Obama is about to walk out with a basket with some loaves and fishes to feed the thousands."

Obama has a stock line which seems to play straight into the notion that he is an instrument of the divine. To a number of audiences, he has declared: "My job is be so persuasive that if there's anybody left out there who is still not sure whether they will vote, or is still not clear who they will vote for, that a light will shine through that window, a beam of light will come down on you, you will experience an epiphany ... and you will suddenly realise that you must go to the polls and vote for Obama.">>

What a load of creepy nonsense.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/dominic-lawson/dominic-lawson-obama-must-beware-of-turning-into-a-cult-787298.html

[aquart]

1. Well, I've always thought so.

Oh wait. Maybe you weren't referring to Obama?

[JoFerret]

2. I was referring to

...the very creepy comments quoted here about Obama's "divinity".
His words and those of his wife and others. The 'cult-like creepiness of it all.

I hope actual dems can help get a grip on this before it spins out totally in destructive ways.

[earthlover]

3. This cult meme is extremely insulting to American citizens (DEMOCRATS) who support Obama

Does Hillary and her crowd think she is going to help themselves by insulting Democrats this way?

Many of Obama's supporters are enthusiastic. I am sure there are some Hillary supporters who are enthusiastic too. It seems the Hillary campaign is like the religions who try to make themselves look holy by knocking the members of other congregations as not being Christians....

[JoFerret]

4. Dominic Lawson is not a Hillary supporter

...at least not to my knowledge. His is a commentary on what he sees.

I think responsible dems need to call on the Obamians responsible for this "divinity' stuff to cut it out and put a lid on it. Tempting though it must be to play on it, it will destroy him.

[earthlover]

6. Hillary herself has taken up the Messiah meme....

The problem with that is that it insults the BACKERS of Obama.

If Hillary thinks she can debate Obama on the issues, bring it on! She can harp on her experience relevant to his, that's fine. And all that.

But when the followers get called "cultists" and the followers of a Messiah, this is beyond the pale.

It seems that there is a lot of enthusiasm for Obama. Nothing wrong with that!

Here is the illogic:

Obama's crowds are enthusiastic
Cultists are enthusiastic
Therefore, Obama's crowds are cultists.

That is crap logic!

About as logical as....

Plants are living
Animals are living
Therefore plants are animals!

[susankh4]

12. Uh... er.... This is the UK, not Hillary

or her "crowd."

But then... the RW never does pay any attention to what other countries think about our politics. Do they?

[anitar1]

20. I did not realize that these comments were from Hilary. n/t

[susankh4]

5. Quite an intellegent overview of the problem...

The problem we are facing now, and worse.... the ones we'll be facing with Barack's candidacy if he gets the nomination.

Thanks for the link!

[OHdem10]

7. M. McConnell: We are really up against it this time; we are facding

a Senator who really was born in Illinois and another Senator who
appears to have been born in a Manger.

Opening at the Press Club Dinner shown on C-Span.

[JoFerret]

14. That's VERY funny

I hope he gets beyond the preachy phase by November.

It is already wearing thin.

[greenman3610]

8. right wing media meme, has already compared Obama fans to

Hare Krishnas, (cnn) and Obama to Chairman Mao (Fox)

[depakid]

10. Not a right wing media meme at all

I;ve heard all sorts of people and commentators both here and abroad who've noticed this for several months now... and for the most part they're neither Hillary supporters or right wing.

Hopefully, the campaign will recognize what the perceptions are and listen to the feedback. Otherwise, the Republican machine really will have something to run with in the general election.

[eztela]

16. I agree. Criticism has come from left, center, and right

Obama is a great candidate; it is the swooning by some supporters that is off-putting.

[zbdent]

9. kinda hard for a religio-political cult to start when all the religious fanatics

think Bush is the Messiah ... of course, they'd have to shift gears to claim that McCain is their Messiah ...

Of course, they put "God" on their physical representation of their God ... $$$$$$$

[bemildred]

11. Yeah, yeah, and Lawson must beware of turning into cheap propagandist.

[RainDog]

13. just like JFK?

JFK and RFK were both adored by many people in this nation before their assassinations let people know that the fascists would destroy hope. I suppose their supporters were cultists too. I suppose all the young people who joined the peace corps were cultists too because doing anything positive because someone inspires you to believe all politics need not be decided by a backroom committee and too bad if you don't like it...

The people I've seen who can't stop spreading this bullshit are Hillary supporters.

[JoFerret]

15. The people who "adored" JFK

...were a problem too.
Hard to govern from a pedestal. And if and when you believe your own hype it is impossible to do the right thing.

[RainDog]

23. oh, tell me, how were they a problem?

do you have any empirical evidence to point this out? you think the peace corps was a problem?

god I am so tired of ppl on this site who make bullshit claims about one thing or another and when someone calls them on it, they have nothing of value to defend their stance.

[Briar]

17. Too loate n/t

[yellowcanine]

18. "What a load of creepy nonsense." Uh - he is obviously poking fun at himself.

You may not think he is funny but "creepy" it isn't. It is supposed to be nonsense.

[JoFerret]

21. You think?

Gosh!

Many tongues then?

[katty]

19. barack: not the only person who knows our souls are broken

[JoFerret]

22. You think he is a mender of souls?

Bloody hell.
It may actually BE a cult.

[Igel]

24. Texas early voting is going on.

I'd read lots of stuff, listened to supporters and detractors of both of the remaining candidates, read a sampler of punditry and a pot-pourri of criticism, and finally decided it was time to choose a candidate to vote for in the Texas primary.

I decided I didn't much like HRC. Not really at a gut level, but just on policies, on campaign strategies, etc., etc.

But I'm not a rah-rah sort of fellow, neither much of a follower nor a joiner, and so it wasn't a strong commitment. I decided to check out what many said was his mellifluous oratorical skills before standing in line at the local Fiesta and casting my vote. After all, so many people have said that they knew he was presidential material the first time they heard him speak.0

So I decided to listen to him speak. Then I listened to him again a few days later. Then I strayed from PBS-land in a moment of ennui and saw one of his commercials, endorsed by the man himself. He deeply moved me each time I heard him, profoundly and at a visceral level.

He single-handedly clinched the deal for me. Each time I heard him, I was more convinced of the right thing to do, until finally I saw the light and became a believer.

Which is to say, I'm voting for HRC, mostly against BHO.