Barack Obama: the new Great Redeemer

[Beacool]

Timesonline
May 16, 2008

Barack Obama: the new Great Redeemer

First it was Kennedy... now the US media are prostrating themselves before the saviour

Gerard Baker

Every decade or so the people who control the way we see the world anoint some American politician the Redeemer of a Troubled Planet.

In the late 1960s the media placed the halo on Robert Kennedy, the tragic dynast whose antiwar and civil rights credentials made him in life - as he remains to this day in death - a kind of devotional figure for most political journalists.

----------

It's been a while coming - neither Al Gore in 2000 (before the luminescence created by his recent joint Nobel/Oscar triumphs) nor John Kerry in 2004 quite fit the bill. But it's fairly clear now that, with the near-certain nomination by the Democrats of Barack Obama everything is in place for the media to indulge in one of the greatest, orgiastic media fiestas of hero-worship since Elvis Presley.

You will not see a finer example of the genre than the cover story of this week's Newsweek, which was entitled “The O Team”. This rhapsodic inside account of Senator Obama's campaign reads a little like a cross between Father Alban Butler's Life of St Francis and the sort of authorised biography of Kim Jong Il you can pick up in any good bookshop in Pyongyang.

Mr Obama is portrayed throughout as an immanently benevolent figure. Not human really, more a comforting presence, a light source. He is always eager to listen to all sides of an argument, always instilling confidence in the weak-willed, resolutely sticking to his high principles and tirelessly spurning the low road of electoral politics. I stopped reading after a while but I'm sure by the end he was healing the sick, comforting the dying, restoring sight to the blind and setting prisoners free.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/gerard_baker/article3941450.ece

Well, at least the foreign press notice the bias in our media.

[RandomKoolzip]

1. Oh, fercrissakes, can we cut out the "cult" meme already?

I'm an atheist and I'm voting for Obama because I think he's the best candidate this election cycle. Nobody believes he can cure the sick, and all the rest of that bullshit. It's just so tiresome. :eyes:

[BlooInBloo]

47. It's absolutely impossible to be for him because one thinks he's the best....

The fundamental assumption of Clinton supporters.

[mcctatas]

2. Why is it that the only people who saddle Obama with

Messianic characteristics are the ones who DON"T support him? Silliness really....

[Beacool]

4. Too close to the forest to see the trees?

:shrug:

[mcctatas]

12. ...

um, what?

[hokies4ever]

55. Too close to the scoreboard to see the loss coming?

:rofl:

[lligrd]

3. You Are Right, Obama Is An Alien Sent To Save The World

from Hillary. Give me a break. Obama won fair and square. Get over it and move on.

[Beacool]

5. The article is more about media bias than about Obama. n/t

[Occam Bandage]

7. The op-ed is more about "OMG LIBERALS" than about actual bias. It's a pro-McCain hack piece.

[lligrd]

11. Oh Yeah, That Media Bias Against Hillary

that only Hillary supporters noticed. All that Wright, muslim, typical white woman, empty suit stuff thrown against Hillary was really unbelievable. Shame on the media for that.

[Occam Bandage]

14. Funny thing is, the article does not even mention Hillary. It's a pro-McCain article.

[Boz]

15. Because its from Freep sources

[Beacool]

21. I got it from the Times.

Some of us like to read newspapers other than our own local rags. I read foreign papers every day and in several languages.

[Occam Bandage]

23. Then you'd have noticed it was complaining about Obama-McCain, not Obama-Hillary.

Do you agree with the article that McCain is going to be unfairly targeted by the media, leading to a possibly-disastrous McCain loss?

[Beacool]

38. Who gives a damn about McCain?

I don't.

[Occam Bandage]

39. The entire point of the article is that the "liberal media" is going to hurt McCain.

[Beacool]

49. Probably true, but since I'm not a Republican I could care less if they trash him.

I DO care though, about the unfair treatment that Hillary has received by the MSM for months.

[Occam Bandage]

50. Then why post an article about how bad the Republicans have it against the Democrats? If you want

to complain about the unfair treatment Hillary's gotten, find an article about that. Frankly, an article from a right-winger complaining about Liberal Media Bias only makes your argument weaker here, not stronger.

[redqueen]

59. "an article from a right-winger complaining about Liberal Media Bias"

Is that not enough, all by itself?

Jesus frickin Christ...

[lligrd]

19. But Methinks The OP Was Attempting To Make That Argument nt

[Occam Bandage]

6. Brothers! We have an unbeliever! Let us prepare an effigy that we may burn!

Then, we shall engage in group sex while wearing our Obama masks, and refresh ourselves with Kool-Aid!


(The dude in the article is a Conservative tool. Read some of his other articles (Googling his name helps); he's in love with the American Republican Party.)

[K Gardner]

8. I shall break out the purple robe and chalice for the weekend Sacrifice.

[AllentownJake]

9. Remember

to remain chaste and fast on Saturday for it is the day of our new Messiah.

[mcctatas]

16. If I have to remain chaste then I'm switching my party affiliation...

the republicans get all the action...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cliff-schecter/republican-sexcapades-me_b_30671.html

[Occam Bandage]

20. Oh, no. He's a Reformed Fundamentalist Obamist. They suck. We're

Unified Orthodox Obamists. Basically, the only differences are that we use sheep blood instead of chicken blood during sacrifices, and that ritual orgies are a sacrament.

[AllentownJake]

29. Blasphemy and lies

You also celebrate the date of our savior using the Chinese Calendar not the Julian.
We are waiting till after the election for the "purge"

Sheep's blood is unclean

[Occam Bandage]

35. The Chinese calendar is untainted and pure! The Julian is a relic of a corrupt past!

Its filthy fingerprints are all over the Gregorian calendar that Great Satan Hillary uses!

[mcctatas]

34. Now there's a cult I can get on board with....

but can we use red corn syrup instead of sheep's blood? Blood gives me the willies.....

[Occam Bandage]

37. Oh, then you're looking for a Western American Neo-Restoration Obamist church.

Of course, they use grape Kool-Aid, instead of red.

[mcctatas]

41. Do they ordain women?

Oh wait, who am I kidding, everyone knows The Obamist Church is sexist... :rofl:

[AllentownJake]

48. Now you know

We make all our woman parishoners wear Hillary mask so we can throw insults and ridicule their way during all services. It is the only unifying thing the various sects do.

It's the most holy of sacrements.

[K Gardner]

17. *sigh* The things I do for my new Messiah.

[Boz]

10. I have stuffed the strawman and the vestments of testicular fortitude

[nomaco-10]

18. Shall I provide liquid refreshments and arugula salads for all? n/t

[Beacool]

24. Actually, the one who gets burned daily in effigy around here is Hillary

and also her supporters. I guess that we now belong to two separate Democratic parties?

Sad......

[Occam Bandage]

28. Sorry. I'm such a crazy cultist, I can't help it. There's just something about

seeing a pro-McCain, anti-Dems piece posted in sincerity on DU that makes me want to engage in ritual sacrifice.

[AllentownJake]

56. We do it in our services on Saturday

When we worship the chosen one. We can't help ourselves. Your avatar contains the Great Satan.

[dionysus]

13. go troll at capital shill, your time is drawing near...shadows,of the evening,draw across the year..

[Beacool]

26. Why?

The primary is not over and I'm not breaking any rules.

Why is it an obligation for everyone here to have to agree with Obama? What happened to the party of inclusion?

[dionysus]

27. you have a very limited time left here to act like a republican on DU.

[Beacool]

36. I am NOT a Republican.

I have given enough of my time and enough of my money to the party and to many candidates over the years to be called a Republican simply because I do not like Obama. Since when is he the be all and end all of the entire party????

[dionysus]

40. he's not. it's people like you trashing our nominee and threatening to vote mccain that are fucking

up our chances to win.

[Beacool]

45. I have never stated that I would vote for McCain. n/t

[dionysus]

42. then stop acting like one just because your candidate lost.

[Occam Bandage]

51. Good. Then stop posting pro-McCain, anti-Democrat articles here.

[grantcart]

22. Why do you love RW sources that attack the Clintons

Bill Clinton was once their idol. His cleverly cynical balancing act - promising a return to high-minded tolerance while executing mentally ill prisoners in Arkansas, for example - was lauded as a brilliant synthesising of traditional liberal ideology with the political realities of the modern age.

The alert among you will have noticed by now that what all these spiritually uplifting leaders have in common. They are all Democrats

[Beacool]

30. It's not from a RW source.

It's from the Times of London, a pretty mainstream newspaper.

I have the Newsweek issue that he's referring and I too thought that the adulation was a little too much. I subscribe to both Times and Newsweek and the shilling for Obama and the Hillary trashing has been too overt for anyone not to notice. It's all I can do to try to read either magazine.

[redqueen]

32. The paper isn't the source, the guy who wrote the OP ED is.

Jesus.

THINK!

[mcctatas]

43. Kinda asking a lot...

when it comes to Obama bashing articles, all sources and columnists are canonical....
:evilgrin:

[grantcart]

54. He ravages Bill Clinton worse than Obama who he says is talented, smart and eloquent

The Illinois senator is indeed, an unusually talented, inspiring and charismatic figure. His very ethnicity offers an exciting departure. But he is not a saint. He is a smart and eloquent. . .




Here is an example of his opinion of Kerry


Kerry is a staggeringly inept politician but even he can't think there are votes to be had in impugning the intellectual ability of the entire armed forces of the United States



In this article he attacks Obama (and by extension all Democrats) as being far left extremists:


Obama: is America ready for this dangerous left winger?

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/gerard_baker/article3412540.ece



All you have done is quote from a right wing hatchet man who hates Clinton and the Democratic Party. Nice source.

[tokenlib]

25. Good, the secret of the sacred bowling ball is still safe...

It is the ultimate proof of the humanity of our great leader. Even the great Obama has his shortcomings--and the ball reassures us, that he shares our pain when our peers see us veering for the gutter.

And then we have the super B-BALL which reminds us that there are some realms where you don't mess with the great Obama. The truth of the balls will enlighten you...

The writer of the article is an idiot--but there is some humor in it all.

[redqueen]

31. Hillary's Supporters & Right Wing Idiots = BFFs!

Look in this one he praises Thatcher and her attack on the Falkland Islands!

Margaret Thatcher, prime minister in 1982, boldly declared the outrage would not stand, assembled a massive naval task force to confront it and pulled off a magnificent military victory that restored international law and healed Britain's wounded pride.

Let me state, for the record, that I am an inveterate fan of Mrs Thatcher's and regard her as one of the giants of the 20th century for her contribution to the advancement of political and economic freedom around the world.


http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/03/britain_is_taking_the_right_ap.html

Woo! Go Thatcher!



Feel proud.

[Beacool]

44. The Malvinas will always belong to Argentina.

No matter what the British think. Let's not forget that the US aided and abetted the British during the Falklands war.

As for the author, I may not agree with everything he said, but he's correct in stating that our MSM has fallen in love with Obama and has been shilling for him for moths now.

[nomaco-10]

53. We have all fallen under the spell of our new messiah....

we worship at his feet while drinking redbull and typing his name over and over again on our keyboards. You must not resist. Happiness and pride in your party are yours for the taking.

[redqueen]

57. So that month-long pastorbating orgy... that was Pro-Obama, to you?

Seriously, this is beyond ridiculous.

But whatever... throw your lot in with Pat Buchanan and this RW tool and whatever RW idiot backs your opinion up... but you might want to give at least a little though about why there's so much RW support for Hill.

[NorthernSpy]

60. Like hell they will...

:eyes:

[DU GrovelBot]

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[AtomicKitten]

46. You can just call him Mr. President.

[SeaLyons]

52. K&R

[Beacool]

58. Thanks Cricket!!!

:hi:

[Shakespeare]

61. Wow. Coming from the UK equivalent of the Washington Times, I'll take that as seriously as...

...it deserves. Which is to say, not at all. :eyes: