Huffington: Enough!: Why Obama Should Release His Righteous Rage

[Wetzelbill]

Enough!: Why Obama Should Release His Righteous Rage
Arianna Huffington

Back in February 2007, I wrote about the role casting would play in the presidential race, and the American public's readiness to replace the John Wayne take-no-crap-cowboy model of leadership with a Gregory Peck-does-Atticus Finch archetype.

Given Obama's sense of moral obligation and social responsibility, and his "audacity of hope," I felt "the man and the moment may be made for each other."

Now, as the crises facing our country intensify, and the campaign McCain is running becomes sleazier and more trivial, it's time for Obama to unleash his inner Atticus -- or at least the key element of Finch that Obama seems reluctant to embrace: righteous rage.

"Finch had the riotous fire of all the great prophets in the Judeo-Christian tradition," John Cusack told me during our back-and-forth email conversation of the last few days. "He unleashes that fire in his final, great courtroom speech. If he didn't, if he refused to unleash his anger and contempt at the horror and immorality of racism, he would prove himself to be an unemotional man unworthy of our love and respect. Obama has waited long enough to show us this side of himself. Besides, we need to know that he can be a mean motherfucker if he wants this job."


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/enough-why-obama-should-r_b_125519.html

[unfrigginreal]

1. No! No! No!

Stay above the fray.

:sarcasm:

[FrenchieCat]

2. He's shown enough indignation Arianna......

He ain't no Hungarian Millionaire Blogger and Television commentator with little to lose.

I don't want a "raging" leader just yet. Let him get into the White House, see the mess, and then get righteously pissed.

He's close enough to Atticus for me.

[Montauk6]

9. Uh.... Greek actually....

Though, yes it's true, her vocal resemblance to a Gabor sister is jarring.

[Butch350]

13. He won't get to the white...

If he doesn't show some back bone NOW!

[Wetzelbill]

3. kick

[Solomon]

4. I've always felt that like a good lawyer in the courtroom, Obama is

biding his time for the right moment. Giving them enough rope to draw themselves out so that they make the case against themselves. And then Obama will give his closing argument, tying everything together for the American people. Then the nightmare will end, and a new one will begin.

(the new nightmare will be everybody second guessing him as president, every move he makes)

[Wetzelbill]

5. that's one problem

I fear they will do what they did to Bill Clinton, go completely batshit attacking him over nothing so that he can barely run the country.

[Armstead]

6. REading the full column, I'd say revive the John Cusack for President campaign

Or at least start a John Cusack Coach for Obama campaign.

Cusack is one smart mutha.

Bringing up Atticus Finch is a brilliant image. Gregory peck in that role is one of the images that as a kid drew me to liberalism as a principle.

[Wetzelbill]

7. Cusack is an impressive guy

My grandfather knew Gregory Peck a little. :)

[OwnedByFerrets]

8. K and R

[BlooInBloo]

10. Can't. He's black.

[AspenRose]

11. Why is it people don't understand this?

We cannot afford the "poor woman" or "poor old POW" being "beat up" by "the angry black man."

[BlooInBloo]

12. Because fundamentally, they really don't believe racism exists....

That's why they're "shocked" every single time it shows, for example.