The long Road Home From Birmingham

The primaries showed that the U.S. is actually the nation we had believed it to be.
• Minoru Morita, Japanese analyst.

… the choice is between the right change and the wrong change; between going forward and going backward….The right change recognizes that many of the policies and institutions of our government have failed. …
• John McCain


These words are the starting gun for the long homestretch to November. If you believe in the Idea of America, without prejudice or cranky- political bias, well, then something your humble (ex) Cowboy told an aggressive salesman last December seems clear: We already know who the next POTUS will be. This campaign is about nothing other than getting used to it.

That is not an opinion based on personal desire or partisanship. Though many will assume it is. This is simple observation. It comes from humble commentator who sees Obama as an unoriginal, paraprahsing tent-show preacher. Who thinks the entire Obama campaign is nothing more than exactingly paraphrased and concisely rendered “cover song” presentations of Martin Luther King Jr. speeches. Who hears intonations and deliveries that are specifically, meticulously crafted to follow the rhythm of MLK with a bit of JFK’s brain trust speech-writing thrown in and Ronald Reagan’s precisely positioned photographers just down and left of the "Obama chin".

We’ve heard this Idea of America stuff before. It is kind of annoying to the (Ex) Cowboy how unoriginal it is. In the end however, it is undeniable how powerful and good this preaching is for the Reality of Americans and America's place in the world.  

We have all heard this emo-speak dreaming nonsense about the Idea of America before. We heard it from equaly inexperienced politicians and less-proven leaders than Obama. We heard it  from the first Muslim-named President: Abraham. We heard it from the “October Surprise” consiprator: Ronald. We heard these very words from an activist now known to have plagiarized most of his Doctoral thesis: The Reverand  (Dr.) Martin Luther King Junior.

The Rhetorical link between MLK, (or for that matter; Reagan, or Lincoln) and Barack Obama is a real as we want it to be. Believers in the Idea of America, coming from both parties, should want that link to be direct, strong and openly discussed.  The Idea of America’s Promise took a midnight flight to Birmingham 45 years ago. Reagan sheltered the idea with great honor but he did not bring it back home. Barak Obama can bring it back home.

Thanks for Playing

The (Ex) Cowboy