Ten Things to Love and Hate About Obama

Ten Things to Love and Hate About Obama

My parents taught me to be fair-minded, so I try to find the good in everyone and everything.  For this I am oft-criticized, but it’s a part of my DNA.   When the topic is politics, I’m from the “everyone-gets-a-clean-slate” school of thinking.  I will confess I had a tad bit of optimism two years ago after Barack Obama was first elected, but I’ll further confess that almost immediately I began to develop a rather unhealthy loathing of nearly everything he has done.

Nonetheless, in the interest of bi-partisanship on this election eve, I hereby submit an entry that will make both Bill O’Reilly and Rachel Maddow hate me at the same time.  Here we go:  Ten Things to Love and Hate About Barack Obama (alternating between love and hate to keep it fair and balanced).

Love:   He’s OUR President   I’m from a rather patriotic family and we were always taught to support the man in authority.  Truthfully, I’ve never understood wanting to see someone fail, and I had hoped that Obama could unite the country.  It hasn’t happened, but it won’t stop me from rooting for him to succeed.

Hate:  He Smokes!   I can’t recall the last time we had a smoking president in the White House (one who inhaled anyway).  The fact that Obama has made Health Care his signature calling card, but has continued to drag on heaters, is amazing to me.  The press has given the Puffer-in-Chief a free pass for this, and he should make smoking cessation his midterm resolution.

Love:  He’s black – I know that Bill Clinton told us he was America’s first black president, but I think Obama has him dead to rights on this one.  Even without a suitable birth certificate, Obama has convinced Harry Reid (!) and others that he is African American.  All joking aside, I can remember thinking just 10 years ago, “I wonder if I’ll live to see a black president. “    Conservative or liberal, you should feel good about this important step in our nation’s history.

Hate:  He’s Arrogant – I suppose Presidents are not unlike heart surgeons in this regard.  I mean, we really don’t want a milquetoast for President.  But man, Prez, a little recognition of your own humanity might be a good start.  Never has a sitting president continued to blame previous administrations for all of his problems like Obama has.  Too much hubris makes Barry a one-term POTUS.  Earth to Barack:  Brett Favre called and said to get over yourself.

Love:  The Prez is Cool!  Let’s face it, compared to John McCain, Bob Dole was cool.  But beyond that, Obama is a hipster.  The Prez tweets!  The Prez has a Blackberry!  The Prez goes shirtless on the beach and is buff.  The Prez is a baller.  If American machismo is directly related to who’s in the Oval Office, then Europe is Potsie and America is now the Fonz.

Hate:  He’s got Shady friends – There’s a long trail of creeps in Obama’s past.  William Ayers.  Jeremiah Wright.  Rahm Emmanuel.  Chicago politics has never been known for its straight-laced politicians.  And as bad as the aforementioned guys are, I haven’t even mentioned Governor Bloggo yet. 

Love:  He’s got a dog – Look, Obama could have had any pet, including a cat.  He chose a dog, and that’s cool.  And the dog’s name is Bo.  That’s Bo Obama, if you need him.    Enough said. 

Hate:  He’s an Apologist – For me, there was nothing more offensive than to watch Obama use taxpayer money (and Air Force One) to jet around the world and apologize for American “transgressions.”  His first 100 days included his “apology tour” where he claimed America “…has shown arrogance and been dismissive, even derisive” towards the world.    Michael Moore can do this.  Our president cannot.

Love:  He’s a true Believer – I have some admiration for Obama’s determination in plowing through health care.  He was stubborn and dismissed the polls, believing that passing health care was his oath to those who voted for him.   Despite opposition, he rammed it home and has likely cost himself the house and maybe the senate in the process.  I have it on good account that Obama is not consumed with winning a second term.  For this he is unique and has my admiration.

Hate:  He’s a True Believer – That’s not a typo.  That same zealousness that garners my admiration stokes my anger.  Obama has a sincere disdain for business, and has never held a job in the private sector.  He believes that if government wasn’t the right answer the first time, more government is the next solution.  Liberal?  The First Hoopster is so liberal he refuses to go right. 

So there you have it.  Have I missed a significant item to like or dislike?  Join this blog and provide some feedback, or hit my Twitter at www.twitter.com/kshawsby or comment on my Facebook page.  And above all else, Vote on Tuesday!

Talk to you AfterWords…

Nomenclature and The Unlikely Disciple: My thoughts on words, plus a book review.

Nomenclature and The Unlikely Disciple:

10-25-10

I’ve been thinking a lot about words lately.  Words have different meanings to different people.  I think this is why context is so important.  The words you use should be carefully chosen for the audience you’re addressing.

For example, if I told you to get your electrolytes and work on increasing your lactate threshold, you might raise an eyebrow.  If I suggested you use a whisker biscuit and a peep sight, you might slap me.  If I asked you to give me your testimony and explain to me the last time you witnessed to somebody, you might be further perplexed.

The first phrase I shared above is distance-running-talk for rehydrating your body and increasing your body’s ability to store glycogen.  These are terms that marathon runners would be familiar with, as they have rich meaning and help marathoners avoid hitting the infamous “wall.”

The second phrase refers to bow hunting terminology.  A whisker biscuit is a ring filled with thin “whisker” like stems that hold a carbon arrow in place and help archers maintain accuracy.  A peep sight is a small plastic cylinder inserted into a bow string.  When the shooter pulls his bow back, he peeps into this cylinder and aligns his arrow with the target.  Most bow hunters quickly recognize these as accessories to successful bow hunting.

The last set of phrases are words associated within the evangelical Christian community.  A testimony is your spiritual story, or how you came to know Christ.  Witnessing is the manner in which you actively share your faith.

So, unless you’re a distance-running, bow-hunting Christian, one of these sets of phrases may have tripped you up.  You have to have context for these words for them to have meaning.

All of this is a rather long setup for a review of a book I just finished.  It’s called, THE UNLIKELY DISCIPLE:  A Sinner’s Semester At American’s Holiest University.   My take-away of this book brings me full circle to my opening premise that words matter.  Let me explain.

In 2007, Kevin Roose was a 19-year old freshman at Brown University.  A self-proclaimed agnostic, Roose was mired in English studies at Brown in his Fall Semester.  Because he was raised in more of a Quaker setting, he had very little exposure to evangelical Christianity, and consequently knew very little about a place like Liberty University.  (If you’re not aware, Liberty University is an ultra-conservative Christian college founded by the late Jerry Falwell, the leader and founder of The Moral Majority.  Full disclosure:  I have good friends who graduated from Liberty, and many kids from my church have attended or are currently attending Liberty.  So, I know more than the average reader.  On top of that, I got my undergraduate degree in English from Cedarville University, a small college in Ohio that would not differ much from Liberty).

Roose decides to transfer to Liberty to discover what exactly goes on at this “…conservative, Christian utopia.” He does some strategic, verbal gymnastics during the application process and manages to sneak in as a transfer student.  There’s a presumption that Roose is a Christian, as being a Christian and agreeing to The Liberty Way (a doctrinal and lifestyle statement that all students must sign and agree to follow) are preambles to acceptance.  Roose is accepted and moves in to “Dorm 22” , a ubiquitous building name which seems to be his Stalag 17, with Roose as Hogan to Falwell’s Colonel Klink.

What follows are 300 pages of sincere undercover work.  Roose starts out to confirm his suspicion that young evangelicals “…spend their time huddled in dark rooms, organizing anti-abortion protests and plotting theocratic takeovers.”  He expects to find 25,000 students who will not defy the wishes of the benevolent televangelist, people who will fulfill Falwell’s dream of creating the next generation’s Moral Majority. 

In order to maintain his covert status, Roose hilariously goes through a sort of “Christian bootcamp.”  His drill sergeant is a high school friend, Laura, who, as Rouse states, grew up in a “conservative evangelical family” and had “real Christian street cred.”

Laura introduces Roose to the world of evangelical-speak.  “Christian culture is not something you pick up,” she tells him.  “These kids are going to know you don’t belong here.”  For three days in Baltimore before his first day of school, Roose is introduced to Veggie Tales, The Left Behind Series, CS Lewis, and contemporary Christian music.  And , of course, Roose is warned that “cursing is a serious no-no in evangelical circles.”  (When Roose does slip and let a few “S” or “F” bombs out, he will learn the hard way that swearing, like so many other rules violations at Liberty, are subject to “reprimands” and monetary fines, all outlined and legislated in The Liberty Way.)

If you’re reading this and you’re a Christian, you’re probably starting to get that sinking, slipping feeling that Christians are about get another 1,000 pound anvil dropped on their head, that the Christians that Roose encounters will fulfill all the worse stereotypes.  You fear this because you know how Christians tend to be portrayed on TV sitcoms and in movies.  (True confession:  I laugh out loud at Homer Simpson’s evangelical Christian neighbor, Ned Flanders.  Why?  I’ve met that guy a million times!).

This is where the book takes a pleasant twist.  Roose is a fair-handed writer with a soft-spot for sincere people.  And one thing becomes increasingly clear to him during his four months at Liberty.  The Christians he encounters are real people.  Although Roose expected to meet holy warriors preparing for a crusade, what he encounters are roommates, dorm-mates and friends who share the same vulnerabilities he shares.  They have doubts.  They express fear.  They experience confusion.  They get drunk.  They have sexual temptation.   And yes – they transgress.  They sin.  And they experience forgiveness.

What’s so ironic about this is that Roose had never witnessed Christian vulnerability before.  He had to create a Christian façade in order to witness Christians letting their hair down.  And once he experienced the humanity of Christians, he liked them an awful lot more!  It seems that those within the Christian community are intent on building this false wall of “sinlessness” in front of non-Christian people.  But once you join the team, we’re happy to expose you to all our shortcomings, warts and all.

It got me thinking that the false front Christians often propagate is constructed with words.   If you’re a Christian, are you guilty of speaking in platitudes?  Do you toss around catch phrases like “the Lord’s will” and “I’ll pray for you” to your friends?  Do you jam scripture down the throat of a hurting friend who has no context for trite Christian-speak?  A little vulnerability and humanity might go a long way in showing genuine concern.  People outside the faith community don’t know Romans 8:28 from a lactate threshold.  Next time, offer to make that hurting friend dinner and save the buzz words for someone who cares.

I’ll not play spoiler on what happens with Kevin Roose, because I’m recommending this book and hope I’ve peaked your interest enough to read it.  What I will share is that Roose gets further entangled in Liberty lore , brokering a one-on-one, personal interview with Jerry Falwell for the student newspaper, an appointment that ends up being Falwell’s last sitting interview before his death in the spring of 2007.  Little did Dr. Falwell know his final interview was with the Unlikely Disciple, Kevin Roose.

If you’re a non-Christian and have a harsh view of Christians or Christianity, I recommend this book for its even-handed insight.  You may very likely share some of the common misperceptions that Roose did, and might be surprised to learn that Christians are flawed, yet sincere people who wish to extend peace and grace (yes, we have some funny ways of showing it at times).

If you’re a Christian, you owe it to yourself to read this book to see how the non-evangelical community views you.  And I encourage you to empathize with some of those views.  You need not compromise your values, but you may want to rethink your strategy.

As always, I'd love your feedback and comments.  Talk to you AfterWords.

Welcome to my blog...AfterWords

10-23-10

If you're reading this, you probably know me, and if you don't, you can read my profile on this blog...

Let me tell you my goal with this blog.  I've entitled it AfterWords and it is borrowed (nee stolen) from a number of magazines I've seen that reserve the last page of their magazine for a final comment, summary or a unique special interest feature.  I'm not a feature novelist or one given to long tomes about topics.  Rather, I hope and expect that this blog will give me a chance to drop in and drop out with quick hits (beyond 140 characters, sorry Tweeters) and without having to be reduced to pithy comments like one might find in a Facebook Profile Status (apologies to Zuckerberg and the gang). 

Speaking of social media, I have actually embraced it and I hope this blog can be an extension of it.  I resisted Facebook for awhile and ultimately it won me over.  I resisted Twitter for an even longer time, but because of my chosen profession of being a marketing professional, I've been forcing myself to embrace social media because it seems to represent the next wave of journalism and communication and it also has business implications.  Many establishment journalists and old-timers believe that my generation and especially the ones behind me will magically accept old media as useful and relevant, say, when they turn 30.  But I've concluded it's not going to happen; that train has left town.  Old Media is Dead, Long Live New Media.

I hope to be able to use AfterWords as the larger platform for sharing my political and theological views; sharing movie and book reviews; commenting on other articles and OpEd pieces I read; and, generally promoting the things I am passionate about.  These are things that I regularly do on Facebook and Twitter, but I've become frustrated with both those applications and their limitations.  However, I have noticed an increasing number of people who are merging old media and new media in really effective ways.  For example, I follow a number of establishment news services on Twitter.  So, when Peggy Noonan writes a column for the Wall Street Journal, or when The New York Times breaks a story, they shoot off a tweet and simply share a link.  It's like an electronic abstract, with a brief "headline" followed by a bit-link.  The reader can choose to read, or completely ignore.  I've also noticed many amateur writers who have no official "portfolio" or notieriety, but armed with a free blog and a Twitter account (or, say, 800 friends on Facebook), they simply package their opinions on blogs and fire off links into the social media universe.  And people read them.

Writing or blogging, with the added components of social media, can become interactive between readers / friends in ways that old media had never been able to imagine.  So, if you choose to occasionally read this blog, it would be great to comment in any of the aformentioned applications or actually comment on the blog itself.

Here's the really beautiful thing:  You may say, "Well, Kevin, who are you and why should we care?"  To which I would respectfully respond:  "It's a free world, tune out if you'd like."  Comically, my wife has been patiently watching me bang out this first entry and the curiosity got to her.  She finally said, "What are you doing?".  When I responded, "Starting a blog," she laughed out loud and said "...you mean, like one that other people will read?"   I laughed with her, but the answer is "yes." 

And if no one reads it, it's okay.  I've been suspending my need to write for a long time while launching a career and raising a family.  But, yes, periodically I think I have something to say that's relevant.  On those few occassions that I have stuck my neck out and written something more substantial, I've always been blown away by the positive vibe I've gotten and it rekindles my fire to use the written word to communicate, persuade and inform people of things I care about. 

So, welcome, thanks for checking in, and be prepared for me to launch links back to this blog via FB and Twitter when I have new posts.  For example, I am currently reading a fascinating book entitled "The Unlikely Disciple:  A Sinner's Semester at America's Holiest University."  It's about a non-Christian who goes undercover and attends Liberty University (of Jerry Falwell fame) for a year.  For those like me with a similar undergraduate experience, I think this is an important book for you to read and understand the comical yet legitimate viewpoint of those outside organized Christianity.

You can follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/kshawsby if you'd like those alerts.  You can also e-mail at kas0624@yahoo.com. 

Talk to you AfterWords...