Tag Archives: Occidental college

Reason 5 – A Charmed Life:Obama Glides Into State Senate

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157 Days Remaining!

We normally don’t think of a person’s good fortune as a reason not to vote for him or her.  Sometimes, however, the way that good fortune comes leaves serious questions about what a candidate is willing to do in order to chalk one in the “Win” column.  It seems more than appropriate to weigh such tactics, when evaluating the candidacy of someone who, as a boy, was known for yelling “Curang, Curang” (cheater, cheater) and who as a man, blames so much on others.  The question, perhaps:  Is this a politician who lives by the spirit of the law, the letter of the law, or by what moves him most effectively towards his own ends?  Your answer may or may not leave you with a Reason Not to Vote for Barack Obama.  It will certainly leave you with another piece of the puzzle answering: Who is Barack Obama?

Reason #5

A Charmed Life – Obama Glides into State Senate

There can be little doubt that Barack Obama has lived a charmed life.  While apparently not from a particularly wealthy family, he was able to attend Punahou, an elite Hawaiian prep school and then move on to Occidental College in California, followed by Columbia University in New York and finally, after spending time as a Chicago community organizer, to prestigious Harvard Law School, where he was selected first black President of the Harvard Law Review.  After being selected President of the Harvard Law Review, he was given a book contract with Simon & Schuster and an advance of $150,000.[i]

But, in 1995, on top of all this good fortune, Obama was given the gift that has kept on giving.

Popular Illinois State Senator Alice Palmer had decided to run for a seat in the U.S. Congress against Jesse Jackson, Jr.  As a believer in Obama, Palmer encouraged him to run for her seat and endorsed him as her replacement.  When things went bad for her in the Congressional race, her staff contacted Obama, requesting that he withdraw from the race and allow her to recover her old seat.  Obama refused.  Undeterred, Palmer obtained sufficient names on a petition to be placed on the 1996 ballot, running against Obama in the Primary.

According to David Mendell, author of Obama: From Promise to Power, “a volunteer for Obama challenged the legality of her petitions, as well as the legality of petitions from several other candidates.”  All were disqualified and Obama finished the Primary unopposed.  With Republicans not well represented in the contested District, Obama walked across the finish line with an easy win.[ii]

Truly a moment for Democracy – eliminating all of your opponents on a technicality!

Your Turn

[i] Christopher Andersen, Barack and Michelle, (New York, 2009, Harper Collins E-Books),pp138-231

[ii] David Mendell, From Promise to Power, (New York, 2007, Harper) 108-110

Reasons 3/4 – Obama The Drunk Punk/Obama:Capable of Decades Old Grudge

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158 Days Remaining!

Encompassing his days at both Punahou in Hawaii and Occidental College in Los Angeles, the following two “Reasons” from 203 Reasons Not to Vote for Barack Obama, show a teenager out of control and a man capable of holding a grudge in a manner and for a length of time, reminiscent of the classic Mafioso.  But, this is neither.  This is the President of the United States.

Reason #3

Obama the Drunk Punk

We know very little about President Obama’s school years, except that which he opted to share through his book: Dreams from my Father.  Among the elements comprising his literary self portrait is this passage:

“…the swagger that carries me into a classroom drunk or high, knowing that my teachers will smell beer or reefer on my breath, just daring them to say something.”

This is the President with the bad boy rock star persona, carefully crafted to attract America’s youth.  This is the President who supports the “Occupy” movement – home to drugs, violence, filth, interference with private business and destruction of property.  This is the President who sends patriotic young men and women into combat and who controls our nuclear arsenal.

* * *

Reason #4

Obama: Capable of Decades Old Grudge?

Obama’s characterization of his relationship with his high school coach – Coach McLachlin – was that  “…there was some strain,” when he first joined the team.

“Coach McLachlin was a terrific coach, but he was also Mr. Fundamentals. He was very big on picks and rolls and bounce passes and chest passes. He never cared for behind-the-back passes, or spin moves. So we had some conflict. We had some tension. In retrospect, I realize that he probably was right in most of our disagreements. At the time I thought he was unfair. But he was a terrific coach, we had a terrific team and we had some great players. I have very fond memories of our team.”[i]

Although coach McLachlin apparently has good reason to believe that their disagreement is now behind them, one article says, ”those close to Obama say that the clash still rankles with him.”[ii] David Mendell, author of Obama: From Promise to Power, writes that when he mentioned McLachlin to Obama in 2004, he got “a visceral reaction” – that it “was one of the moments when Obama’s short fuse and healthy ego slipped out from behind his cool exterior.”[iii]  If that is indeed the truth, it reveals an almost frightening aspect of Obama’s personality – the ability to sustain a grudge – even one resulting from perceived childhood slights – for more than a quarter century!

[i] Austin Murphy, Sports Illustrated CNN.com website, Viewpoint (May 21, 2008), Interview with Senator Barack Obama, Obama Discusses his Hoops Memories at Panahou High, Retrieved August 26, 2010 from http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/austin_murphy/05/21/obama.0521/

[ii] Toby Harnden, U.S. Editor, (August 21, 2008), Telegraph.co.uk U.S., Barack Obama’s true colours: The making of the man who would be US president, retrieved October 28, 2010 from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/barackobama/2591139/Barack-Obamas-true-colours-The-making-of-the-man-who-would-be-US-president.html

[iii] David Mendell, From Promise to Power, (New York, 2008, Harper Collins), 48