Barack Obama’s Seemingly Unfixable Image Conundrum
Now that Barack Obama has returned from his smash world
tour, the harsh criticism he has received in the press from
a fair number of media pundits has highlighted the one
significant problem in this political season, he may NEVER
find an answer for.
Barack Obama is an easy target for haters.
Check out some of the labels he has been smeared with over
the last few months.
1.) he isn’t black enough [a smear by fellow blacks]
2.) he’s too black [a smear by whites]
3.) he’s arrogant [code for he's uppity or an elitist]
4.) he’s secretly a muslim [code meaning he's not one
of us and thus, can't be trusted]
5.) he’s too inexperienced [see label no. 3]
Not only does Barack Obama have to walk a fine line out
there in the wold of politics, he needs the moves of a
top-shelf NFL running back in order to avoid the destructive
effects of these labels.
Code words do have a real meaning for people, and they
tend to stick.
This presidential race is likely to remain close all the way
up to election day, and it is not unlikely that McCain in some
national polls may actually pull ahead.
If by the end of the coming Summer Olympics in China,
and Barack Obama finds himself in a statistical dead heat,
he may have to go ALL OUT to rally the democratic base,
even to the extent of placing a hot potato like Hillary Clinton
on the ticket, if by that time he hasn’t already chosen a
running mate.
The candidate of change may have to for a time become
the ultimate of political pragmatists. He has to do what he
must in order to get himself elected. Because those who
oppose him will stop at nothing to destroy his candidacy.