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Email ThisI recently got enmeshed in a sparring session defending accusations against George Bush’s motives in Iraq. Read that last line again, just so it’s clear: “defending accusations,” not “defending actions.” The war sucks, big time. I don’t like it, and I think it’s a terrible idea in retrospect. But go read the other post if you want to join that conversation.
So, to show how magnanimous and equitable I am, I’m going to try my hand at defending accusations against Barack Obama. That’s right. The man I’m absolutely not voting for in the upcoming election. The reason I feel the need to do this is because like I’ve been saying a lot lately, I may not like a politician’s policies, but what I dislike more is unsubstantiated sensationalism, which is so much of political media coverage.
To summarize: there are all sorts of stupid chatter about Jim Johnson, the man helping lead the VP search. I don’t know much about the man, except that he got a great deal on a mortgage from the CEO of Countrywide who happens to be his pal. Boo f-ing hoo. That’s what friends are for, I say. The CEO of Countrywide can do whatever he pleases where his business is concerned. Here’s a little golden rule of business: give your best customers the best price. I’m sure you know a bartender at a local pub who gives you a two-fer, or have an Uncle in the car business who waives a couple fees on your new ride. And if you were a multi-millionaire, you’d be pressing for the same kinds of deals, just bigger. It’s not illegal, it’s a normal cost of business, that ideally should drive additional business. Happy customers provide referrals.
My point is this: if you want to contest Mr. Johnson’s qualities as an advisor, go for it. Or if you want to trash Countrywide’s decisions in lending throughout the subprime debacle, go for it, (but please don’t forget to include the Fed in that argument, they are the ones who made it so easy to do.)
But so far, the whining about this deal is weak: the evidence (that loans at competitive rates were offered) doesn’t prove Mr. Johnson is unethical, just lucky. You better bet if my best friend was the CEO of Countrywide I’d ask for a deal! When banks are turning away 7 out of 10 deals, liquidity is dried up in the marketplace, and jumbo loans are being charged higher rates than any other product line - this is the kind of wheeling and dealing you need to do. Too bad for the naysayers, it’s not illegal. Without express knowledge of Mr. Johnson’s balance sheet and credit profile, we’re hard pressed to determine if this is a bad business decision for Countrywide and as of right now, the accusations are petty whining, amounting to crystal ball predictions.
There is too little information to accuse anyone of wrong-doing in the personal loans between Countrywide and Johnson. I await further evidence which could tip the scales, and if we find actual wrong-doing, I will personally invite you to a field day on my site, at my expense! That’s what friends are for, right? But as of right now, we should all take it easy.
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Interesting post, I find myself agreeing with you here. All of Obama’s other associations still paint him a bad candidate and adding this guy in, even as a small problem, still adds to the grand scheme of things for Obama.
Has Obama come out yet with the ol’ “This is not the Jim Johnson I have known for the last couple years!”…no? wait for it..
@Chris Ford - Obama’s pastor was probably his most tragic mistake. I cannot imagine what he saw in that church, quite frankly, it frightens me.
You be the first to email me if it were to happen w/ Johnson, okay?
whats wrong with Obama’s pastor? That church is mainstream. NPR went down to Chicago and tried to get any black religious figure on record to go against what reverand wright was saying. Not one did! not one, so all the churches and their constituents agree with Wright. And 9/11 was definantly a result of our foreign policy comming home to roost. The aids thing is rediculous, however.
@latdrop -
Sorry, I should clarify what I mean.
I’m not afraid of Wright and his church as in I’d be afraid to go there, I mean that his rhetoric sounds like unstudied, over-zealous showmanship. It’s entertaining for sure, but I cannot take him seriously, and it “frightens” me that anyone could.
Wright lost me at “God D*mn America” and a few of his other catchy phrases. I can’t take it at all seriously as spiritual enrichment or political positioning. If Obama told me Wright was his favorite stand-up comedian, I’d have no problem with that.
A lot of things labled “mainstream” I find unpleasant, like Britney Spears, so that doesn’t improve the image of the church for me. The bottom line is that Wright is not a religious leader I’d ever follow, nor would want the leader of my country following.
In this case, I personally feel that Obama should have had better judgement to see it coming, rather than wait for the uprising to distance himself.
In Obama’s book, Audacity of Hope, and his read aloud of said book, he states that he came to terms and accepted the Black Liberation Theology that the church preaches. Now, there should be a couple of things about that that scare all of us. Number one, would McCain or Hillary stand a snowball’s chance in hell if they went to a church that was founded on White Theology? It is then hypocritical for anyone to argue that point unless you see that scenario.
Let me hit on the second point by giving you a direct quote from Black Liberation Theology as according to Cone, the man that Wright said we must read in order to understand the concept….
“Black theology refuses to accept a God who is not identified totally with the goals of the black community. If God is not for us and against white people, then he is a murderer, and we had better kill him. The task of black theology is to kill Gods who do not belong to the black community … Black theology will accept only the love of God which participates in the destruction of the white enemy. What we need is the divine love as expressed in Black Power, which is the power of black people to destroy their oppressors here and now by any means at their disposal. Unless God is participating in this holy activity, we must reject his love.”
Well, I must admit, after reading that I think that Obama will be a great uniter in this country.
I think people are looking too deep for meaning in this race, look at that description and read it the way it was written, that had better scare the crap out of everyone. I don’t want a racist of any color in the White House.
What Obama’s pastor said has merit if you have the background that he does.
1. His 9-11 quote was a quote.
2. Chicago natives are very loyal to their own.
2. The Tuskegee Experiment.
If you don’t know what the last one is, google it. After watching the PBS special and meeting a survivor, who never could have children and had serious health complications, I don’t go to “clinics”.
Goodness people, but the one thing I learned in history class is that there are alternate histories. If you are brave enough to open your eyes, be brave enough to look around. It’s like Plato’s cave…
@Beth -
If the Pastor expresses his personal feelings, I cannot argue with them. He experiences life as he does, I would never claim he didn’t.
However, I am turned off by the Pastor’s constant gesticulation and theatrics. I can respect people who differ with me in opinion when they converse at approximately the same decibal level and tone.
Bottom line, I don’t think the Pastor is intelligent, his politics are exclusionary, and his approach is abrasive. I look for more in a spiritual leader.
Milena- You raise the most relevant point in this whole discussion. We are talking about going to church, why is politics brought into it at all? When I go to church I expect to hear about salvation, forgiveness and the love of God, is that the messages we have been hearing from Wright?
It is one thing for Obama to attend, it is another to know that he brought his children to listen to such hateful venom being shot out over a crowd. Not just his children but all the attendees of that church. It is basically setting up the next generation of racists. We can not dissolve racism to a low level unless all colors play fairly, this man is just fueling the fire.
I don’t mind if he talks about the past and refers to those people as evil but he is spreading it across today’s society and it is pretty obvious that if Obama got to where he is today, that racism has taken quite the backseat in our culture.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/06/11/1133450.aspx
Whether Johnson’s deals are unethical or not, it’s a clear departure from the image that Obama has been trying to project. Nevermind the fact that he has been the corporate establishment’s candidate all along, he relies very heavily on populist sentiment, and he can’t have alliances that make him look like anything less than squeaky clean and incorruptible.
Gag.
Show me a church without politics!
Milena, I don’t think you understood me, and you obviously don’t know anything about his pastor to say he isn’t intelligent. I also doubt seriously that you have really given this any interest beyond what you have read/seen on popular news. Very hypocritical. I am not trying to be mean, but if you really think that five minutes sums up someone, then you aren’t using your head.
The gesticulating… goodness but he is a pastor! Fault his preaching style, but to assault intelligence, you must go deeper than that. Disagree fine. I disagree with a lot of things I hear. But take a moment to understand the issues beneath the hype. It is interesting to me that the clip about AIDS played in a loop over and over, but no one talked about the Tuskegee experiment, which was where the government gave Black men an STD, prevented them from moving, prevented them from getting treatment. This happpened to men in Pastor Wright’s generation. So while I feel he is very much “conspiracy theorist” with that one, I understand where he is coming from.
Speak with responsbility. That is all I ask.
Beth- I have heard and read about those experiments but that is so far off of this topic it has no relevance. The past is the past and we have to learn from it. My italian grandmother was spit on constantly as a child, do I go around talking about how us italians are treated horribly and digging up the past?
And for your information, I have moved over four times in the past two years. I have searched with my fiance for a church that fits us. We have gone through many each time and at NO TIME did we hear politics at all! The only reason we would choose against a church is because it was boring or drawn out for no reason. Maybe Obama should have tried some church searching too.
Not one comment on the fact that his children are hearing such speeches by the way! Like his gyrating impression of Bill Clinton “Ridin’ Dirty!” in the oval office…it’s dispicable!
@Tim - thanks for weighing in on the post topic! I know I shouldn’t have started talking about the pastor. You’ve accurately pointed out that the populist vote is what he’s after and they won’t like Johnson’ perceived shenanigans. Gag indeed. If only we could distill to what matters about the race. Policies.
@Beth - Well, thanks for calling me a hypocrite. Indeed, my post is about looking past a perceived ill. Well, I’ll qualify my above statement, “Based on what I’ve seen on the internet, my opinion of Pastor Wright is…”
I will welcome some deep, introspective thoughts, and more tender moments from Wright. I await his ideas that are not laced with hatred and enmity. I really do, it would change my opinion, which I’m open to.