Yesterday I saw a bumper sticker on a mini-van that said “America, BLESS GOD”.
It reminded me of the late George Carlin’s last HBO special “Its Bad for Ya” where he blasts this slogan (watch here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuOBf-39t64). I couldn’t agree more.
After eight painful-to-bear years of W, we finally found some relief (I almost said “hope”). B.O. came along and projected reason, thought and calm. That was 2008. I was in college and was fortunate enough to be living in Italy for that entire Fall semester. I witnessed this most grueling election from Rome and I saw how much Italians and Europeans cared. They at least understood what Obama stood for; they were strongly pulling in his favor. I was too. I was sick of the status quo, the war-mongering, the lobbying, the shallow and cliché ”I fight for the little guy” and “I’m a Washington outsider” garbage. Most of my peers and teachers were also pulling for this guy to lead our great nation. Many of us joked that if McCain won, we would stay in Italy because it would essentially be the final nail in the coffin. One night, less than two weeks before election day, I met a girl at a pub and talked to her for a while about life in Rome, studying abroad and, regretfully, the election going on back home. Once I learned that she supported Sarah Palin (remember her?), I fell ill. The news stands were scattered with Euro-porn and Italian, British, American, German, and French newspapers all hyping the election (the Euro-porn wasn’t hyping the election, to clarify) and this single-sex religious college chick has not opened her eyes. He won and so I allowed myself to return home at the end of the year (for the record, I did not vote).
Expectations were high. Every speech he delivered was a massage to my tired perception of politics. But whats that Barack? ”God bless you and God bless the United States of America?”
Its evident our president possess the mind to see what an unfortunate phrase this is – and I am not flattering him with this statement. Now, I am as misinformed as the next person because I rely on the media in so many ways (Mark Twains qoute, “If you don’t read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed” comes to mind) but ultimately, I offer my honest personal perceptions and judgement. In fact, and I hesitate to admit this (pero que se joda), the loudest voice in my internal debate isn’t the voice of reason but instead the voice of love and ethics (49/51). In the question of who to vote for, which is more powerful a decider: a strong intuitive affirmation of someones personality or a shallow understanding of a highly technical debate controlled by the media? Or this: a weak intuitive sense/ emotional indifference towards someone or a strong understanding of a highly technical debate also controlled by the media? I am not a politician or an economist and I didn’t become interested in these important issues until I left my nest and learned to fly (one my own, I might add). I am still young ergo I belong in the former category of ethically-minded and ignorant-to-the-issues people. Yet those who know me, know I believe that all persons and cultures have ignorance in common. The question is of what type, and to what degree.
So why the God talk? Obama has really come a long way since his crowd-tearing speeches of 2008. For one, his job description changed. He’s a decision-maker, not a support-getter…but hes also a support-getter (FF to 11 seconds: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRaTekm9Ak8). And perhaps what has changed the most is that he now needs the support of a different group of individuals. Starts with “C” and ends with “ongress”. Yes. That generally useless group of lawyers who all have one thing in common: they are good at being liked by 51% of their constituency. (Tangent: think about how much attention is paid to a presidential election. Now think about how much attention is paid to the elections of politicians from which we choose our future president). Congressmen say what they need to in order to get their seat. What set Obama apart was his willingness to say things that no one else would say (like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTxXUufI3jA) or that no one else really believed or believed they could say.
So it seems our president’s time in Washington, now fighting an obstructionist Congress and an angry, torches-in-hand, “we want our country back” mob (read: Tea-baggers), has made him not only watch his mouth but also cater to their ideology. He admission that he prays everyday and that his pastor sends him a Bible verse for breakfast everyday has let me down. Does anyone really believe that Obama is religious enough to believe that God blesses America?
Who is really clinging here? And is it to religion or to public support?
