Open letter to Sen. Barack Obama
From one black American who ain’t gonna vote for ya
Dear Sen. Obama:
Congrats on the acceptance speech last week. It was “really aces,” as Holden Caulfield might say.
This was supposed to be the letter in which I took you to task for that part of your speech where you accused Republicans, and by logical extension, all conservatives, of promoting a “you’re-on-your-own philosophy” for Americans who are out of work, in need of health care or otherwise down on their luck.
I realize this is an election year and that candidates will say just about anything — I can’t wait to hear what Sen. John McCain accuses Democrats of believing in — but I couldn’t let that one slide. Truth is, senator, Republicans and conservatives don’t cavalierly dismiss down-on-their luck Americans with a disdainful wave of the hand and then sneer at them “you’re on your own.” Republicans and conservatives insist that help from the federal government should be a last resort. And it should actually get to those it’s supposed to aid.
Liberal Democrats these days believe help from the federal government should be the FIRST resort. Skittish as I am, my fear is that one day liberal Democrats will believe help from the federal government is not just the first resort, but the only one.
The first resort should be private charitable and religious organizations, followed by city and county governments. If they fail, then the state government should step in. The federal government, if it’s involved at all, should be involved as little as possible.
You see, senator, there’s still a dwindling cadre of Americans who believe the U.S. Constitution LIMITS the power of the federal government, and that it was drawn up for specifically that purpose. And after seeing my federal government in action — from the abuses of the FBI’s CONITELPRO operation (I’m sure your buddy William Ayers will appreciate me pointing that out) to the “war on drugs” to the underwhelming impact billions of dollars spent on public education have had since 1965 — I’d have to say those politically incorrect, slave-holding dead white males were on to something.
But as I said, that’s the letter you were GOING to get. Then, the day after your speech, McCain announced that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin would be his running mate. That’s when it hit me. All through your campaign, you’ve been touting and talking about “change.” (A word of caution, senator: Some voters are astute enough to know things can “change” for the worse, not the better.) With his choice of Palin, McCain has totally trumped you on the change issue.
Or, to put it the way some of the young brothers in my northwest Baltimore neighborhood might put it: You been played, playa.
Let’s compare McCain’s choice for vice president to yours, shall we? As governor, Palin recently vetoed 13 percent of Alaska’s state government budget, according to news reports.
Gee, I like her already. In your experience as a chief executive at the state or municipal level, what percentage of a budget have you vetoed, senator?
Oh, that’s right, you don’t have any experience as a chief executive, do you? (To be fair, neither does McCain, but military experience gives him a leg up in my view.)
Now back to Palin: News reports say that she resigned as chairwoman of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission in 2004 after charging fellow commissioner (and Republican) Randy Ruedrich with ethical violations. A year later, she charged Gregg Renkes, Alaska’s Republican attorney general with ethical violations.
Palin’s a Washington outsider whom McCain said he put on the ticket to shake things up in the nation’s capital. That sounds like the move YOU should have made, senator, with your talk about change and how things are done in Washington. But who did you pick? Sen. Joe Biden of Delaware.
Biden’s been in the U.S. Senate over 30 years. He’s a Washington insider. He’s NOT the vice presidential candidate you pick if you’re about change. And I’m not even going to discuss his integrity problems.
It looks like, senator, you cut a deal with the business-as-usual, good-’ol-boy wing of your party. And that’s not going to change diddly.
Gregory Kane is a columnist who has been writing about Maryland and Baltimore for more than 15 years. Look for his columns in the editorial section every Thursday and Sunday. Reach him at [email protected]
