Guest Comment: The emperor’s new clothes

As I absorb all of the hyperbole about the darling of the media, Barack Obama, I am reminded of the fairy tale authored by Hans Christian Andersen, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.”

The emperor, in this case, Obama cares too much about becoming president of the United States rather than complete the job for which he assumed in 2005, U.S. senator. He knows that he must give the public a reason that he should be president. He finds two “politicians,” Sens. Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, who convince him that his hope and change “suit” will be magnificent for his realm but invisible to those who are either too naive or not fit for his position.

The emperor becomes nervous and sends for his ministers, Revs. Wright and Moss, to view the material for the suit. Even though they see nothing, they praise the material. When his handlers report that his material is ready and the suit of “Change We Can Believe In; Yes, We Can Stand for Change!” has been fashioned, he allows himself to be dressed in this empty slogan.

As he parades throughout the land with his suit being eloquently presented, a voice from the crowd gasps and says, “but he has nothing on … there is nothing to the suit.” The emperor has new clothes but they are invisible. But, his chamberlain, Oprah, continued straight and upright carrying the invisible suit train as though it really existed.

Barack has become convinced that the American public is too naive to realize that the suit is invisible. Like the emperor in the fairy tale, he believes that he is fit to lead the nation, even though he does not have a proven record to back his claim.

However, Barack “wears” the suit, with pride, as he “parades down the avenue,” but those who are not mesmerized by his style and rhetoric realize that the words are empty promises because they aren’t backed by any substantive ideas to add clarity. They are invisible!

It is quite apparent he has become convinced by his “ministers” that he is qualified to be the leader of the world and to hold the most powerful position as president of the United States.

Here are his credentials. He is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School [where he was editor of the Harvard Law Review]. He has worked as a community organizer, university lecturer [on constitutional law at the University of Chicago] and civil rights lawyer before running for public office and serving in the Illinois Senate from 1997 to 2004.

After an unsuccessful bid for a seat in the U. S. House of Representatives in 2000, he announced his campaign for U.S. Senate in 2003. He has been a U. S. senator since 2005 and has been campaigning for the presidential nomination since the beginning of 2007.

What is most interesting about Obama’s recent history is that he could not get elected to the U. S. House of Representatives in a district in which he lived which is in the general area of the church that he has attended for 20 years. That church has a reported congregation of 8,000 to 10,000 parishioners and is ministered by the pastor who convinced him to wear the “invisible suit.” But, they would not elect Obama to represent them.

His senatorial experience, over the past three years, includes writing two books and campaigning for the presidential nomination while becoming the most liberal U.S. senator, based upon his voting record [according to the National Journal]. He has not chaired any committee as a U. S. senator. Obama has missed 224 votes (40.3 percent) in Congress and has voted only once in the past 20 votes during the month of April 2008.

So the emperor has new clothes but, for many Americans, they are invisible.

As we approach the Democrat Party Convention in August, it seems apparent that his “nakedness” will become even more real.

Will his ministers tell him or will he remain convinced that he is clothed but invisible to those who are either naive or not fit for his position in life?

Don Severe is a full-time resident of Green Valley. He is a retired president/CEO of an insurance marketing company, a USAF pilot, community volunteer, freelance writer, motivational speaker, father and grandfather He drives the back roads of Southern Arizona frequently in his 4x4 Jeep. Don is an amateur historian and archaeologist. The views expresses are those of the author, not the newspaper.