Rick Ellensburg asks “Why do conservatives really find the Obama campaign ‘scary’?” Then, in the patented Ellensburg style, does not bother contact or link to any conservative for an answer, but instead revisits his claim that the Right was a Cult of Personality focused on Pres. Bush.
Ellensburg’s schtick on this point is so shopworn that it was one of the reasons he was exposed in 2006 as a sock-puppeteer. Moreover, it is supported by the usual collection of links that so often fail to support his claim.
He quotes Power Line’s John Hindraker:
It must be very strange to be President Bush. A man of extraordinary vision and brilliance approaching to genius, he can’t get anyone to notice. He is like a great painter or musician who is ahead of his time, and who unveils one masterpiece after another to a reception that, when not bored, is hostile.
Ellensburg leaves off the next two sentences: “Hyperbolic? Well, maybe.” Ellensburg again quotes Hindraker because he apparently thinks it an example of cult worship for Hindraker to opine that Bush’s persona in a small meeting “is very much that of the big brother.” Oooh!
Ellensburg also links to books written about Bush. The first is David Frum’s The Right Man: An Inside Account of the Bush White House. Amazon quotes from USA Today’s review: “Engagingly candid . . . (Frum) is too sharp an observer and too unstinting a critic to settle for gauzy platitudes about Bush’s greatness.” Second is John Podhoretz’s Bush Country, about which Amazon says:
But Podhoretz does not necessarily march in lockstep with every Republican official. He has much scorn for the first President Bush and talks openly about his initial misgivings as “Dubya” rose to power and prominence.
Ellensburg follows with quotations — some from evangelicals, others from the 2004 GOP convention — thanking God for Pres. Bush’s leadership. Such comments reflect a worship of God more that a worship of Bush, but Ellensburg cannot be bothered to notice the difference. Moreover, as Steven Waldman wrote at the time, the 2004 GOP convention was “more like an ACLU retreat” when compared to the religious rhetoric at the Democratic convention from speakers like Bill Clinton and… Barack Obama. Ellensburg thus fails to accurately capture the 2004 convention, even by his own warped standard. This is quite the collection of BushKultists for Ellensburg to assemble.
Indeed, it is laughable that Ellensbug paints Bush backers in this way, coming out of the Clinton era. Perhaps Ellensburg has forgotten about TIME reporter Nina Burleigh writing of her enjoyment of being ogled by Bill Clinton and expressing her willingness to perform the same service for him as Monica Lewinsky. Or Washington Post staffer Joel Achenbach writing rapturously that “power was crackling from those jeans” during a campaign flight. Or Arkansas journalist Philip Martin, who famously wrote:
He is the Sun King. And if you look too long at him you will be blind, your senses flooded with his gold-spined brilliance. As e.e. cummings might have said of him, Jesus, he is a handsome man. Despite his too-big head and hands and feet and his roomy, rheumy allergy- ridden nose. There must be some elemental undercurrent here that generates envy in other men, not just the musk of power but something pheromonic. Since it is not polite to compare your governor to Mussolini or even Huey Long, then let’s say one of those Kennedy boys, or that rare thing, a soulful politician.
And so on. However, as noted above, none of this addresses the question Ellensburg asked about the Obama campaign.
Ellensburg drew the word “scary” from National Review Editor Rich Lowry, who called will.i.am’s second Obama campaign video “sad, scary, and hilarious all at once.” That this prompted Ellensburg to focus conservative reaction to the video says more about him than conservatives. Self-proclaimed Obama lover Andrew Sullivan has mixed feelings about the very same video. The Boston Herald’s Margery Eagan — a self-described Obama girl — suddenly found herself nervous about Obama becoming the Democratic front-runner, citing will.i.am’s original video as one reason among many:
I’m nervous because an otherwise normal grownup told me yesterday she’s watched the will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas) “Yes We Can” Obama video about 100 times and gets “weepy” every time.
I’m nervous because a longtime political type, normally quite cynical, now waxes rhapsodic about Obama’s “cool.” . . .
I’m nervous because too many Obama-philes sound like Moonies, or Hare Krishnas, or the Hale-Bopp-Is-Coming-To-Get-Me nuts.
These true believers “Obama-ize” everything. They speak Obama-ese. Knit for Obama. Run for Obama. Gamble–Hold ‘Em Barack!–for Obama. They make Obama cakes, underwear, jewelry. They send Valentine cards reading, “I want to Barack your world!”
Obama supporter Joel Stein featured the original video in his column on Obamaphilia:
You are embarrassing yourselves. With your “Yes We Can” music video, your “Fired Up, Ready to Go” song, your endless chatter about how he’s the first one to inspire you, to make you really feel something — it’s as if you’re tacking photos of Barack Obama to your locker, secretly slipping him little notes that read, “Do you like me? Check yes or no.” Some of you even cry at his speeches. If I were Obama, and you voted for me, I would so never call you again.
Obamaphilia has gotten creepy. I couldn’t figure out if the two canvassers who came to my door Sunday had taken Ecstasy or were just fantasizing about an Obama presidency, but I feared they were going to hug me…
Obama backer Dahlia Lithwick mentioned the video at Slate:
I don’t know when we started to feel weird supporting you, but: My friend Hanna thinks it started with that “Yes We Can,” video. I mean, last week I was totally crying watching it. Now just thinking about how choked up I got gives me the creeps.
The video also turns up in a Washington Post piece on Obama fervor which also reports that an Obama supporter, Mathew Honan, who is responsible for the humorous website BarackObamaIsYourNewBicycle.com, where the candidate caters to all your needs. And it was an Obama voter quoted by the New York Daily News who wrote: “Many of the Obama people not only have partaken of the Kool Aid, but they drank it undiluted,†which is an allusion (albeit inaccurate insofar as the drink was Flavor Aid) to the 1980 mass suicide of Jim Jones’s People’s Temple cult in Guyana.
At ABCNews, Jake Tapper has rounded up pieces from Kathleen Geier of TPM, Joe Klein of Time, James Wolcott of Vanity Fair and MSNBC’s Chris Matthews  not exactly a vast right-wing conspiracy  all noting that enthusiasm for Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign occasionally slides over into a distinctly creepy, pseudo-religious fervor.
This unease, even among Obama supporters, arises because they see the phenomenon that perhaps began with Oprah Winfrey introducing Obama at rallies in messianic terms,  but is fueled by Obama’s wife, Michelle, who said at the same rally:
We need a leader who’s going to touch our souls. Who’s going to make us feel differently about one another. Who’s going to remind us that we are one another’s keepers…
Michelle Obama has continued with such rhetoric, claiming that her husband is the only candidate who understands that “before we can work on the problems, we have to fix our souls.” Indeed, Michelle Obama informs us:
Barack Obama will require you to work. He is going to demand that you shed your cynicism. That you put down your divisions. That you come out of your isolation, that you move out of your comfort zones. That you push yourselves to be better. And that you engage. Barack will never allow you to go back to your lives as usual, uninvolved, uninformed…
Blogger Ezra Klein writes of Obama that “He is not the Word made flesh, but the triumph of word over flesh, over color, over despair…” But Ellensburg freaks out when Hindraker compares Bush to a big brother.
A band warms up an Obama rally with “Obama-alujah.â€Â  The Rev. Jesse Jackson proclaims that Obama is “running a theological campaign,” adding, “At some point, he took off his arms and grew wings.” Fanatics frequently faint at his rallies, on one occasion applauding Obama for blowing his nose. Ellensburg has nothing to say about any of this, but can get his knickers in a twist over Rudy Giuliani thanking God that Dubya is president at the GOP convention.
Last month, Slate’s John Dickerson asked, “(S) houldn’t Democrats who have complained that George Bush was elected on the strength of a popularity contest be nervous that this blossoming Obamadulation is getting out of hand?” Rick Ellensburg does not even recognize that it exists, making his column another useful reminder of just how far out on the fringe of American political thought he is.
Update: Insta-lanche!
I was told that there was dancing armadillos here… maybe I am mistaken….
JG has been a ‘dillo tease for some time now.
If Andrew and McEllersons and their ilk accuse our side of it, I have long since learned to recognize it as projection.
I used to wonder “Is it possible for him to be this obtuse”, and then I realize what a silly question that is. He is far more obtuse than we could ever imagine him being.
Mona – Get your nose out of his jock.
“Barack Obama will require you to work.”
And work will set you free.
All we need now is a comet and some purple cloth.
Purple Cloth?
JD launches the pre-emptive strike on Mona! How very BushCo! ;-)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heaven's_Gate_(cult)
Purple cloth
And no ‘nads.
Jeffersonian,
I got it right away — Margery Eagan brought the Hale-Bopp comet into it.
I rather doubt it’s any too crowded in there. Unless her nose is, like, huge.
In today’s Philadelphia Daily News, was this gem in the Letters to the Editor:
“CONSERVATIVES laugh at the cult status and messiah-like treatment of Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama. True, Obama can’t walk on water, but his life can be compared to Jesus’ in some ways. Obama has united all walks of life with his campaign, which has led to record turnouts and fund raising because he constantly delivers a positive message of hope and change. An Obama presidency would reflect this diversity, which will be an inspiration to the world and the nation. If Jesus were alive today, minus the miracles, what better way would he find to heal the intolerance in the world?”
If I were BarrO, I’d be a tad leery of the Messiah thingy. But I suppose it’s possible he may not be aware about how that episode ends. Or maybe he does and thinks he could handle cooling it in a tomb for only three days.
How does that letter writer know the O can’t walk on water?
“Yes He Can!”
SI SE PUEDE !!!!!!!!!!!elevnty111!!!1
Be ready to run for the hills when they bring out the Kool-Aid.
I need to pay more attention.
BARACK OBAMA RESPECTS YOUR OPINION
Ellensburg?? Man, the Boys from Brazil again. Can’t they just stay in Brazil…all three or four or however many there are. Where’s Wuzzadem?
Was God even mentioned at the 2004 Democratic convention (aside from that “we worship an awsome god in these blue states” line)? Honestly, the only thing about the convention was that one sentence in Obama’s speech, the stilted “reporting for duty” stunt, and a whole lot of swearing about balloons.
Karl, I don’t have time to read your every link, but I must say the first one from the Ellesbooger-whatever chap seems to ring fairly true.
The fuck is the their to be scared about when it comes to Obama’s music videos? They are, like, extremely good. You heard that right – EXTREMELY GOOD. There, spelled all nice ang big.
Who is the video’s intended audience? Shall we yank out one Jeff Goldstein’s epics on intentionalism?
Yeah, Obama actually moved young people to vote and in doing so he pulled off one of the biggest upsets in American political history. Those videos suck! Karl genuis. Obama retard.
He hasn’t got anything else to run on Messianic politics are the Alpha and Omega of his campaign. He can’t run on experience (he has none), he can’t run on policy (he’s too far left), he can’t even run on Bush-hatred (that would not be Hopey or Changey). It’s his status as the New Politician that has brought him votes, and only that.
When we weary of that, and wonder where the Beef is, then down the peak we go. The hope is that he goes down long, hard, and ugly, not only so we don’t have to endure his like again for a while, but because that will wound Clinton. The longer this goes on, the more tired independents will become of both of them, and the more Republicans will start finding Maverick as an acceptable alternative to both. I can’t see the disappointed disciples of YesWeCan! turning out for her in huge numbers.
So what I’d like to see is Obama win a squeaker in PA, followed by a Clinton win or two next, and then a Comeback, all the way down to the the Convention. And more Michelle Obama. She’s the new Hillary in every way, and comedy gold.
God is a convenient prop for Democrats and the Left, to be pulled out in election season and then filed away in storage until the mid-terms.
No one takes them seriously, which is why Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton can run for office and no cries of forthcoming “THEOCRACY!” spring forth and Hillary and Co. can make campaign speeches in black churches similarly protected.
thor,
The videos came after O mobilized the youth vote. And they clearly turn off even some of his own supporters. But other than that, dead on.
Jeffersonian,
Your link was fine — I got it, but others may not have made the connection.
Karl – I am a bit proponent of pre-emptive strikes. If anyone every smacked Mona on top of the head, the gleens would lose a hairy Brazilian nut.
Is Obama involved with the will.i.am videos, or are those earnest paeans not directly approved by Teh Messiah?
I think the first one at least was a freelance.
You know, Karl, for those who dare to wade into the muck and slime that is Democrat politics, there is comedy gold in that swamp. You’re a brave and foolish man.
I can’t help but think that interacting that closely with such toxic materials changes one. Our host should probably keep an eye on you – not accusing you of anything, mind you. It’s for your own good.
I am reminded of the fake news section of National Lampoon in the ’72 after Nixon won. The picture was of the jubilant writers and editors: four more years (of great material – remember those uniforms?).
I like groovin on videos about political candidates and issues and stuff. I don’t think that’s dorky at all. My favorite is when they do the one about change. I love that. My friends and me love to sing songs about our leaders. I’m thinking about getting a guitar even.
OBA-MA SHAKTI DE!
Temple of Doom!
How dare some people compare Obama to Jesus, it is so ridiculous. Grow up people!
No fair, Karl, you’re rollover and agree with me.
I play poker. I street ball. I read books. And so does Obammer. I’d be glad to have him as my neighbor.
What’s interesting about Will.I.Am.’s first video is that – I can’t type that stupid name again – recognized how well-delivered Obama’s lines were in that particular speech. I doubt, no I’ll bet, not one person here is half the orator Obama is, not that that’s a primary reason to elect a president, but it is what it is. Just into ch.1 of his Audacity of Hope audio book any nimrod can recognize the Obama has most excellent diction. I am not afraid to give credit where it’s due, even to that silly video.
Who you tellin’ to grow up, here? I manifestly refuse to surrender my inner 15 year old!
FART!
I wouldn’t take the bet, but I’ve read some contemporaneous accounts of some of his speeches on the hustings that the Great Orator leans on the TelePromptR pretty heavily. Really heavily. Like a crutch. He was using one when he descended to my hometown a while back (to rapturous effect I might add.) But without is, he’s, um…(how do I put this delicately?) inarticulate.
I doubt you could afford it, unless you got some of that sweet Iraqi cash laundered by Mrs. Rezko.
“Comment by Karl on 3/7 @ 3:16 pm #
How does that letter writer know the O can’t walk on water?”
He doesn’t know where the rocks are?
Word on the street was that the Huckster was a good orator as well. And he didn’t use notes. Unlike the O.
Carin,
Well, d’oh. The man’s a preacher. A good chunk of divinity school is nothing but oratory.
Regards,
Ric
not one person here is half the orator Obama is,
don’t offer any money you can’t afford to lose, thor.
I used to do a lot of theatre and could stand and deliver pages of dialogue, convincingly, with nary a teleprompter in sight.
How long until his followers carry around his book in their front pocket in a red book cover?
perhpas you should go with an accordion? and a relocation. ;D
How do I put a link on here?
very carefully, LiveFromFortLivingRoom. here is an example of the html.
Thanks maggie. That was a good link. I think I actually understand that stuff for the first time. I wonder if I am able to make it work?
Or, maybe not. I am dummerer than a box of sec proggs
Or maybe not again. I am really not that bright
IamdummererthannishiandIJScombined
I fucking give up.
Tell me if you see a teleprompter in the video when he’s speaking. And Obama’s speech at the Ebenezer-whatever church in Atlanta is another you might want to judge your thespian skillz against, then again, Obama is not an actor. Say what you want, but if you can bring yourself to assess Obama as less than excellent orator just go ahead and make complete your screed by criticizing John Legend’s ability to hold a note. Yeah. Legend sucks too!
I don’t know, thor. I’ve heard O speak and he doesn’t give me the tinglies. Doesn’t mean he’s not an excellent speaker — just maybe that the message militates against the POWER of his his oratory. For me, at least.
JD,
In maggie’s example the “resumepage.html” should be th full URL of the target. Thus, in the example at maggie’s link, what is actually between those quotes is not “resumepage.html,” but
“http://www.htmlcodetutorial.com/linking/resumepage.html”
Oddly just today I saw an estimate of the asset value of my portion of these things that go and down and pull oil out the ground in New Mexico and Oklahoma, not that I hadn’t noticed the rise in my quarterly checks. As Eddie Chiles used to say, “if you don’t own an oil well, buy one.” On paper I’m getting very Rezko.
Also, if we are going to talk just about O’s oratory skills, I have seen him not do so well when he is not on the TelePrompTer and when unfamiliar stuff is added into his stump speech. But overall he does give a good speech. Plus — and I have written this here also — he is deft in the debate setting, where there is no TelePrompTer. Oratory is a huge part of the O phenomenon.
But to step back for a sec, note that both Gore and Kerry were more articulate than W. Dukakis was more articulate than Bush41. If you look at the internals of the polls (when the q isa asked), you will almost certainly find that Dems and leaners value “intelligence” in a candidate more highly than the GOP and its leaners. Given that W got about the same sort of grades as Gore and Kerry, you can bet that the difference in perception of “intelligence” is not due to IQ, but in verbal ability. Americans overall do not always vote for the candidate with the greater verbal ability, though it is certainly a plus.
Obama’s speechmaking skill is in the park with Reagan and Clinton, so I would say it is a big plus for him. OTOH, McCain probably has better verbal skills than W.
Jeff G – It gives me the tinglies … the kind you feel right before you chuck up Taco Bell all over your boots after a night at the bar drinking domestic light beers and Jaeger bombs. Not that I would ever know anything about that.
Karl – Thanks. I am going to try it one last time
thor,
The portfolios in my family are well larded with energy stocks.
Holy shit. I did it. Now I just have to remember what I did.
Without judgment toward content, he can flat out bark, no doubt about it. I admit to slight tinglies but nothing a dash of saltpeter won’t cure.
JD,
Congrats!
Just use maggie’s example (bookmark it if need be), but remember that the full address goes between the quotes. In fact, I always save the address for last, copy it out of the address bar in my browser and paste it between the quotes.
Or bookmark this thread.
Obama is patronizing I think. He reminds me of the principal from those Lean On Me type movies a lot. Which is great and all but the country is not the same as high school. It’s different. It’s gonna be an eye-opener for Baracky, that’s for sure. He should know up front though that what I’m not gonna do is call on you brother when I need a hand, just sos we’re clear. Also if you think maybe what you should do is demand that I shed my cynicism, don’t. Really. That would just be awkward for both of us I think.
Who cares if he’s a good speaker? Powerful oratory is NOT a sign of clear thoughts or good ideas.
I don’t manage the trust but from what I understand Ameranda Hess called and offered to purchase a 3-year option to horizontal drill between 5K to 15K feet on one of our square plot thingies. My percentage of the option money is sweet enough, but if they drill and hit, and if it’s bountiful, OMG, but they bought the same option 6-years ago and never drilled. The option price is up 300% from the old one so maybe the vig will motivate ’em. Someday I might have four wives and a 100 camels.
[…] has referred to the Roman Catholic Church as “the great whore” and called it a “false cult system” and “the apostate church”  “apostate” means someone who has […]
True, Obama can’t walk on water, but his life can be compared to Jesus’ in some ways. Obama has united all walks of life with his campaign, which has led to record turnouts and fund raising because he constantly delivers a positive, empty message of hope and change.
Bold added to give the thing perspective.
Jesus stands alone. The closest comparison Obama can claim is claimed by millions.
I hope the oil gods smile, thor. That sort of thing can be really cheering, striking oil and whatnot.
The emptiest message is the one spoken by the forgotten loser of an election. For some reason Obammer’s emptiness seems to be resonating.
The emptiest message is the one spoken by the forgotten loser of an election.
No, the emptiest message comes from the one that wins, and nothing he talked about happens.
Except the ever continuing quest for change and hope.
There is nothing false about hope.
I put in squiggly bulbs cause I hope I can make a difference. Hang on, Tuvalu!!
Someday I might have four wives and a 100 camels.
But have you already had enough sheep?
There is nothing false about hope.
And nothing false about change.
“Why do conservatives really find the Obama campaign ’scary’?â€Â
The ears do me in.
I bet if you smacked thor on top of the head, Mike Vick would lose a nut.
Other than the gleeeeeens asserting that the right is scared of Barry O, this appears to be a position that is held by only those on the left. When they run out of ideas, they start calling people scared.
See that is scary talk, right there. It’s creepy, like he wants to touch me somewheres he’s not supposed to.
Obammer’s emptiness seems to be resonating.
Echoing, in empty skulls-ulls-ulls.
oh. Here’s where that’s from.
Since I am trying to diet, and have cut soda, coffee, mochas, and everything that I enjoy out of my diet (except for huge fat steaks), I just learned that Vitamin Water does not hurt as much as Dr. Pepper when it comes out of your nose.
Oh. I have to start a diet thing tomorrow. I did that sort of crash thing with the soup but this time it’s for real. I’m just going to cut out sugar and lift heavy things though. That diet thing made me really really grumpy.
See that is scary talk, right there. It’s creepy, like he wants to touch me somewheres he’s not supposed to.
And wait’ll you hear wher he wants to install the remote-controlled thermostat.
Me and NG are doing the new leaf thing is what she calls it. She’s ahead of the game but our lunches have been catching up with her a little.
But see?
That you push yourselves to be better.
I’m already doing that, Mr. Obama. DON’T TOUCH ME.
Me and NG are doing the new leaf thing.
Her hotness, it is getting to you, isn’t it?
I have dropped 8 pounds in 2 weeks. I quit eating 3 McDonalds cheeseburgers for lunch every day, switched from elliptical 45 min. 3 times a week to 25 minutes every day, and eating a good colon cleaner salad at dinner every night, along with drinking only h2o and Vitamin Water. My goal is to be around 190-195 by the time all of you come visit this summer.
DON’T TOUCH ME. – You are absolutely killing me.
Laugh all you want but you gotta admit Michael Vick would make an excellent Veep on the Obama ticket.
A hybrid Escalade in every garage and a fanged pitbull in every backyard dog pen.
Maybe Vick could get himself transferred to the federal pen in Marion, and then he could work on the same work farm that Pete Rose did. He could volunteer at my old high school with the football team. On thing for sure, Vicky is going to be a Vicky, if she ain’t already.
Hopefully the working out does the trick, cause I have to screw up my diet a lot anyway for work, and it’s really hard to eat fun food and then switch it off the next day.
Saturday is my cheat for the diet and work-out, so I think I will start off the day with a trip to Dunkin Donuts, followed by a huge chunk of sharp cheddar cheese, maybe a deep dish pizza pie for lunch, and steak and potatoes for dinner. If I get a cheat day, I am going to take advantage of it.
Ellensburg:For years and years, the Right sustained itself as little more than a glorified Cult of Personality around the Great, Conquering War Hero.
Enter John Kerry? And, RickE., Obama is not even a phony war hero, though he is still awfully glorifiedly-Culti, but certainly no rival for the “Bush” of BDS, as to reality or scary.
McCain might be an even worse nightmare for the Progs trapped in them, and likewise for their friends, the Islamofascists, trapped in reality.
[But I’d much rather talk about diets and exercise.]
If Obama is so good, why is he struggling?
what happened to his momentum?
PA is just going to be a rehash of OH, with more popular vote going to hrc.
obama better get his ass in gear and win something quick…
gallup tracking and rassmussen tracking have him down by 5 and 6 pts…
Hillary is beating the 21st century jesus.
Can I have all their stuff, when the obama-philes start jumping out windows? Make sure the convention is on the first floor, and all windows are barred.
Can anyone say where Ellensburg went to law school?
Hillary Rodham Clinton is an dried up, shriveling slank whose depth will have run its course once she introduces her 10-point plan to make America’s water taste more wet.
Like she even matters since according to my delegate calculations there’s nothing left for Obama to do but wait for the Fat Lady’s ankles to explode.
All we need now is a comet
And purple cloth
And no nads
Don’t forget the Nikes, you always forget the Nikes!
Supersaturated yet? It all part of Rove’s overarching plan, ya know.
thor-
The option price is up 300% from the old one so maybe the vig will motivate ‘em.
Umm… I offer 4 words.
Obambi… ‘Windfall’ profits tax.
Michelle wants your pie.
Well, I found Mr. Ellensburg’s points to be quite persuasive. Well-written too.
And he’s such a handsome guy.