Words like 'Change' , 'Hope', and now 'this is the moment'. All are good words and phrases and all these words and others can be motivating. However the substance behind those words is what should really give one Hope... not just the word itself.
How are we to accomplish this?
Just like our faith. We can say that we believe. Hell, even the devil believes. Faith must be more than just a claim or thought. How do we live out our faith?
The same follows with Mr. Obama. The words are there, but there is no substance.
One more thought before I highlight the article I want to share.
There is a tendency for Mr. Obama is to re-write history, or at least to taper off the completeness of history; tailoring it to his needs and message. His reflections on the Cold War is a prime example. This is covered in the article in depth.... so on with the article
Sweet Nothings
Anyone who wants to understand Barack Obama would do well to stay away from the radio and the TV. Obama is a theatrical presence. That's what it means to be "charismatic": To an unnerving degree his appeal relies on sight and sound rather than sense. Better, in my opinion, to stick to the printed word. On paper (or the computer screen) his words can be thought about and chewed over. You can understand him at your own pace, undistracted by that rich baritone, the regal bearing, the excellent drape of his Burberry suits.
The printed word has its problems too, of course. You really need to be on your toes if you're going to get anything out of a newspaper's election coverage. You've got to tune your ear to euphemism and translate as you go. So last Friday, having missed the television broadcasts of Obama's speech in Berlin the day before, I read the Washington Post with a cocked ear, and when I saw that the speech was described as "broadly thematic" and "sober and serious" I knew exactly what it meant: a boring speech full of blah blah blah.
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