Does Barack Obama Have “the Right Stuff” to be President?

America is a nation which is founded upon grand ideals and the overriding greatness of this country is that it is a land of boundless opportunities and limitless potential. It is a place where a person can dream big and achieve whatever your mind can conceive. America loves the underdog, the long shot, the million-to-one odds; and it lavishes abundant praise and honor upon the winner. There is also one other important factor which perhaps outweighs all other considerations, and that is, Americans have a keen sense of destiny; as in the case-in-point regarding Democratic Presidential nominee, Senator Barack Obama. For the first time in the founding of this Republic, a non-White male is on the verge of securing this nation’s highest elected office and will be Commander-in-Chief of the greatest military SUPER-POWER in world history.

There is an old saying that goes like this: “With great power there comes even greater responsibility.” It is one thing to want to sit in the Oval Office and quite another thing to actually experience it. It is easy to hurl political stones at an incumbent officeholder, but when you are in that chair, you become the target for everyone and unlike it is with SPORTSMEN looking for game, the HUNTING SEASON, politically speaking is every day, year round; and anyone who wants to take a potshot at the new target of their frustrations, uncertainties, and anxieties don’t have to wait and renew their license. Senator Obama once made a remark about Americans being bitter and relying on their religion, guns, and crying in their beer; well, these are the very same people that he is going to have to serve as President.

Also, what came out during the Primaries and Caucuses, up to the present time is that Barack Obama doesn’t like criticism and gets a little testy when it is leveled against him or his wife, Michelle. In all due respects to the Senator, the print and broadcast media have been surprisingly lenient and the LATE NITE comedians have certainly refused to use the kind of fodder that has been leveled against George Bush or Hillary Clinton. The only shows to do any meaningful comedy skits about Barack were “SNL” and “MADD TV;” but that was months ago. It is as though everyone is afraid of the backlash which will ensue for picking on a Black man, and it will be seen as ‘racist.’ The question is when an African-American or racial minority comedian, activist, commentator, educator, politician, or rapper says unflattering things about Barack, is that racist, too? It is time for everyone to start taking off the ‘kid’ gloves with this candidate and hammer away. If Barack can’t stand the heat, then he needs to get the “HELL” out of the kitchen.


Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
July 20, 2008
pbks@hotmail.com