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Bob Boldt to Michael Moore: 'Well shut my mouth!'
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Political Views
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By Bob Boldt
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  | | Bob Boldt/ MWC News |
Bob Boldt to Michael Moore: “Well shut my mouth!”
Thank the gods for Michael Moore! In the words of Eugene O’Neill, "He could sell skunks for good ratters." If he were working his immense powers of persuasion on behalf of O'Reilly or Limbaugh or Beck, I would be gleefully tying a rope for a good old-fashioned lynching right now. Well at least Moore did say one incontrovertibly true thing in his essay of October 10th— “Get Off Obama’s Back—second thoughts from Michael Moore.”
We have crossed a racist line in this land:
“I think the Nobel committee, in awarding Obama the prize, was also rewarding the fact that something profound had happened in a nation that was founded on racial genocide, built on racist slavery, and held back for a hundred-plus years by vestiges of hateful bigotry (which can still be found on display at teabagger rallies and daily talk radio). The fact that this one man could cause this seismic historical event to occur—and to do so with such grace and humility, never succumbing to the bait, but still not backing down (yes, he asked to be sworn in as "Barack Hussein Obama"!)—is more than reason enough he should be in Oslo to meet the King on December 10. Maybe he could take us along with him. 'Cause I also suspect the Nobel committee was tipping its hat to all of us—we, the American people, had conquered some of our racism and did the truly unexpected.”
- Michael Moore
I so desperately want to believe Michael Moore’s generous words and believe in Obama himself. The thought that I have been fooled again makes me nearly mad with self-recrimination. I have been back and forth on this so many times my nervous system is beginning to resemble ol’ Don Kings electric hairdo from all the bipolar whiplash. One thing I do know is, that for all my desire to hope for positive outcomes on all the really important issues of health, economy, and war, I see not even a glacial movement in the correct direction. Many agree with me in my washing of my hands of Obama while a diminishing number still urge patience.
Let’s just say that I will no longer write my congressmen, the worthless Republicans and the useless Democrats, I will not be signing any petitions or joining any protest marches. In spite of the fact that I see any real health care reform slowly slipping down the crapper and the war in Afghanistan escalating to the tune of 60,00 more fodder units, I will just shut the f up from now on. I will no longer preach faith to the progressives or skepticism to Obama’s true believers. I don’t know which group will be more relieved by my silence. I intend to wait and hope that someday Obama may justify the optimism I felt when I wrote those joyous comments after watching him in Grant Park the night we pinched ourselves to make sure we were not merely dreaming—that the voters of this country had repudiated a lifetime of racism and genocide and elected a black man to the highest office in the land.
I still intensely feel Obama has used me and used us all. Like Jack Kennedy before him, he has traded to easily on his big, white teeth (please! This is not racist—Kennedy had a huge set of chompers.), his intelligence, charm and charisma and not nearly enough on the more necessary qualities of courage, creativity and vision. “Get off his back” has been said to me too on more than one occasion. I admit the vehemence of my disagreement with Obama and his policies has been driven to a great heat by a reversal of the strength of my former love. There is no passion like one scorned. I also feel I have been naive and stupid for falling for yet another politician who has turned out to be more appearance than reality—more promise than product.
I do solemnly promise, from here on out, to silently wait—wait for some sign from Obama, that my former hope might be rekindled.
Milton said, "They also serve who only stand and wait.” No?
Peace,
 Robert Boldt an editor of MWC News, is a freelance film/video producer living in Jefferson City, Missouri. He is active in local politics, worked on the Howard Dean and John Kerry campaigns and is a cofounder of The White Rose Collective. Articles by Bob Boldt at MWC News http://mwcnews.net/bob-boldt |
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