Tuesday, January 20, 2009

We have a new president . . .

All of us should hope and pray that President Obama goes down in history as a great president, for we are at a critical moment in history, and the United States cannot avoid being a major influence on how the challenges of our time are resolved.

I have expressed serious reservations about Mr. Obama, but I would like nothing better than to acknowledge that I was wrong and forthwith to eat great huge helpings of humble pie.

5 comments:

Kevin said...

Gil,
Well darn it, it appears for you to be happy with this administration others will have to be deeply disappointed; including myself.
Obama is for my money insufficiently progressive, frankly.

Perhaps the best thing we can do is pray that whatever happens it will be for the best and to pray for the acceptance and understanding of one another over these next few years.
Take care Gil.
Ad Astra Per Aspera,
Kevin

John said...

Kevin, Your pessimistic reaction to Gil's post is unwarranted. That Gil wishes the best for Obama while ackowledging his previously voiced reservations does not require that you to be disappointed in the end. Also, "insufficiently progressive" is just too vague to engage. Finally, your "prayer"--"that whatever happens it will be for the best and...for the acceptance and understanding of one another over these next few years"--strikes me to be one imbued to the extreme with the "spirit of this age". How about simply praying that God's Will be done? As for me,I share Gil's hope as well as his reservations.

Dennis said...

I'm baffled by the number of people who opposed Obama's election who have, since the election, become spineless and can't say enough how much they "wish Obama well," "hope he succeeds," etc. No one seems to ask what "doing well" or "succeeding" actually means on Obama's and his party's own terms. It's been reported that he plans to issue executive orders in the next few days expanding federal government funding for "international family planning," including abortions (thus making, by fiat, all US taxpayers intocomplcit in funding murders of the unborn). It's not surprising that he would make this move on abortion; after all, he told Planned Parenthood last year that the first thing (!) he wanted to do as President was sign FOCA, that Orwellianly named monstrosity. This move, however unsurprising, does indicate what his true priorities are, and should put an end to the notion that he is a non-ideological moderate willing to work across party lines (claims his record doesn't support; and about which the MSM failed to challenge him throughout the election, since they had all bought into the party line). In fact, Obama is, and based on his record always has been, a far-left ideologue trying to pass himself off as moderate in order to get elected.

So, what does "doing well" or "succeeding" mean to Obama and the Democrat Party? It means getting their left-wing agenda passed, and Exhibit A - the radical pro-abortion moves we can expect in the coming days through executive orders - is just a warm-up. Expect further pro-abortion radicalism to be a staple of the Obama administration; a keystone of which will be the litmus tests (not only on abortion, but on a range of legal and constitutional issues) he will impose on federal judicial and Supreme Court nominees, where the after-effects of the Obama administration will likely haunt jurisprudence in this country for decades.

And abortion is just one aspect of a far-reaching leftist agenda that the Obama-Pelosi-Reid Triumvirate wishes to impose on this country.

No, we most certainly should not wish Obama "well" or wish he "succeeds," for doing well and succeeding on his and his party's own terms will mean doing ill to the country and making a mess, rather than a success, of things.

John said...

Dennis, Wishing the new president well does not mean that one is "spineless". It also does not mean that one embraces his political agenda. To me, it is merely an acknowledgement that Obama is now president of all the people, whether one voted for him(or agrees with him on all or any issues) or not. Accordingly, all Americans should hope that his presidency is blessed.("successful").

Jesus' central command was that we love one another--even, and perhaps especially, our enemies. If we reserve our love only for those with whom we agree or for those who love us, we betray one of the pillars of Christianity. (After all, even the pagans love those who love them!) So, Dennis, while I acknowledge and applaud your passion,I pray that it does not blind you to the reality that the "other" is also a child of God.

Kevin said...

Greetings,
Wow, I don't know that anyone has responded to a response of mine and so I was not looking for something. I'll be more clear. My comments I suppose were more for Gil who already knows much of what I support.
Obama is on most scales a moderate. That is if supporting Abortion Rights does not automatically make him radically left.
I would prefer we were leaving Afghanistan instead of trying to make the place stable. That will not work, ever if imposed from the outside.
He is opposed to same-sex marriage. This irritates me to no end. I support full legality for same-sex marriage.
He is not eager to prosecute the Bush Administration for war crimes. That to me should be front and center. See this link for a list of things for which to despise Bush. http://www.alternet.org/story/120220/so_long_worst_president_ever%3B_10_reasons_history_will_hang_you__/?page=entire

A progressive health care system would be a single payer system. Obama is not proposing that at all.

He's mentioned "Clean Coal Technology" and nuclear power as solutions to our energy problems. The first one is a fable and the latter is not a prudent choice. No full blown Progressive would support either one of those.

Therefore he is "insufficiently progressive" for my money. He is more left of the previous administration to be sure, but hardly a Progressive Poster Child.

In the end I think we almost have to say "leaving aside abortion, what do you think?" in order to get anywhere on any issues concerning this new administration.
This is NOT to trivialize abortion. Rather his course is set and he is not likely to change it. This will be a pro-choice administration.

As for our collective guilt: If I take no individual guilt from Bush's illegal war in Iraq, something funded by my taxes, why should I take any guilt if a woman in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is told of the possibility of getting an abortion and then takes advantage of those services provided by DRC or some NGO?

A bit of personal history: I used to vote only based upon Pro-Life issues. Which meant I voted for Reagan & Bush the Elder. Then I realized that they talked a good line and did not do anything to change the laws. Yet (nearly) everything else they did was so morally abhorrent to me that I realized I was being used through my moral beliefs. I've not voted based on abortion issues alone ever again.

I spoke of understanding because that is what seems to be missing from our body politic; especially over the last eight years. We have to live together and we need to find a way to wrangle without destroying one another.

I almost never say "Let God's will be done" because when I hear it out of the mouths of others it sounds more like "May what I say be the will of God" which is of course not the same thing. It is a personal way of speaking based on living too long around the fantastically self-righteous whom I thought did nothing to bring anyone to Christ for all their piety. Therefore I don't say "May God's will be done."

Hopefully I've answered the questions JohninNY and Dennis brought up. If I've left things foggier than ever write me back and I'll give it another shot.

Take care all.
Ad Astra Per Aspera,
Kevin