Comments on: Building The Obama Religion http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/ Defending the liberal tradition in history, science, and philosophy. Wed, 23 May 2012 01:47:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Phelps http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160128 Phelps Sat, 26 Jul 2008 16:20:08 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160128 <blockquote>Er you sound like Democrats did when Bush won ‘04. Is this humor? </blockquote>It is not humor, and I sincerely hope that I am as wrong as the Democrats were about Bush. <em>Phelps's last blog post..<a href='http://phelps.donotremove.net/?p=1271' rel="nofollow">Opening Shot</a></em>

Er you sound like Democrats did when Bush won ‘04. Is this humor?

It is not humor, and I sincerely hope that I am as wrong as the Democrats were about Bush.

Phelps’s last blog post..Opening Shot

]]> By: jrogge http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160112 jrogge Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:38:15 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160112 <em> Two branches? You mean the Democratic congress that won’t even stand up to Bush and the 5-4 Supreme Court that is likely to have multiple positions filled by the next president? <strong>Those</strong> two branches? And he won’t need the miltiary. The police are plenty para-military enough now. He just needs the military to stick with posse comitatus and stay on the sidelines.</em> Most police I have met are not Democrats either. Also, Bush does not try to usurp power from the entire government using military force. If he did I am sure we'd get a different response from them. Er you sound like Democrats did when Bush won '04. Is this humor? Two branches? You mean the Democratic congress that won’t even stand up to Bush and the 5-4 Supreme Court that is likely to have multiple positions filled by the next president? Those two branches? And he won’t need the miltiary. The police are plenty para-military enough now. He just needs the military to stick with posse comitatus and stay on the sidelines.

Most police I have met are not Democrats either. Also, Bush does not try to usurp power from the entire government using military force. If he did I am sure we’d get a different response from them. Er you sound like Democrats did when Bush won ’04. Is this humor?

]]> By: Phelps http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160093 Phelps Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:35:49 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160093 Yeah, I gotta buck up.  I can't go into the election with all this negative attitude, right? <em>Phelps's last blog post..<a href='http://phelps.donotremove.net/?p=1271' rel="nofollow">Opening Shot</a></em> Yeah, I gotta buck up.  I can’t go into the election with all this negative attitude, right?

Phelps’s last blog post..Opening Shot

]]> By: Dean Esmay http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160090 Dean Esmay Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:08:20 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160090 "Say all you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it's an ethos." "Say all you want about the tenets of National Socialism, Dude, at least it’s an ethos."

]]> By: zach http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160082 zach Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:27:01 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160082 Phelps, If that's what you truly believe then I think Obama's supporters may not be the only ones who has succumbed to fanaticism.  I really don't think I could say it any better than Dean's #13 comment. Phelps,

If that’s what you truly believe then I think Obama’s supporters may not be the only ones who has succumbed to fanaticism.  I really don’t think I could say it any better than Dean’s #13 comment.

]]> By: Phelps http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160074 Phelps Fri, 25 Jul 2008 16:02:02 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160074 <blockquote>I’ll be amazed if he can usurp absolute power considering he has two branches of government to stop him from doing so and the military does not (I’m certain) want to stage a military coup led by a Democrat.</blockquote> Two branches? You mean the Democratic congress that won't even stand up to <em>Bush</em> and the 5-4 Supreme Court that is likely to have multiple positions filled by the next president? <strong>Those</strong> two branches? And he won't need the miltiary. The police are plenty para-military enough now. He just needs the military to stick with <em>posse comitatus</em> and stay on the sidelines. I'm yelling as loud as I can from the soapbox. I'll do what I can at the voting box. But I am really afraid that this one might come down to the ammunition box. <em>Phelps's last blog post..<a href='http://phelps.donotremove.net/?p=1271' rel="nofollow">Opening Shot</a></em>

I’ll be amazed if he can usurp absolute power considering he has two branches of government to stop him from doing so and the military does not (I’m certain) want to stage a military coup led by a Democrat.

Two branches? You mean the Democratic congress that won’t even stand up to Bush and the 5-4 Supreme Court that is likely to have multiple positions filled by the next president? Those two branches? And he won’t need the miltiary. The police are plenty para-military enough now. He just needs the military to stick with posse comitatus and stay on the sidelines.

I’m yelling as loud as I can from the soapbox. I’ll do what I can at the voting box. But I am really afraid that this one might come down to the ammunition box.

Phelps’s last blog post..Opening Shot

]]> By: jrogge http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160073 jrogge Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:30:24 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160073 <em>And my view is that when you have a charismatic and beloved leader who also harbors dangerous, authoritarian views (as Obama has expressed) </em>I'm sorry I must have missed the speech about how Ferdinand Marcos was awesome and a police state is the way to go for victory. You know the guy likes Reagan right? I hear mainly leftist idealism mixed with capitalism. Which authoritarian concept has he expressed that would plunge our country into the throngs of fascism? <em> then the power that following lends is going to be abused (power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.)</em> I'll be amazed if he can usurp absolute power considering he has two branches of government to stop him from doing so and the military does not (I'm certain) want to stage a military coup led by a Democrat. And my view is that when you have a charismatic and beloved leader who also harbors dangerous, authoritarian views (as Obama has expressed)

I’m sorry I must have missed the speech about how Ferdinand Marcos was awesome and a police state is the way to go for victory. You know the guy likes Reagan right? I hear mainly leftist idealism mixed with capitalism. Which authoritarian concept has he expressed that would plunge our country into the throngs of fascism?

then the power that following lends is going to be abused (power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.)

I’ll be amazed if he can usurp absolute power considering he has two branches of government to stop him from doing so and the military does not (I’m certain) want to stage a military coup led by a Democrat.

]]> By: Phelps http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160070 Phelps Fri, 25 Jul 2008 14:17:32 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160070 And my view is that when you have a charismatic and beloved leader who also harbors dangerous, authoritarian views (as Obama has expressed) then the power that following lends is going to be abused (power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.) It is like comparing patriotism to jingoism.  And Obama is sailing right past patriotism as we speak in that analogy.  Thankfully, there are signs that the American people are not being fooled again. <em>Phelps's last blog post..<a href='http://phelps.donotremove.net/?p=1271' rel="nofollow">Opening Shot</a></em> And my view is that when you have a charismatic and beloved leader who also harbors dangerous, authoritarian views (as Obama has expressed) then the power that following lends is going to be abused (power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely.)

It is like comparing patriotism to jingoism.  And Obama is sailing right past patriotism as we speak in that analogy.  Thankfully, there are signs that the American people are not being fooled again.

Phelps’s last blog post..Opening Shot

]]> By: Scott http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160066 Scott Fri, 25 Jul 2008 04:50:19 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160066 Obama is the Apple Mac of political candidates.  Sure some of his followers are rational but they are overshadowed by the people who pay $100 for an Obama T-shirt; a grand if it had his sweat on it. Obama is the Apple Mac of political candidates.  Sure some of his followers are rational but they are overshadowed by the people who pay $100 for an Obama T-shirt; a grand if it had his sweat on it.

]]> By: Dean Esmay http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160060 Dean Esmay Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:30:50 +0000 http://deanesmay.com/2008/07/24/building-the-obama-religion/#comment-160060 Actually I should back off my last comment a little, the video doesn't make that comparison, a commenter did. The song/video is just a sardonic note at Obama's general Politician-ness, and the questionability of the fervor he generates. I don't think it's wrong to be excited about your candidate, but it does help restore perspective to note that fervor can be excessive. As for Phelps' question: I'd say that the real issue with fascism was not that they depended on a charismatic and beloved leader, but on the powers that the fascist leaders usurped. But I'm also not buying the notion that Obama's program is all that close to fascist policies; if you work hard enough, you can find things in the Nazi Party platform you agree with. Actually you don't have to work that hard, they believed some things pretty much everyone believes. This is like comparing patriotism to jingoism if you ask me: warning that one can bleed into the other is good, but paranoia and overanalysis carry their own dangers. Actually I should back off my last comment a little, the video doesn’t make that comparison, a commenter did. The song/video is just a sardonic note at Obama’s general Politician-ness, and the questionability of the fervor he generates. I don’t think it’s wrong to be excited about your candidate, but it does help restore perspective to note that fervor can be excessive.

As for Phelps’ question: I’d say that the real issue with fascism was not that they depended on a charismatic and beloved leader, but on the powers that the fascist leaders usurped. But I’m also not buying the notion that Obama’s program is all that close to fascist policies; if you work hard enough, you can find things in the Nazi Party platform you agree with. Actually you don’t have to work that hard, they believed some things pretty much everyone believes. This is like comparing patriotism to jingoism if you ask me: warning that one can bleed into the other is good, but paranoia and overanalysis carry their own dangers.

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