Six months after he is inaugurated, (and almost a year after Andrew McCarthy first asked) the press finally starts to wonder who Barack Obama is, an about those student-years at Columbia and -I’m gobsmacked!- it turns out he was a radical:
…the mainstream media has finally done a bit of the candidate background reporting it declined to do during the campaign — other than in Wasilla — and whaddya know? The New York Times unearthed a 1983 article called, “Breaking the War Mentality,” that Columbia student Barack Obama wrote for a campus newspaper. The article shows that Obama dreaded American “militarism” and its “military-industrial interests,” while effusing enthusiasm for the dangerously delusional nuclear-freeze movement.
Moreover, while indicating a preference for the political wisdom of reggae singer Peter Tosh over Ronald Reagan or Scoop Jackson, Obama bewailed the “narrow focus” of anti-militarism activists, worrying that they were targeting the “symptoms” rather than the real “disease,” namely, America’s underlying economic and political injustice…
You’ll want to read all of McCarthy’s post. The NY Times piece is here, and writers William J. Broad and David E. Sanger are unsurprisingly soft on Obama’s near-incoherence, noting, “clearly trying to sort out his thoughts.” The Times Story is a serious piece, though, that does take time to explore (and give voice to) the concerns of the grown-ups.
Jennifer Rubin is more forthright: Obama’s Gotten it Wrong for 25 Years:
“…what excuse is there for Obama’s ludicrous worldview? Unlike student Obama, President Obama knows how the Cold War ended. And it wasn’t by disarming America.”
I suspect that post-student Obama, hanging with the far-left and academics as he did, has never broadened his perspective because he lived in a very insulated place where no one ever expressed a different view-point and he never heard the words, “no” or “that’s muddled thinking,” because everyone else thought as he did. Our “sophisticated” and “world-traveled” president is, in fact, coming from a very provincial, self-satisfied and narrow place. The depths of his introspection leads Obama to conclude about himself that he doesn’t like his golf game.
This small uncovering by the largely-still-besotted Obama-press will be quickly buried under the continuing excesses of Michael Jackson coverage, and the monolithic-left snarking over Sarah Palin who seems, with her resignation last Friday, to have roiled them.
Still, this first peek into Obama’s secretive past is instructive, particularly arriving as Obama is in Russia, mispronouncing Medvedev’s name and considering side-stepping the Congress he owns for expediency’s sake (!) on the START Treaty. All part of the effort to hit that reset button, although what it is Obama is trying to restart becomes less certain every day, particularly given the president’s odd foreign policy tacks.
It is a very small comfort to know that Obama’s Honeymoon Of Unconditional Love seems to be drawing to a reluctant end. One can’t help wishing the press had not stood in our way for the past two years, as we were trying to get to know the fellow who is now the most powerful man in the world; some might have then predicted that Obama would be backhanding our allies, cozying up to despots, “palling around with terrorists” and supporting wannabee dictators against the rule of law. Then again, it’s likely that any who suspected it, and dared voice their thoughts, would have been called “crazy, uneducated, provincial” and probably “Caribou Barbie.”
Meanwhile, Obama in Russiaand the balance of power is the story. With his nation in difficult straits, and his own administration incoherent, Obama, who Ed Morrissey calls “the reverse Reagan” goes gladhanding, and the next week will be interesting to watch.
And maybe when he gets home, the press could look into his administration’s abuse of power concerning Inspectors General?
Slightly O/T: Just making stuff up
WELCOME Ace and American Thinker and Hot Air readers! (and thanks for the link, guys) while you’re here, check out some iced coffee recipes to enjoy with the video!
July 6th, 2009 | 3:12 pm | #1
Even after reading this, I still think we got a better deal with him in Nov ‘08, not to mention a huge improvement over the past administration. Imagine that: a GOP so incompetent and corrupt that a student radical is judged more fit to be president than a war hero. Or the first MBA in the WH. It must really grate …
[Why in heaven's name should it "grate"? It means nothing at all to me if you can "still think we got a better deal" in '08" or if all you can see is "GOP incompetence and corruption" even in the light of all the corruption and incompetence we see daily in our "all Democrat" current government. It means nothing to me because you're completely ENTITLED to think whatever you like and hold whatever opinion you have. Only people who don't believe others are entitled to their opinions would find their expressing those opinions to be "grating." -admin]
July 6th, 2009 | 3:46 pm | #2
[...] The Anchoress: Obama the Student Radical & Russia [...]
July 6th, 2009 | 3:55 pm | #3
Liberals will be able to excuse anything, even fascism, by portraying Republicans as fascists. They will always start and end with an acknowledgment that Republicans are the greatest evil in the world. That way they can continue to support failed government programs.
July 6th, 2009 | 3:55 pm | #4
Am I missing something here?
Surely START is a complete “non-issue” if ever there was one? The nuke threat isn’t coming from either Russia or the US; neither of these countries has any nutty plans to pop them off on a whim.
By the way, many thanks! Watching how the US government is handling Iran, North Korea and Honduras, I’ve been grasping at an adjective to adequately describe the new administration’s foreign policy.
Eureka! You’ve hit the nail on the head: incoherent.
July 6th, 2009 | 5:29 pm | #5
Just proof that the leftwingers elected a functional moron to the White House! Early onset Alzheimer’s would be my guess! He may have studied history but he didn’t retain what was taught.
July 6th, 2009 | 5:32 pm | #6
Obama has been remarkably coherent in his foreign policy — turn his back on friends and those “huddled masses yearning to be free” while embracing thugs and autocrats.
July 6th, 2009 | 6:10 pm | #7
Excellent post, Anchoress. Obama’s presidency is the last violent writhing of the generation of Sixties radicals.
They want to inflict as much damage to the US as possible in their dream of “redistributing wealth” and re-creating a “multi-polar world.”
As from the Sixties, it’s going to take a long, long time to recover.
July 6th, 2009 | 6:29 pm | #8
“Why in heaven’s name should it ‘grate’?”
It has nothing to do with opinions offered so much as an election decided. The curious thing is that same election swung on centrists, not those on the Left. 2000, you can say, was decided by the Left, if not the 3rd branch. As for the president, we have him for another 3.5 or 7.5 years. I imagine that is grating to many. And if he is indeed whatever name you can muster from your sandbox to call him, just keep in mind he’s the leader of the political party that kicked the GOP’s butt.
July 6th, 2009 | 7:30 pm | #9
Keeping it classy Todd, as always. You should try acting like a guest on Anchoress’ site sometime, and offer a comment that doesn’t throw mud or vitriol.
And while he may be the leader of the party that defeated the GOP in the last election, he sure is acting a lot like his predecessor on a number of key issues near and dear to the hearts of leftists isn’t he? Talk about grating….:-)
July 6th, 2009 | 8:01 pm | #10
[...] Obama the Student Radical & Russia by The Anchoress [...]
July 6th, 2009 | 8:21 pm | #11
Todd,
When you realize that not everyone reacts to issues the way you do, you may begin to learn about people.
Socrates First Rule: Those who know they know nothing are wiser than those who don’t know they know nothing.
Bender: You have it exactly right. Obama is the ‘anti-Bush’ to the point of treating American allies as enemies and enemies as allies. Bismarckian diplomacy is all well and good, _as long as your perception of strength is correct_. (I refer here to the Prussia-Austria concerns in Bismarck’s day, and how they changed with Bismarck’s removal.)
July 6th, 2009 | 8:53 pm | #12
@JJM:
The problem’s never been that Russia’s been launching its nukes. The problem’s been that it’s been selling them.
July 6th, 2009 | 9:05 pm | #13
Todd, with all of your obvious experience and wisdom, can you come up with a synonym for rectum? My guess is that it should be a snap. Your middle name.
July 6th, 2009 | 9:14 pm | #14
What Obama is doing is not sustainable. What becomes of the nation when he gets through with it and who will pick up the pieces?
July 6th, 2009 | 9:21 pm | #15
Thanks Anchoress, good points and well written. Appreciate all the links.
July 6th, 2009 | 9:39 pm | #16
Todd: “Imagine that: a GOP so incompetent and corrupt that a student radical is judged more fit to be president than a war hero.”
You seem to have missed the point.
McCain didn’t lose to a 60’s student radical. For that to be the case, the NYT and others would have had to investigate and report on Obama’s background and bring it to light. That was never going to happen, as every news outlet had dispatched all available personnel to a small town in Alaska to destroy a woman most people had never heard of.
McCain lost to what the MSM was projecting Obama to be: A brilliant orator, a compassionate, intelligent man, who was going to usher in an era in which responsible, transparent government would be implementing bipartisan solutions to the problems facing the country.
In other words, millions of voters were taken for a ride, and we’re all paying for it.
July 6th, 2009 | 9:40 pm | #17
oh. waitwait. Don’t bug him just now.
He looks like he’s … what’s wrong with him?
He’s extrapolating.
Ahhh.
July 6th, 2009 | 9:41 pm | #18
Todd,
Oh yes, you kicked the GOP’s butt, so now, maybe just maybe you can go back to school from your parents basement and become like your hero, obummer, a community activist.
Maybe you can be part of the upcoming green police for the epa, or better yet for you Todd, a acorn member, recieving subsidies never before imagined, you might be able to move out form mom and dad and get a place of your own-hmmm, no that would require too much work.
but your party won , so they should be like, you know,a dictatorship,
oblunder for pres for life!!!
Darrin
[Please familiarize yourself w/ our comment rules. Out of respect for the office, we don't refer to president as "Obummer, Oblunder" or whatever. Thanks -admin]
July 6th, 2009 | 10:27 pm | #19
I guess Russia will eliminate some nukes by selling them to Iran or some other dictator ruled country who calls for us to be wiped off the face of the earth. GOOD GOING ON NAIVE ONE!!
July 6th, 2009 | 11:13 pm | #20
You can bet your house and your family that the Russians know all about Obama’s radical past. The KGB doesn’t have to rely on the far left, liberal American media for their information, like we do.
July 6th, 2009 | 11:22 pm | #21
“just keep in mind he’s the leader of the political party that kicked the GOP’s butt….”
The 2006 Pelosi congress consistently had a positive rating below GWB’s, and Pelosi herself even lower. Obama is personally popular, a fresh face, charismatic, offers the opportunity to show you’re not racist by voting for him and playing on race guilt if you don’t, and the overall approval rating for his policies is now negative. The GOP butt isn’t staying kicked, sorry.
Also Obama and friends are masters at dirty Chicago politics, and less of that butt-kicking would have been successful if they had been honest.
July 6th, 2009 | 11:23 pm | #22
Don’t accept, at face value, statements from people like Todd. He requires that you project onto him the same good values that conservatives have. Here are three problems that arise from his statements:
1. “Imagine that: a GOP so incompetent and corrupt that a student radical is judged more fit to be president than a war hero.” The assumption that Todd requires us to make is that Obama ran as fair a campaign as McCain did. The student radical lied about taking McCain-Feingold funding knowing that one of the authors of McCain-Feingold was HONOR BOUND to rely on the public financing option. Rather than being honest about his intentions, Obama revealed his plan to rely on contributions after McCain had committed to public funding and thereby gained more than half a billion dollars in campaign funds. Lying liberal Democrats applauded the hoodwink as did the Obamaniac Main Stream Media. No hard questions for Obama or the assistant liar Joe “FDR-on-TV” Biden yet Palin was savaged from beginning to end and McCain was subjected to the now-familiar current theme of age-related incompetence. Fair? Nope, not by a long shot. The complicit media deserves as much credit as Obama’s get out the vote strategy in the Democrat victory of the Presidential contest. The trifecta in the Obama effort was the campaign’s not-so-veiled threats to go after critics as “racists” if any criticism of Obama surfaced nationally. Obama functionaries used this ploy to advantage against Hilary, causing Bill Clinton, the Cheater-in-Chief, to whine about the Obama campaign pulling the race card against Clinton during the primaries. To summarize so far, one has to imagine a Democrat campaign so corrupt that it not only lies about using the public campaign finance option until the very last moment, but is eager to threaten any public critics, unlawfully, with false charges of racism and enjoyed media adoration which prevented any real examination of the candidate which his own running mate said was an “unknown” subject to test by a world event of momentous import. Remember, Todd projected Democrat incompetence and corruption onto the Republican campaign and you accepted his prima facie accusations. Don’t do that!
2. “The curious thing is that same election swung on centrists, not those on the Left.” Centrists never had a chance to make a rational, reasoned, fair decision about the candidates because the media that mercilessly beat up McCain and Palin was so paralyzed with fear that the USA would lose it’s best historical chance for a black president that it did everything possible and necessary to obfuscate Obama’s true nature and political orientation. Who can forget the conniving excuses and rationalization for the association of BHO and William “Weatherman” Ayers? You conservatives haven’t forgotten about that POS student radical have you? Ayers was a student radical like Obama. Did the centrists ever get a full, fair, in-depth story about the Obama – Ayers relationship? No, they got a full, unfair, incendiary litany on the every half hour about Sarah Palin’s wardrobe and where it came from, about who birthed baby Trig (your’re not Trig Truther in disguise are you, Todd). They got made-up stories about racial epithets not hurled but claimed at Palin rallies and in-depth reporting on the non-candidate Joe the Plumber. Remember, Todd forces you to accept blame for an incompetent campaign which was not incompetent but deep-sixed by a complicit, venal, media desperate to look “enlightened” rather than informed. Obama would never be able to win a fair fight or a fair campaign.
3. “2000, you can say, was decided by the Left, if not the 3rd branch.” Once again, Todd the projectionist doesn’t admit that Al Gore, “inventor” of the internet yielded to voter disenfranchisement by leftist Democrats. He didn’t even get significant help from Bill Clinton in his campaign effort. In Florida, a red state, the counties where hanging chads and incomplete punches were problematic were populated with Democrat precincts where the local voting officials were incompetent Democrats who could care less about voting rights but cared a whole lot about entitlement rights. Rather than providing state-of-the art voting machines, they provided the same old junk that gave Democrat-preferred results of the past before Mr. Bush rolled into town, took names and kicked asses of the incompetent, entrenched blowhards that probably blew it for the Democrats, small time. This result was especially gratifying for conservatives since the over-confident media had written off George Bush as a loser. The media was simply incensed that Mr. Bush practically ignored them after he was sandbagged early in the campaign by an arrogant overreaching “journalist” (but I repeat myself describing journalists as arrogant and overreaching – apologies to Anchoress). He took his campaign instead to alternative media, talk radio, evangelistic Christian outreach and won a campaign in spite of the best efforts of the lame media hit-man tactics. Conservatives, don’t let smug and smarmy operatives like Todd define your past or your future; control it and wipe the floor with him using facts and ridicule. Comfort yourselves that you have good conservative values and Todd and his ilk are only liberals, just ignorant donkeys with nothing but today’s minor success and yesterday’s big-time failures. If you want to get Todd to project something valuable, ask him why Democrat policies have done so little for minority advancement in the United States of America. He can only blame Republicans because he knows that otherwise, he would have to admit the real reason is Democrat epic failures. 95 years of epic failure link Wilson to Obama. I bet Todd thinks Lincoln was a Donk.
July 6th, 2009 | 11:32 pm | #23
“Oh yes, you kicked the GOP’s butt …”
Actually, no. Just because I’m a non-Republican doesn’t mean I’m a Democrat. Enemy of my enemy works okay enough in fiction. Life is utterly more complex than that. Swing and a miss on the political assumption, but you have a lot of company.
Nice to see the conservative commentariat keeping it classy. You are a credit to your party.
July 7th, 2009 | 1:02 am | #24
As for Dionne “just making stuff up”: yes, he does that. He was the commencement speaker at Wake Forest when my son graduated. All EJ did was tell the kids how they really could HOPE to CHANGE the world. I lost count of the usage of those two words, but it was very high! He’s such a shill for BO.
July 7th, 2009 | 1:25 am | #25
Who is the real Obama? Will the real Obama stand up?
Our President has promised total transparency — and yet so much is opaque. I blame the President and his handlers as much as the press for not telling/allowing to be told — the whole story of this man. Why are his school writings and documents so under wraps? Why did so many doors get shut — last year — to those daring to investigate?
Even though a competent journalistic corps would have vetted a presidential candidate during a campaign, I hope the above reporting is just the beginning….
I lived in Chicago while Obama was running for State and US Senate seats — during which he was sporadically spoke on local radio/commented in print media — some of his remarks were eyebrow raising BUT he never uttered the same sentiments in the past campaign…
By the way, he was introduced on these shows/id’d in print as a “Guest Lecturer” at the University of Chicago — not as a Professor. I believe that is why he was listed as an Adjunct at that time — not a Constitutional Professor as was inserted into “his story” during the Presidential campaign.
Proportionally, he spent most of his years in Chicago…when Axelrod asked why the President keeps his office so heated…he replied that the President was from Hawaii and that’s why he gets cold???????
While these are just very minor, I was taught to start with the discrepancies, however small in significance, to uncover the whole truth.
Come on journalists — keep going….there may be a Pulitzer(s) in your future.
July 7th, 2009 | 1:28 am | #26
I find it comical Obama is wanting to tackle nuclear proliferation with Russia of all countries. First off, it’s pointless. We will never get rid of all nuclear weapons. It’s here to stay forever and ever. So really, what is the point of reducing the number? If nuclear war starts, does it matter if it’s 20 or 200 of them going off? Not really. Reducing the number of nuclear warheads sounds good, but means nothing in this day and age. Turn a blind eye to North Korea and Iran, but go talk to Russia (who is helping both of those countries on that point) about reducing their warheads. It’s a joke. And a poor one at that.
July 7th, 2009 | 1:59 am | #27
Yes – START is a “distraction” from the real “crises” facing this country. Let’s say Russia is on the up and up and both countries will reduce nuclear stockpiles by 1/3 as Obama touts. Let’s also say the current stockpiles could blow the world to bits 10 times over. Well – now we’re down to 6 times over. Yay for “progress”!
But the insanity doesn’t stop there! Obama is encouraging Israel and the world to learn to live with the bad guys getting nukes (Iran) while advocating unilateral disarmament of the good guys (U.S. – see Youtube video).
As for Big Media, I firmly believe if the press hadn’t covered for Obama, Hillary would be president today. Wouldn’t that be a relief! And I’m not being sarcastic.
July 7th, 2009 | 2:05 am | #28
I’m shocked, shocked, to discover that he was a student radical — so were many of today’s repentant neoconservatives, and some of them were shriller than young Obama. His juvenilia means no more than anyone else’s. Do you want to be held to and hanged by yours?
The question is where he stands now. I do not think he’s remained a secret radical; I think he’s genuinely evolved towards the center. My fear is that he’s a work in progress and doesn’t know yet WHERE he stands, so his views are a contradictory jumble from all along the spectrum.
July 7th, 2009 | 3:18 am | #29
Why don’t you go and pray that Jesus sorts him out then?
July 7th, 2009 | 8:17 am | #30
President Obama was elected largely due to:
(1) the economic crisis (the timing of which is still unexplained), and,
(2) the completely “in the tank” position of all mainstream media — asked no questions, but simply adored the man.
So, Todd, had the media done its regular investigative reporting, perhaps Obama’s radical past would have led enough voters to go with McCain, and we wouldn’t be in this mess now.
.
July 7th, 2009 | 8:42 am | #31
Interesting. Completely incoherent writing. More support to the idea floating out there that Mr. O did not write his ‘memoirs’ books himself.
July 7th, 2009 | 8:44 am | #32
My Dear Anchoress,
Why is anyone surprised by this?
Blinded by the light, I guess-pity it was a red light…
Have a Blessed day, oddball
July 7th, 2009 | 9:18 am | #33
Actually, Just, there were signs before President Obama’s poll surge that the economy was heading into the tank. There’s more of a correlation to the candidates’ choices of VP and their poll numbers.
Second, there was a lot of kerfuffle about Rev Wright and the future president’s associates in Chicago prior to his political career. I don’t know why you’re expecting Our Corporate Masters to hire real investigative reporters–that might come back to bite them in the butt. CEO’s might be inclined to have as many–if not more–skeletons in the closet.
Remember, that when the media is concerned, what will sell is prioritized over what is news. If I want serious investigative journalism I sure don’t read the corporate papers or watch tv. I don’t understand why any serious political person would take it seriously.
As for the whine about how the press handles the president, I see it as more of a function of his popularity. Which brings us back to the original point: does it say something about the GOP when a communist/socialist/media manipulator crushed an honest-to-goodness war hero … among independents and moderates?
July 7th, 2009 | 9:45 am | #34
Obama is cognitive dissonance personified, whether it’s in domestic or international policy:
Link
The man has absolutely no capacity for critical self-analysis.
[Edited to admit link; please see HOW TO MAKE A LINK - admin]
July 7th, 2009 | 9:46 am | #35
Obama is the most overrated man to ever run and be successfuly elected president. There’s nothing there, empty suit to the max.
July 7th, 2009 | 9:46 am | #36
Whoops, meant to post this link instead of the previous one, so please accept another:
Here
[Edited to insert link; Please see HOW TO MAKE A LINK - admin]
July 7th, 2009 | 9:49 am | #37
Why are you feeeding the troll
July 7th, 2009 | 10:08 am | #38
[...] can’t stand it. I just can’t stand it. Read Gateway pundit every day. Read Ed Morrissey Read the Anchoress Read what “the people” of Honduras are thinking. Read how Ford is doing in comparison [...]
July 7th, 2009 | 10:34 am | #39
Now that the media are pushing the “Reset” button theme, let me remind you what the button really said– “Overcharge.” But what you probably don’t know is that this particular word has nothing to do with economics. The closest English (American) word would be “Overload” as in overloading an electrical circuit. And isn’t that a curious and dangerous thing to say to a military rival? Smart diplomacy in action!
July 7th, 2009 | 11:33 am | #40
I am 67 years old and I never in my wildest dreams imagined that the President of the United States would align himself with dictators like Castro and Chavez while he trashes our real allies like Great Britian and Israel.. That the President would advocate running businesses out of business. That the church of Global Warming would be his religion.
I pray for this country and plead for our citizens to wake up. My grandchildren do not deserve this debt and anti-individualism.
July 7th, 2009 | 11:57 am | #41
“I imagine that is grating to many”
Not to me Todd, I work for Goldman Sachs!
July 7th, 2009 | 5:44 pm | #42
The question is where he stands now. I do not think he’s remained a secret radical; I think he’s genuinely evolved towards the center.
Nothing in the way he has operated either in the legislative or his current role could lead one to believe that. His first budget, if not what has followed, should have disabused you of the notion pretty rudely.
Todd: Your “nyah-nyah he may stink but you stink more” commentary leaves little constructive either to agree with you or critique you on.
July 7th, 2009 | 8:15 pm | #43
[...] now that someone did it, they are incorporating their lazy reliance on the mainstream media into another iteration of their tired jeremiad against it: “If only you had told me what I couldn’t have been bothered to discover myself last [...]
July 8th, 2009 | 1:14 pm | #44
[...] would have handled differently, and in a far more American manner, than Obama. To start with, McCain would not be undermining successful American policies with Russia, nor circumventing our Cons… (for a solid comparison, see McCain’s response to the Georgia invasion). McCain’s [...]
July 22nd, 2009 | 3:43 am | #45
[...] UPDATE: The Anchoress nails it. [...]
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