MauryTHINKS

“If they (Tennessee Republicans) think that they are going to make Michelle an issue in this campaign, they should be careful, because I find unacceptable the notion that you start attacking my wife.”

— Barack Obama

I love my native Tennessee. We did not vote for Al Gore when he ran for president, sealing his loss. A local Libertarian group broke the story of his home in Nashville using 10 times the average energy bill. Citizens also stormed the legislature when it tried to implement an income tax. You have to appreciate that.

And now, Tennessee Republicans have fired the first salvo that will define the campaign for the presidency. Their ad, raising the issue of Barack’s wife’s comment on the campaign trail made in 2008 that “for the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country,” together with Obama’s condescending remark that the people of small town America “cling to guns, or religion or antipathy to people who are not like them or anti-immigration …” are all fair questions. In fact, these comments, and the Rev. Wright’s, are the only really honest insight we have gotten into his/her thinking, which is often hard since the liberal media loves Obama.

Adding to questions of Obama’s judgment is the comment that he would meet with communist leaders who voice their hate of America. These are not just the Hollywood stars in L.A., but Castro and Chavez who actually have a country to run. Since Castro and Chavez are the two highest ranking socialists not running for president of the United States, I am sure they will embrace Obama. If Barack does visit with these leaders as he plans, I am sure they will honor him with their highest honor bestowed upon a foreign leader: A hotel room with running water.

After Obama said on Memorial Day that his uncle (never mind that his mom was an only child) liberated Auschwitz (turns out no Americans did that; it was the Soviets), the left likes him even more. Apparently his uncle was a member of the Red Army. Between Hillary’s phantom Bosnian sniper attack and Barack’s war stories, the only person not bragging about war heroics is John McCain.

Obama also has issues with his close agreement with Nanny Pelosi and her crowd. Both backed the protests against the Chinese governments continuing occupation of Tibet, which for some reason, is a liberal pet project. When the Olympic torch was skipped through San Francisco to promote the Beijing games, the town pitched a hissy fit and protested. In fact, the protests marked the first time something flaming in San Francisco was ever met with an objection.

All of these are not only campaign issues, but the only real issues that we have to discuss since Obama appears to specialize in pie-in-the-sky platitudes about “change” with no details of just what and how he will change it. The only way to really understand a candidate’s thinking is to let him/her talk, and not just in staged campaign appearances.

Making another telling statement, and reflecting his increasing desperation, is Obama’s insistence on telling us what we can and cannot judge. Just like a socialist Democrat, he wants to control our thoughts and independence, moving us toward a monolithic group of PC lemmings marching to his every command.

Further, Obama’s appeal is to idealistic college students who have yet to get a paycheck with taxes taken out. In short, I am not sure how much stock we should put in the decision of these kids to support Barack since we, as a society, do not think they have enough sense to be allowed to drink an alcoholic beverage yet.

In short, Obama has no right to make up the rules of politics as he goes along, especially when it only serves him and his na•ve view of the world. We Southerners do not appreciate being talked down to by a Northern, never-had-a-real-job politician who wants to please everyone. To paraphrase a Southern saying: don’t appease on our shoes and tell us it is raining.

They call Tennessee the Volunteer state, because people do not have to live there; they choose to, small towns and all. Barack, I think you will find that true of every small town in this country, so you had best end the condescending arrogance that is the trademark of elitist liberals and learn how to bowl better.

Ron Hart is a Southern libertarian who writes political satire. A product of Maury County schools, he worked for Goldman Sachs and was appointed to the Tennessee Board of Regents by Lamar Alexander. He resides in Florida and is an investor. His e-mail is RevRon10@aol.com.