‘South Pacific” is a morality play for our time. Sarah Palin is the Ensign Nellie Forbush — an All-American girl as racist, this time a racist with her eye on the White House. She can stir up crowds to shout “Kill him!” at the mention of the presidential candidate of the other party a couple of weeks before the national election.
In the restaurant, before I walked over to the theater, all the conversations were about the election — New Yorkers speak loudly in their noisy city for fear they will not be heard. The common opinion was that they didn’t know enough about Barack Obama to make a decision about him — as if there were not two books about his life. That plea implies that they don’t know enough about him to accept his strange name or his skin color. It is, of course, impossible that they could ever know enough. He isn’t one of us.
It is all part of a plan cooked up by John McCain to turn the major issue in the election from the economy to the character of the Democratic candidate. At this stage of the contest, I don’t think “kitchen-sink strategy” (as in “we’ll throw the kitchen sink at him”) will change the outcome of the election. I don’t believe the polls that suggest a possible Obama landslide. Playing the race card explicitly merely guarantees what I have thought from the beginning — racism in this country precludes the possibility of a sepia-colored man becoming president. However, the last-ditch attack on him guarantees that McCain and Palin will be blamed as the candidates who were content to hear crowds calling for the death of Obama.
Ensign Nellie Forbush (the incomparable Kelli O’Hara) finds redemption at the end of South Pacific. She turns to her true love and escapes the obligation to wait for the enchanted evening on which he might suddenly might appear across a crowded room. For Sarah Palin, such an easy escape hardly seems possible. How can she ever justify silence when she heard a cry for lynching?
McCain increasingly acts like an angry, befuddled cancer survivor and treats his rival like a field n—– who is just barely human. He does not talk to him, will not shake hands with him, will not even look at him, walks behind him when he is speaking to distract the audience. Obama’s languid, legs-crossed security on the bar stool must infuriate McCain all the more. Who does he think he is? He has no right to run for president and McCain does. Has not he served his country all his life? Has not he traveled the whole world? Has not he been involved in every major event of the last four decades? Does he not know everyone who is worth knowing? And what does his rival have to offer besides intolerable arrogance? Black skin and glib language? Is not Obama the one who is playing the race card? Therefore he must be exposed as what he is — a pushy fellow with a glib tongue who has no right to challenge a great American like John McCain.
McCain has little time left. He has been been cheated in other elections. Troubled and distracted, he has forgotten his strong words about honor. When one is faced with a shallow man who is running on the basis of his skin color, one can hardly worry about personal honor.
Now the furies are gathering.
5 users commented in " Palin, McCain stir up storm of ugly racism "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a Trackback“McCain increasingly acts like an angry, befuddled [etcetera].”
If you analyze the Fabulous Flyboy my way, there is no “increasingly” in sight: JSM has always been like he is now, and “like he is now” certainly does not mean a rip-snortin’ racist. To exaggerate for effect is all very well, but let us not be flat-out ridiculous.
The poor lad must have read President Sorensen’s _Profiles in Courage_ when it came out — J. Sidney was 20 or 21 in 1956 — and swallowed the [expletive deleted] thing whole. He resolved on the spot to be a Mugwump, and ever since he has been valiantly attempting to rise above the Republican Party. (As I conjecture.) And in a way he has succeeded admirably, has he not? Certainly there are no elephants left over his head at this point, unless Master Dubya still counts.
If JSM were ten times cleverer than he is, he would have put Governess Paling of Alaska on his ticket just to make clear by juxtaposition what dreck it is that he has risen above. In the real world, though, I suppose he just does not care who gets to be Crown Princess. How can that matter very much, when the VP cannot be John Sidney McCain also?
Sen. Obama suffers from the same radical defect as Mizz Sarah — not being JSM. (There’s a lot of that going around nowadays.) Therefore BHO gets treated like a field newt, as described. ‘Sepia’ is nothing to the point.
’Tis a pity that J. Sidney almost certainly will not win. Probably CAN not, at this point, win. Being a Democrat, I would certainly have enjoyed the show. Havin’ soared above all of them, where could he go but to us? (Just like what happens in most of Mr. Sorensen’s little moral tales!)
Jimmy Crater got into trouble by being a dozen times too aware that he was (in fact) the smartest guy in the room. J. Sidney would have been even more infuriating, forever ‘knowing’ (quite mistakenly) that he is the only guy in the room — nay, in the city! — with any integrity worth mentioning.
The silver lining here is that “President McCain” might so easily have been assassinated by a deranged wingnut determined to empower “Vice President Paling” — plus pay JSM back for thirty years of treason.
So probably things will have worked out for the best. But God knows best.
Happy days.
Father Greeley,
Your liberal administration of racism allegations would draw little attention, were it not for your Catholic priesthood status. There’s plenty of that sort of talk, and do you suppose that its sheer volume has anything to do with how true it is? Unless you possess the ability to see into mens’ (and womens’) souls, what would cause you to make such accusations? I doubt that you have such an ability, because if you or any decent person did, you would easily summon the courage to challenge Mr. Obama’s extremely strong pro-abortion position and record. Either you don’t view life as important enough for you to defend, or you are able to see into Mr. Obama’s heart, and ascertain that he is actually a closet pro-lifer, cunningly hijacking millions of “culture of death” votes in the righteous cause. Goodon’ya Padre! Just keep it under your hat until after the vote.
My views are more like those of J.C. Watts than Mr. McCain, who has clumsily gone out of his way not to appear to be racially biased. He would be doomed to failure in that we know from your considerable expertise that he is a bigot. Your powers of observation alone, Father Greeley, can discern human contempt and racial hatred from the demeanor of the Republican candidate who (except for pro-life stance) is generally lacking in sound conservative principals. In my ignorance, in McCain I just see someone who feels awkward calling out his opponent on his radical socialist vision for this country; is a generally ineffective communicator even when he is “on message”; and seems to lack some sense of spatial/situational social grace in relation to others. I’m not very excited about McCain, but I am pleased to vote for him, because all the information I have tells me that he would protect life if he could. (Just imagine all the likely Democrat voters slaughtered in abortions between Roe v. Wade and 1990!)
In the case of Mrs. Palin, it is questionable whether anything was shouted out at the assembly in question, and further questionable whether she heard and understood the alleged exclamation, but don’t let that get in the way of a righteously indignant rant, Father. Could someone get the benefit of the doubt from you if they weren’t running against the pro-choice Democrat ticket (and who else would get your vote because they hail from Chicago? With all due respect…how lame!). Unless of course you’ve applied your previously referenced vision into the heart, would you even consider retracting? My, but your heart is hard.
I’m not one of these people who get down on the Catholic Church because of indecent liberties taken by priests with children to whom they should be ministering. Neither would I feel any differently about it knowing that you are not the only priest out there misrepresenting Catholic teaching and discrediting the priesthood.
Now do you suppose Mr. Obama would let us keep our Catholic schools open if left-wing indoctrination and their re-written version of history are taught? Might have to check that catechism to make sure it isn’t espousing something “harmful”. You chuckle, but time will prove me right if your man gets unchecked power. Do you think he’ll have any use for you then, Comrade…er Father?
Father Greeley, I have long respected you as a man of God and a great author. ( I especially enjoyed the Nuala McGrail books. } As a lifelong Christian and a lifelong conservative I have, however, never understood or agreed with your politics. I am appalled to read that a respected priest like yourself would characterize Governor Palin as a racist. That is totally false, as is the now refuted story that one attendee at a Palin rally heard the ” kill him ” cry. The Secret Service agent who led the investigation of this alleged incident and several other rally attendees have stated that they heard no such thing. It was an uncorroborated report by one individual and it turns out that it was a false report. It is the left that divides us all on race, gender, income level, religion, and whatever else they can use to divide and conquer. Although I believe that Senator McCain is a weak candidate, I believe that Palin helps strengthen the Republican ticket and I could never vote for a Marxist like Obama. It has nothing to do with race. Conservatives vote on issues and principals. If anyone should be called racist it would be those like Father Pfleger and Rev. Jeremiah Wright whose racist and/or antisemitic remarks have been well documented. I believe that a public apology to Governor Palin is warranted.
I am feeling a bit numb after reading the above 8 responses. I too was born and raised Roman Catholic – attended Catholic grade school, high school, and college – and one of the most important things the nuns taught me was to seek the truth. This entire campaign, I have gone to all of the fact-finders not only after each and every debate – but after listening to the ads – and after listening to the candidates on the campaign trail.
The facts show that John McCain and Sarah Palin have greatly misrepresented Barak Obama.
Yes, sometimes Fr. Greeley uses strong words – but so did Jesus – when he called the Pharisees a ‘brood of vipers’ – and yes, sometimes Fr. Greeley loses his temper (righteous anger) when people in a crowd shout out ‘kill him’ – (the words were audible to anyone watching the rally on television) – but Jesus also lost his temper when he overthrew the money-changers’ tables in the temple.
Perhaps Fr. Greeley words were a bit harsh – but if you truly seek the truth and check out the facts – it is obvious that Barak Obama has shown far more integrity and decency and maturity in this political race – and he most definitely has my vote.
“The common opinion was that they didn’t know enough about Barack Obama to make a decision about him — as if there were not two books about his life. That plea implies that they don’t know enough about him to accept his strange name or his skin color. It is, of course, impossible that they could ever know enough. He isn’t one of us.”
I completely agree. I live in a small city that is primarily conservative, white and Republican, so I don’t encounter very many other (than myself) Barack Obama supporters. His detractors that I have encountered have not read and, furthermore, refuse to read his wonderful books. Yet, they continue to spew vitriol that, with a little research, is easily debunked. Many are highly educated people; I am thoroughly dismayed. As I refute point after point of their arguments, the last comment to me is, “He really scares me; you don’t know enough about him.” READ THE BOOKS, people, please!
Incidentally,I read John McCain’s books, too, and became convinced that my support of Obama is well-based. John McCain frequently refers to his volatile temperament with pride–now that’s scary.