Posted by
The Chase on Thursday, February 21, 2008 11:02:43 PM
You can blame it all on Pandora. All of the evils and ills in America can be blamed on a curious girl who just couldn't keep the lid on things. Of course, she was told not to open the box, or jar, depending on your interpretation of the word pithos. But even after being instructed and warned not to open it, she pulled off the lid and, WHOOSH! Of course, the lid was promptly returned, but only Hope remained in the jar. According to myth, that's all we have left.
In a modern twist, Democrat voters want to open the box again, and unleash Hope. It seems more likely that Obama will get the nomination of the Democrat Party, and run against McCain for the general election. Currently, the media is beginning to join with conservatives in questioning what Obama stands for. He speaks of Hope and Change, but gives no specific hopes or changes he will give. When pressed about his positions, he blurps out plans and programs more liberal than Clinton. But his forte is offering rhetoric that inspires emotion, not intelligence. A clear distinction from Reagan, who not only inspired the hearts of Americans, but empowered their minds with true principles.
Obama is using the most ancient and traditional form of political speech: rhetoric. It doesn't matter what is actually right or wrong, just what appears to be. Emotion is easier to inspire, and if you can just get people to feel that something is right, and if you can get a lot of them to believe it, you win the game. The only way to defeat it is to counter it with an intellectual and emotional empowerment.
The Democrat electorate is about to open Pandora's box again, this time letting out Hope, letting about Obama. They don't know what they'll get and they're taking a big risk in voting for him. Hope may be the most misunderstood and misused word in the world. Hope is an emotion that can feed motivation and action. But Hope can also pine and whine and never get off the couch. Change is essential to every human being, but the direction that change leads one to follow can be destructive. Democrats don't know what Obama stands for other than abstract words and ideas. They get to fill in the blanks, and that is the danger and success of the man.
Keep in mind that the myth states that the box, or jar, contained ALL the evils, and Hope was included in the list. Scholars have debated what this means for centuries, but I think we may have a clear understanding of what it means by watching this election cycle. Hope can be destructive when it is used improperly. Obama has explained that he would pull American troops out of Iraq and raise taxes to insane levels in order to pay for a universal healthcare plan and to help fight world poverty. Between the lines, his brand of change sounds radical, bordering on universal communism. Yet in his speeches, he never mentions his plans or ideas. He only tells the masses his empty rhetoric of Change and Hope.
This brings up a great opportunity for the Republicans. It has been said of Reagan that every moment he had was teaching the nation about conservative principles. His idea was to persuade liberals that conservatism was the best course for this nation. McCain has perhaps an even better chance than Reagan, in that he may be going up against Obama.
Think about what McCain could do... he could ask the Democrats, and Obama, what they stand for. The charge is that they don't stand for anything and that they are clearly being fed empty promises and rhetoric. McCain then has the chance to teach America about conservatism. He would need to passionately explain how Reagan proved conservatism works and why it works. If he started doing that, voters would forget about Huckabee.
If McCain doesn't passionately teach us about conservative principles, it will seriously hurt his chances, and our chances in November. If nothing else, you have this opportunity to advance the conservative cause.
The Democrats are letting Hope out of the box, and one can only guess what Obama will do, and what Bin Laden will do. Pandora put the lid back on the box, and kept Hope where it belongs. It is all we have left, and it should not be allowed to escape and prove our undoing. Not that this is hush-hush, but let's keep the lid on this one.