LETTER AND RESPONSE

Here is part of a letter that appeared in the
Albany Democrat-Herald on 9/4/08 entitled
"A Doubter in Obama country" It is written
by Larry Crompton. Larry writes: "It is time
to do some deep thinking. I realize that Ore-
gon is an Obama country but for the life of
me I cannot figure out why. Racist ministers
as mentors, terrorists as friends, crooks as
friends. Does this not mean anything? Can
they really be overlooked in a person who is
seeking the highest office in the land?"

"For those of you who are voting for Senator
Obama because he is black and you will be a
part of history making, you are foolish. For
those of you who are voting for him to prove
to yourself and those around you that you
are not racist, you are proving the exact oppo-
site." And Mr. Crompton goes on, predicting
various disasters to be expected if Obama wins.

My Response

(This appeared in the Albany paper on 9/13/08:)
"Explaining Barack Obama"
Larry Crompton (Mailbag, Sept. 4) is baffled by
the popularity of Sen. Obama. Maybe I can help.

Obama has JFK's smarts and charisma, and MLK's
eloquence and idealism. Other than that, he's
pretty much your ordinary honor-student-turned
politician. It's not totally a mystery: the people of
Illinois, who know him well, sent him to their state
legislature for eight years, and then to represent
them in the U. S. Senate.

The folks in Iowa, where he spent a lot of time,
like him too, and want to make him president.
He was well-liked by his fellow professors and
students at the Univ. of Chicago law school,
where he taught constitutional law for ten years.
His fellow students chose him to head the Law
Review at Harvard. That's a big honor. It's hard
to find anyone who knows him that has anything
bad to say about him.

Some of us see similarities between Obama and
Lincoln. Like L., O. writes his own speeches.
That's rare in politicians! (O. writes as well as
Gov. Palin reads, and that is very well indeed.)

Lincoln actually had less national experience
when he was sworn in than Obama has now.
Lincoln was a genius. Obama may be close to
that. It would be a monumental tragedy for
the nation if we miss the opportunity for great-
ness in our leadership at this critical time be-
cause of silly and scurrilous nonsense promo-
ted by Fox Noise and Rush Limbaugh.

If you want the truth about these attacks, go
to Obama's campaign website. William Ayers
held a fundraiser party for Obama. They had
both served on the board of a nonprofit chari-
table organization. So they know each other.
So? This means what? Guilt by association?

John Goodwin
Lebanon

Let me add here that Mr. Crumpton is right
in one respect: if anyone is voting for Obama
(or against him) because of race, that would be
a poor reason. But is that really the case in
Oregon? How does Mr. C. know that? I doubt
very much that is the case. Also, Obama's
former pastor was nutty, but he's not a racist
as Mr. C. claims. Racism is a belief that there
are certain differences that can be attributed
to one race or another. Rev. Wright does not
believe that nonsense for a minute! And O.
would not have stayed in that church one day
if Wright believed or preached that. I have
looked into Wright's record and preaching,
and can't find any racism there. Whites are
welcome in that church, and many attend
there and like it. What the Rev. occasionally
fulminates against is actions and behaviours
that are racially based. That's a whole different
can of worms!