More of Senator Hiliary Clinton’s supporters than Senator Barack Obama’s would love to have her end up being Obama’s vice presidential running mate.  This is bad because Obama cannot run on a platform of change and have the Clintons back in the White House in any shape or form.  Hillary as VP only makes sense if Obama is a phony. If he means what he has been saying about changing Washington, then he has to start with skipping what the “insiders” and conventional wisdom folks want.  We need to turn the page on the disgrace and scandal of the past two presidencies. 

Obama may need to pick someone fast to rebuild the support he is losing from Clinton supporters. The process will be another test of Obama’s skill and balance because he needs to pick someone who is strong on defense, more conservative than him, has lots of experience, appeals to females, blue collar, and Republican-Indpendent voters, and pacifies the racial tensions of white America. 

P.S.  Personally, since I’m behind changing the electoral map, I like any of these choices: Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas, Senator Jim Webb of Virginia, or Governor Ted Strickland of Ohio.

Voters ARE tired of the conversations that divide this nation.  Millions more want us to move forward.  Since the past two presidencies have exemplified imperfection, the American public has lost confidence in the Clintons, G.W. Bush, John McCain, and our public institutions.  In Barack Obama, we have a good and decent man running for president. He is not perfect, and says so often.  Rather than being sidetracked, we need to move forward on the real problems that face us as a nation.  To do this, we need to stop scapegoating Barack Obama for all the sins and bitterness of the past.

Mainstream media has failed to do its job.  In fact, they’re part of the problem: favoring the viewpoint of the government and the powerful corporations.  They have refused to investigate and report objectively on today’s real issues with fairness, disinterestedness, factuality, and nonpartisanship. Their specialty has been coverage of wedge issues and the delivery of covert propaganda packaged as credible news.  Until mainstream media provides the American public with truth, fairness, and accuracy on the real issues of the day, their public disservice makes them irrelevant and criminal.

Today, America’s greatest challenge is not fear, but pride.  “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”  (Proverbs 16: 18).  Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s most recent remarks delivered before the Detroit NAACP and then at the Washington D. C. National Press Club, have created another stir, or manufactured, mainstream media meltdown.  Rev.Wright plainly states:  “America is in dire need of radical change and honest dialog on race!”  And Rev. Wendell Anthony proclaims:  “It’s not about man’s acceptance; it’s about God’s approval!”  What we don’t need now is the mainstream media’s version of the truth broken down for us. They are part of the problem, exceptional in the business of disinformation, lending credence to the sheep in wolves’ clothing, and supplying millions of voters with their mental breakdown.  They are no longer a reliable source of information in an open society.

Ironically, a black leader and the black church have opened the eyes of real America.  Instead of reacting to words, educated people choose to hear the truth. This is no time for treading softly, business as usual, or measured remarks.  America has its faults!  Rev. Wright is not in need of rehabilitation, America is.  Historically, those in power are corrupted, blinded by pride, and in denial as to the error of their ways. Traditionally, we attack the messengers—like Jeremiah—willing to “die over a lie!”  Today is no exception.  Roused from sleep, millions of Americans elect to re-think critically the sins and faulty assumptions of their past.  In solitude, they may read Isaiah 61 and Luke 4, reflect long and hard, and hopefully heal, moving down the road of reconciliation.  Praise be to God for the preachers who “brought it on home” and woke up America in time.  Barack Obama, this is a test of your steel and leadership.  Answer the call!

And which god does white America worship?

The attacks against Rev. Wright were unfair.  They show how too much of America—including the mainstream media—is still racist and out of touch because they choose to be and have no experience of the everyday life of the black church.  And the mainstream media, rather than helping the situation, is guilty of adding fuel to the flames.  They say: “Ignorance is bliss.”  All this blindness is no surprise to me because, as a native New Englander, I grew up with blacks and visited their churches often.  Much of white America has a lot of nerve when they call Rev. Wright racist and unpatriotic.  Instead, they should be outraged at their own white supremacist views.  The role of true patriots—like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Wright—has always been biblical and prophetic, preaching which:  “comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable.”

White America still needs to come to the table and talk about all of this.  “The wise shall inherit glory: but shame shall be the promotion of fools.” (Proverbs 3:35).  Like the prophets of the Bible, and Jesus himself, who called out the moral failings of the powerful, Dr. King, Rev. Wright, and Senators John Edwards and Barack Obama have all taken America to task—and rightly so—for its racism and poverty.  Rather than question how black Americans worship, white America better question its own form of worship, and to which god.

Republicans do all they can to get Hiliary Clinton nominated and to take Barack Obama out.  The North Carolina Republican Party will run a Willie Horton-type ad against Barack Obama because that’s the game plan. John McCain and the National Republican Party can denounce and implore all they want; it’s never enough that anyone says:  “It distracts Republicans, degrades our civics, and seeks to divide the American people.” This racist ad will run just once and do its damage.  Millions of smart voters figured out the old games played by McCain and Clinton.  Isn’t it the “Good Cop-Bad Cop,” or the “Hot-Cold vs. Bitter-Sweet Game?” Clinton hasn’t denounced the ad as more of the same because she is more of the same!  Both McCain and Clinton use the same playbook.

On the Democratic side, Hiliary Clinton doesn’t have a chance of winning the nomination statistically.  Yet she’ll waste our time playing the waiting game, and ruin the Democratic Party, in the process.  For me, and millions of disgruntled, bitter Democrats, this is more like “the crying game!”  The super Superdelegates need to step in and tell Hiliary where to go!  Why should it become a game of The Mean Machine vs. Retribution?  The Democratic Party, and American public, loses.  WE should not have to wait for her clock to run out!   She and the Democratic Party are taking up valuable time by not allowing Barack Obama to build up the constituencies now favoring her.  This we cannot forgive! 

Hiliary Clinton beat Barack Obama by 8 points in Pennsylvania.  She obviously connected with the voters there.  From Indiana, the Obama campaign asked for $100. Though a sacrifice, for the next two weeks, we must wage the war against Hiliary, Bill, and McCain.  Come hell or high water, the People’s Revolution must succeed.  Because she has loads of bills, a campaign that is broke, and her contributors are dried up, Hiliary doesn’t have a prayer.  “These are the times that try men’s souls.”  Superdelegates need to pay Hiliary a visit to remind her how she’s tearing up the party.  But, they probably still don’t have the moral backbone.  Meanwhile, faith keeps us going: “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”  (Hebrews 11:6)

The bottom line, Barack Obama?  You need to get into general election mode and attack McCain!  Attack Clinton for her mistakes too, especially her incendiary, cowboy Iran rhetoric and other foreign policy blunders.  Ordinary people want you to stop playing it “too cool!”  Stand up to the disconnected media!  Tell ordinary people why you love America.  On the economic side in Indiana and North Carolina, go grocery shopping!  Indiana is hers to lose, and North Carolina is yours to lose!  So connect, have faith, and we’ll make up the difference because May 6th is our Waterloo!

No, we don’t get to choose our family; but fortunately, we do get to choose our president. The current primary race has the American public bogged down in three wars:  a war of words, our economic war, and our war in Iraq.  The Good News is on all these fronts, Barack Obama is winning.  Try as they have, the Clinton Machine has been unsuccessful in their swift-boat assaults on Barack Obama.  He still leads—clearly out front with the most delegates and popular vote—and, the People believe he’ll be the best as steward for the economy and preparedness to be our next commander-in-chief.  Even though Hiliary Clinton may claim a win is not necessarily a win, or Obama’s a loser, the People have heard and had enough! 

As long as Hiliary Clinton insists on dragging this process out, the People lose.  My prayer, and only ray of hope, is: “May your own words bury you.  Amen!”

Take note, President G.W. Bush, just as Pope Benedict XVI took the high road of hope and reconciliation in his United Nations address on Human Rights, highlighting religious freedom and liberty and the dignity and worth of every living individual—as he has throughout his U.S. tour—so too will Barack Obama, our next president.  He will break your hold on our foreign policy, and the Era of the Long War will be over.  Further, he will restore the Constitution—and our rights and civil liberties—and every American citizen, will be worthy of benefits of the American Dream. Benedict noted: Not just the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, acting out of their own self-interests, but all member nations of the General Assembly must act collectively to solve today’s world’s problems.  Again, take note, Mr. President because you have acted out of your own self-interests in an imperial presidency.  The People of these United States will elect to take their government back.  We will act collectively to solve our problems. With our goodwill and blessing, and the longed-for 21^st century leadership, President Barack Obama, on our behalf, will make the necessary, sincere apologies to mend our fences, turn the page on the atrocities of the Bush-Clinton Era and, with renewed hope, vigor, and reconciliation, solve our most-pressing problems.

P.S.  The above expressed views are those of a recovering Catholic.  Traditional Roman Catholics may differ.

If we’re not yet the country we ought to be, and if we haven’t yet provided all Americans with the economic and social justice they’re entitled to, then it’s much too late for John McCain or Hiliary Clinton to expect the voters will back either of them this election cycle.  For far too many election cycles, the candidates have pumped up the voters with the usual wedge issues, ad hominem attacks, platitudes, and promises.  Then, once the election is over, you never ever see or hear from them.  They don’t deliver on the promises and “do their own thing,” all at the voters’ expense.

En masse, the voters are after new leadership and a fresh start. This is why they’ve come out of the woodwork to take back their government.  Finally, they believe they have the candidate who will deliver on the promises of the past.  The media and rightwing blow hearts don’t have a clue how bitter the People have become, or over what, and that’s part of this excitement.  Step aside, John McCain and Hiliary Clinton.  You had your chance and blew it!  The People are passing you by with Barack Obama.

John McCain’s latest faux pas was the publication of his income tax returns for the past two years.  His campaign—and his Free Ride Media Express—is bitter-sweet.  Once the American public knows the truth, he’ll be cast aside like the Clintons. I’m still furious about ABC’s Philadelphia Democratic Debate, featuring George Stephanopoulos and Charles Gibson.  “All is fair in love and war,” so John McCain should not be given the media’s free ride treatment, let alone by George Stephanopoulos this Sunday on This Week.  When it’s said the press likes McCain because of his maverick status or because he grants them more access, that’s a smoke screen.  McCain’s out of touch with real Americans—like most the media are—with no understanding of their economic pain and other inequities.  He’s a flip-flopper, like Hiliary Clinton.  He supports long wars.  He also says he supports our troops; yet, like President Bush, he really supports their continued brutalization by not supporting the new GI Education Bill.  Ever since his return from Vietnam and the Keating Five incident, he’s been a man of questionable character.  So, there’s plenty there for George Stephanopoulos to uncover—if he had the balls and was fair—starting with Cindy June Cleaver McCain’s family recipes and the publication of their recent tax returns for the last two years.  Get on with it, George.  Uncover McCain’s hard Rock of Ages!