[lbo-talk] Obama defends capital punishment for child rape; Nation apologizes for him

Michael Smith mjs at smithbowen.net
Thu Jun 26 17:24:38 PDT 2008


On Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:57:35 -0400 WD <mister.wd at gmail.com> wrote:


> So I'm with Doug in thinking Obama's attack on the SCOTUS decision is
> pretty significant.

Me too -- but not for quite the same reasons.

Obama doesn't really care who lives or who dies, whether proportionate justice is done or whether it isn't. What he cares about is being President. This is because he's a high-achieving careerist. This category more than any other defines him.

The significance of his Executioner's Song is not in what it says about him. It says nothing new about him. What it makes very clear is what he thinks of the people who put him where he is -- the hapless earnest young folks who bought the "change" slogan, and the inexplicable older folks who never... fucking... learn.

Obama might as well be saying, in so many words, to these useful idiots: I know I can count on *you*, no matter how much I break your heart.

And of course he's right.



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