Do you want Barack Obama to succeed?"

By Robert Ringer

The World's Silliest Question

As the media and left-wing "slobbering love affair" (as Bernard Goldberg puts it in the title of his new book) reaches orgasmic heights today, maybe those of us who have not yet bought into the idea that Abraham Lincoln has been reincarnated should work hard at keeping our intellectual composure.

Just when you thought that Bill O'Reilly could not possibly outdo his rants about limiting oil company profits (You do remember high oil prices, don't you?), he asks his viewers to answer a question that probably would not have made the cut on Wheel of Fortune: "Are you rooting for Barack Obama to succeed?"

Hmm ... maybe ... just maybe ... the term succeed needs to be defined for us. As it now stands, O'Reilly's profound question exists in a vacuum. Succeed at what?

* At printing up trillions of fiat dollars and continuing to bail out companies that are "too big to fail"?

* At creating millions of synthetic jobs through "public works" programs that put other people out of work?

* At "spreading the wealth" by increasing taxes on those Obama deems to be "rich"

* At silencing conservative talk radio through another version of the "Fairness Doctrine"?

* At overriding the Second Amendment and fulfilling the decades-old left-wing dream of disarming the population by stripping citizens of their natural right to bear arms?

* At growing the size of government through a "new New Deal" in the belief that politicians and bureaucrats can, and should, solve the problems of individuals?

* At reinstituting the draft?

You or I could come up with a much longer list, but I think you get the idea. If the above are examples of what one thinks of as "success," then, no, I don't want Obama to succeed. Nor would I want anyone else to succeed at objectives that violate our God-given rights and limit our liberties.

There are all kinds of successes. Some burglars are successful at their craft. Some who engage in human trafficking are successful at it. Some pedophiles are successful at carrying out their disgusting objectives. And most school bullies are successful at getting away with making life miserable for their most vulnerable classmates.

Hitler succeeded - by some people's standards. Mussolini succeeded - by some people's standards. Stalin succeeded - by some people's standards. Ditto Ho Chi Minh, Mao Zedong, Fidel Castro, and Pol Pot. But none of them were successful by my standards - nor, in all likelihood, by yours. So, when you really think about it, asking if you want Barack Obama to succeed is pretty silly.

I believe that most people want to see African-Americans succeed, at least subconsciously. I call it psychic affirmative action - governmental interference not necessary, thank you. In my opinion, psychic affirmative action is a good thing, so long as it isn't taken to a slobbering extreme that has more to do with white guilt than sincere goodwill.

We all love to see the underdog overcome great obstacles and make it to the top. And for hundreds of years - even after given their freedom - no one was a bigger underdog than African-Americans. From Frederick Douglass to the Tuskegee Airmen to Bill Cosby, black success stories are truly inspiring.

So, in all honesty, I understand the hysteria over the idea of a man who is half black and (let's not forget) half white ascending to the presidency. It's quite natural. But, unfortunately, in this case most people are acting on emotion. And basing one's actions on emotion is generally an unhealthy way to operate one's life.

Electing a president is serious business, yet millions of voters clearly did not take that task seriously in the recent election. Rather, I believe they acted on the emotional excitement of having a "black" president. And today they are caught up in the emotional euphoria of it all.

But discharging the duties of the President of the United States is not about color; it's about protecting people's lives and property. It's about preserving liberty. There are African-Americans who believe in these ideals, and there are African-Americans who do not.

I would love to see Barack Obama succeed at putting an end to handing out trillions of dollars in fiat currency to Wall Street firms, major banks, and other "too-big-to-fail" companies. I would love to see Barack Obama succeed at standing up to Queen Pelosi and implement conservative fiscal and economic policies. I would love to see Barack Obama succeed at canning his FDR copycat plan of creating public works' programs and, instead, allow the free market to sort out the mess the government has created.

If I see him moving in those directions, you can bet that I'll be cheering him on. But I believe he's made it clear that he most decidedly intends to move in the direction of more and more fiat currency, more borrowing, higher taxes, and less liberty for all but those who are part of the Beltway Power Structure.

So, before you decide whether or not you want Barack Obama to succeed, you would be wise to define what, exactly, it is that you want him to succeed at. Don't be intimidated by today's feel-good, "patriotic" mantra: "We all have to come together as Americans."

Keep your head when those around you are losing theirs, and recognize that such Orwellian doublespeak is but a euphemism for: "You hard cases who still believe in capitalism and individual liberty are morally obliged to join us in moving our socialist agenda forward. And if you don't, you're unpatriotic."

Why, none other than Shepherd Smith told me just a short time ago (through my TV screen, of course) that "Today is a great day for democracy." Sorry, Shep, but I'm not buying into that one - even though I'm sure that John "Reach Across the Aisle" McCain must have been smiling and bobbing his head up and down when you said it.

I prefer to fight on for the real thing, and I hope you feel the same way. If we're lucky enough to have free elections in 2012, perhaps another person of color - one who believes in small government and the sanctity of the individual - will win the presidency. Now that would be a man or woman I would want to see succeed.

But to get there, millions of people are going to set aside their emotionally based delusions and to be rational enough and strong enough not to buy into the massive, ongoing brainwashing campaign that is about to begin. Be prepared!