New Media Alliance - Randall H. Nunn

By Randall Nunn

On Monday, Senator Barack Obama attacked the Tennessee Republican Party for playing “snippets” of Michelle Obama’s remarks “in ways that are unflattering to her.” The unflattering “snippet” from just last year was Michelle Obama saying “For the first time in my adult life, I am really proud of my country.” Funny, I thought that snippet was unflattering to our country more than to Michelle. For Michelle the remark was just plain dumb.

Senator Obama’s comments show just how elitist he really is. Apparently Senator Obama thinks that any statements that are played “in ways that are unflattering” to Michelle Obama are out of bounds in a political campaign. The Senator and his wife are so above the rest of us that they should not have to face things as “unflattering” as the truth.

What Senator Obama is trying to do is intimidate the Republicans and conservatives (the two are not necessarily the same any more) into not criticizing his wife—at least not in “unflattering” ways. We all need to come up with ways to criticize in a flattering way, so that we sound like simpletons. I guess then we would be on an equal level with the press and the liberals.

What is really remarkable is Senator Obama’s labeling of the Tennessee GOP’s video as “low class” simply because it portrays Michelle Obama’s remarks in ways that are unflattering. No one disputes that Michelle Obama made the statement nor does anyone in the Obama camp make an effort to explain it in a way that would be flattering to Michelle Obama (let alone understandable). So just label any criticism of the remark as “low class”, have the mainstream media stooges take up the cry and hope that the American people agree—for indeed the network anchors have said it is so!

History is full of instances of “snippets” of remarks being circulated and remembered for their impact on the listener. “That government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.” Or “Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead.” Or “The only good Indian is a dead Indian.” The people who made these remarks had to live with them and with history’s verdict about them. It may be “low class” to repeat them but it tells us something about the speaker. And even someone less erudite than Senator Obama can understand these “snippets.” Although I can see how I might have had a more flattering view of Admiral Farragut if I had read his entire remarks in context rather than just the unflattering snippet damning the torpedoes.

Senator Obama seems to feel that he should be able to run his campaign without having to answer for the really stupid things his wife sometimes says. Then he could focus on the really important “notions” and not have to get his hands dirtied in the hurly burly of the arena. And I guess we could concentrate on attacking Senator Obama for his demeaning statements about middle Americans clinging to their guns or religion and reacting to people who aren’t like them. Then we could have a truly “high class” campaign with nothing but flattering remarks being bandied about. And we could all ignore Harry Truman’s “snippet” about staying out of the kitchen if you can’t stand the heat.