The Tits Are Off The Fritz,
Yes We Can–But I Think Not,
and Its McCain’s To Lose--Don't Blow It.

Chicago, IL--May 27, 2008

The ProConPundit is back. Actually, I never went away. Some think I turned bitter over my plight as a working class, heartland American. Some think I turned to guns or religion. Not true. I have been here all along. Truth be it, I haven’t been able to stop laughing long enough to type the last couple of months. This primary season has been rich...and a blast of fun. And I hate to say it, but we have the Clinton’s to thank for it.

This primary election season has been a great opportunity for states large and small, north and south, red and blue, to feel they have had some say about the nomination process. Because of the Clinton pathology and our nation’s need to enable their pathology, she has been able to be portrayed as a viable candidate thus keeping the interest and intrigue alive in the race. It has been a mathematic impossibility for her to overtake Obama since Super Tuesday, hence she had not plan or money to run beyond that date. The fact that she has continued to have lop sided victories in states like West Virginia and Kentucky, given the fact that those voters went to the polls knowing she could not garner the nomination, says more about Obama’s vulnerabilities than her strengths. I mean really. Hillary Clinton as the champion of middle class and working poor in West Virginia and Kentucky. Give me a break.
Her instincts are astute in her belief that Obama cannot win the general election. He may win. Its very possible. But its also very doubtful–and it shouldn’t be. It should be a landslide victory for any Democrat.

Tits Off The Fritz. For the record, Geraldine Ferraro, was correct in her assessment that Obama would not have gotten as far as he has in life–being a serious contender for the presidency–were he not black. That was not a racist remark. Geraldine Ferraro’s character, history, and record as a bona fide, pro-affirmative action, pro-minority liberal are not tarnished–AT ALL. You can disagree with her opinion but she isn’t a racist and she was terribly mistreated and maligned by Obama and the media who adores him.

Wright was whack. The ProConPundit grew up west of Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago. Geographically, it was 3 miles. Psychologically, it was much further. In attaining a graduate degree in Theology, I was exposed to a video of Rev. Wright’s preaching in which a sermon of his, among the sermons of nine others, were posited as one of the best ten preachers in America. I was impressed with his dynamic preaching ability and visited his church once. Although I didn’t experience anything inflammatory on my visit there, I did find him a gifted preacher in the tradition of prophetic preaching.

I was in seminary with a guy who said his preaching style was prophetic. Saying that you are prophetic is like saying you are humble. If you think you are, you’re probably not. In prophetic preaching, the preacher, in pointing toward God, a more godly life or world, God’s truth or God’s call to us, our current experience is critiqued. Its appropriate and authentic for anything in need of improvement to be called out. Is it acceptable to criticize our country in preaching? Yes. Of course it is. The Catholic church does it ALL THE TIME. The difference is in the vitriol of Wright’s remarks, i.e., "God damns America," "Our chickens have come home to roost," as expressed on the Sunday following 9/11. If there was any doubt as to the content or context of Wright’s remarks, and in sensible circles there was not, he clarified that himself in his recent pitiful, narcissistic performance before the National Press Club. Wright’s church has done a lot of good on the south side of Chicago and beyond. The good of his life and ministry are not reduced by his anti-American preaching and recent outbursts. They are, however, eclipsed, by them. His remarks, behavior, and the fact that his church gave a lifetime achievement award to Louis Farakan cast a pall over him clearly, and rightly or wrongly, make Obama a less palatable general election candidate in this country. Well, which is it? Rightly or wrongly? Both.

Wrongly. Barack Obama should not be held any more accountable for the remarks of his pastor than anyone else. In Chicago, if you are an upwardly mobile downtownish Catholic, you go to Old St. Pat’s. If you are a mainline Protestant, you go to Fourth Presbyterian. And if you’re African American, you go to Trinity. I suspect Obama was as much at Trinity as it was the place to be than he was to be in lock step with Wright. Furthermore, the pastor at Fourth Presbyterian routinely preaches against the war to a congregation that I suspect largely supported it. Most Catholics support birth control, the death penalty, civil unions for gays, ordination for women and a married clergy even while their church is openly opposed to all of these.

Rightly. People who deem that Jeremiah Wright’s views are wrong and that Barack Obama shares his views will not vote for him. Frankly, my biggest reason for opposing Obama is that we have suffered from 16 years of dis-eased presidents. Bush has been dis-eased with inexperience and Clinton was dis-eased with a black character and pathological dishonesty. Obama is inexperienced. I don’t care that he is black and care less if he is a militant black. I am sure that Michelle Obama is a militant black...I know this from well placed imbeds on the south side of Chicago. That doesn’t rank high enough to matter given that Bush has had to rely on others to tell him what to do. The next president has to know the terrain.

You will notice in the months ahead the ProConPundit will take the gloves off in a number of areas:
1. This country has been poorly served by George W. Bush. It pains me. I voted for the guy in 2000. He has his virtues but has been in over his head from the get go. Don’t believe me? Read his press secretary’s book, "What Happened?" by Scott McClellan. America has not been in such dire straights since the end stage of the Carter administration. Wow. That sense is so insulting to Bush--and Carter.
2. I will give Barack Obama credit for inspiring a hope in the Democratic Party that died with RFK died on June 6, 1968. Obama has also done a nearly flawless job of fighting the Clinton machine. He deserves a lot of credit and he is a decent guy. He’s not a Muslim and I am tired of hearing about lapel pins. The flat out truth is that he is not up to the job. He will pick a running mate that has the experience he lacks. My people tell me it may well be Sam Nunn. The ProConPundit loves Nunn. But doesn’t he become another Cheney? Its one thing to pick someone who rounds out a short side you have. If you are short on everything but public speaking and inspiration, that aren’t you George W. Bush with Toastmasters?
3. John McCain needs to step up. This is an election the Democrats should win by landslide. McCain is the only Republican (who ran) capable of pulling off a victory. He needs to do these things to make it happen:
a) Stop talking of the rightness of the war but the wrongness of a poor withdrawal. Americans were divided and furious over Vietnam but united in their humiliation at our mishandled departure. No sensible person wants to relive that. Not one of the Democrats, in a primary debate, could say that we would be out of Iraq before 2013. No one will deliver a quick departure. McCain has the where-with-all to get us out of their prudently.
B) He needs to get his hand on the pulse of reality. Gas prices, increasing food and transportation costs and the housing/real estate crisis are the front and center issues in this election. He needs to feel our pain and state a realistic plan.
C) He needs to drop his corrupt friends like Phil Gramm. They don’t help his cause.