The American Spectator

br> Seabrook,Texas /p>

“The reformer is always right about what is wrong. He is generally wrong about what is right.” So goes one of my favorite quotes from G.K. Chesterton, Mr. Klein. I think I’d like to modify it, though, to reflect current political discourse, especially given the publication of Jonah Goldberg’s book, Liberal Fascism, and his review of the history of progressives. “The progressive is adept at identifying the imperfections of a fallen world, but, holding a nihilistic world view, is generally clueless about how to respond, apart from exercising absolute power over others,” which is pretty much, I think, what Chesterton meant.

Listen to any Democrat, especially the Presidential candidates, and you’ll hear a litany of the ills and suffering of mankind to fill the Library of Congress, always followed by a statement of confidence in the state as remedy. Most Republicans understand the pernicious threat to freedom, which emanates from this simplistic viewpoint. Most Democrats do not. And so, we are berated by bombast, constantly cajoled, pressured with pontifications, and manipulated by misappropriated entreaties to entrust high political office to those consumed by faith in the unattainable and an insatiable lust for power to coerce unbelievers.

p>If Barack Obama is elected President of the United States, the antics of Bill Clinton will be but a fond memory. May he continue exhibiting his talent for tongue tripping in his pursuit thereof. br> — Mike Showalter br> Austin, Texas /p>

People are wasting their energy telling Obama that he’s an “elitist.” He already knows that, believes it, and is proud to be one. He is a U.S. Senator, you know — one of the 100 most powerful people in the world, by gosh.

Rather, identify his remarks as what they are — prejudice — 99.9% fine prejudice, as befits an elitist.

It is curious that commentators, when quoting him, either pussy-foot around and write without comment the words “antipathy to people who aren’t like them,” or simply delete it without comment.

Contrary to Obama’s opinion, we STP’s are not racial bigots. The truth is that we grew up and live in a genuinely multi-ethnic state and recognize that everyone is not like us, and no-one is not like us. I’m sure that’s waaaay beyond what Obama’s prejudice will allow him to understand.

Obama’s problem appears to be primarily that he does not know us because he never lived among us, never shared — or even saw — our struggles and our joys, and has not the faintest knowledge of our history. Nor has he tried to understand, instead falling back on his preconceived — and erroneous — notion of what we feel, why we feel it, and how we think.

My guess is that he never spoke to a single small-town Pennsylvanian in his life until this campaign, and then only to people who want to hear what he wants to say, while he hears what he wants to hear.