Paul

Ibrahim

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November 17, 2008

Barack Obama Must Work to Deserve the Presidency

Our first president, George Washington, served in the military over a span of 30 years. Widely respected, he was chosen as delegate to the Continental Congress, and then as general of the Continental Army. In merely six years, and against all odds, he defeated the world’s dominant imperial power and brought America her independence.

Our second president, John Adams, was also a delegate to the Continental Congress. He was willing to sacrifice his family life to serve his country in Philadelphia, where he was on the drafting committee of the Declaration of Independence, and in Europe, where he lobbied the old world for help against Britain. He also served as America’s first ambassador to the Netherlands, and then Britain, before serving as vice president for eight years under George Washington.

Thomas Jefferson, our third president, was yet another delegate to the Continental Congress and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence, one of the finest documents ever written in the history of mankind. Prior to becoming president, Jefferson was minister to France, served as governor of Virginia while still at war with the British, and went on to become America’s first Secretary of State and then her second vice president.

Barack Obama, our 44^th president, was a state-level politician in Illinois, and was a U.S. senator for two years before he started running for the presidency.

Talk about declining standards.

Love them or hate them, you must respect Washington, Adams and Jefferson. Despite their differences, they certainly respected each other.

But how would they feel if they saw an unaccomplished Obama occupying the same office they worked so hard to earn? How would they feel if they learned that the two positions Obama did get elected to were won through cunning and reliance on opponents’ scandals? Obama only became a state senator because he removed all four of his opponents’ names from the ballot, and U.S. senator because both his main primary and general election opponents succumbed to last-minute, insurmountable domestic scandals.

What a slap in the face to the democracy Washington, Adams and Jefferson fought for.

And how would they feel if they found out that Obama’s personal guidance was provided by an anti-American pastor, and that Obama’s unremarkable political career was launched with the help of one convicted felon and another unrepentant America-bombing terrorist?

What an insult to the patriotism that Washington, Adams, and Jefferson sacrificed to instill in us.

Passionate Obama supporters will argue, like they have: “Obama is the first black president, that’s an achievement.”

Here is a good test for those who see Obama as somewhat of a savior: Erase the name, race and party of each president in history. Then, proceed to rank the worthiness of each to serve as the most powerful political and military leader in the world based on his pre-presidential record. Where, other than at the very bottom, can Obama possibly rank?

The fact is, Obama still has not accomplished anything to be truly deserving of the Oval Office, and we must not insult admirable minorities by lowering the standard for them. Clarence Thomas, Condoleezza Rice and Oprah Winfrey achieved success on their own merit. They are true success stories for the black community. And the first black president should have been someone who earned the highest position as much as today’s successful minorities have earned theirs.

Nonetheless, Obama’s followers insist: “The campaign is over. Barack Obama is president. Get over it and accept that he will be president.”

Well, we certainly should accept that Obama is president. But we absolutely do not have to pretend he deserves it.

No man becomes worthy of the presidency by virtue of his election to it. He has to earn it. Washington, Adams and Jefferson earned it. All we know about Obama is that he launched into politics by leaning on evil men, won shady elections, collected zero significant legislative achievements and avoided controversy by excessively voting “present” while in office. Although he still has a chance to demonstrate he belongs in the White House, his record, at this point, leaves much to be desired.

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