Sunday, May 27, 2012

Mission Accomplished

Yes, this is blatant propaganda for the Obama reelection campaign, but I can't be upset about it:

The story behind a photograph showing a 5-year-old black boy touching President Obama's hair may be coming to your inbox soon.

The New York Times published the adorable back story about the photo—which has been hanging in the West Wing of the White House for more than three years—on Thursday, and it's quickly become the most-emailed article on the Times' website.

There are lots of little boys who can now grow up knowing no job is beyond their reach. Hopefully, all children can believe that it really is true that any American can grow up to be president.

Yet this touching moment is no reason to reelect President Obama. I still believe--as I did when he was elected even though I did not vote for him--that it was a good thing for America to prove we would elect an African American as president. But I remain deeply disappointed that Barack Obama is the African American we gave that honor to. If the left is going to argue that Americans must now reelect President Obama to prove--again--that we aren't racists by refusing to disappoint young African Americans who draw inspiration from an African American in the White House, in four years will we be told that presidential term limits must be lifted to prove--again--we aren't racists?

And if this is our thinking, don't Americans need to prove we aren't religious bigots by electing a Mormon to the presidency this year?

Ah, now that game isn't so fun.

I hope Jacob Philadelphia grows up knowing that no goal is unreachable in America. But I hope he also learns that every goal should be earned and is not granted. Julia could tell him that there is no government program that grooms you for the presidency.