Will the real Barack Obama please step forward?

Will the real Barack Obama please step forward?

A man can be known by his words. But if his words are contradictory how can you know who the man is or what he stands for? Who is Barack Obama? We may never know. One thing is for certain, we will never know who he is by the words he speaks.

Some of his more recent statements are troubling. In reference to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico: “Let me be clear: BP is responsible for this leak. BP will be paying the bill. But as president of the United States, I’m going to spare no effort to respond to this crisis for as long as it continues, and we will spare no resource to clean up whatever damage is caused.” If the “we” in his response refers to the government he ruins, (sorry, typo)…he runs, then what accolades does he deserve if BP is going to shoulder all the pain related to the expense and effort of the clean up? Why is this president so adolescent in his habit of blaming everyone else for everything that goes wrong? A sign of maturity is when an individual can finally except blame for his faults. In his regard, Barry just doesn’t seem to want to grow up.

“Every American affected by this spill should know this: Your government will do whatever it takes, for as long as it takes, to stop this crisis.” And how long did it take for Obama to grasp the gravity of the crisis? And how long did it take Obama to decide he would visit those affected by the disaster? I’m sure those crab and shrimp fisherman in Louisiana now rest peacefully every night knowing that ‘your government will do whatever it takes.’

In response to the failed bombing attempt in Times Square: “We're going to do whatever is necessary to protect the American people, to determine who's behind this potentially deadly act and to see that justice is done.” That great whooshing sound you hear is not an ‘easterly’ coming off the Atlantic, it’s the collective sigh of relief among the thousands in Times Square and the millions in NYC after being assured that Obama is going to protect them. The Israelis feel the same assurance as do the American elderly as they prepare to draw from the empty coffers of Social Security and Medicaid.

Obama played Jekyll and Hyde with the graduates at the University of Michigan when he encouraged them to listen to opposing views: “It may make your blood boil. Your mind may not be changed. But the practice of listening to opposing views is essential for effective citizenship.” But earlier in his presidency he said, "But I don't want the folks that created the mess -- I don't want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking. I want them just to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess.” Surely sounds like someone who wants to ‘listen to opposing views’.

On April 26th, Obama urged distinctive groups of Democrats to get out and vote. He is not at all abashed about using the race card. “It will be up to each of you to make sure that the young people, African Americans, Latinos and women, who powered our victory in 2008, stand together once again.” Is this the same president who promised us in March of 2008, “When the means of production are in the hands of you, the proletariat,” he told an audience in Philadelphia, “only then will black and white blend together in harmony the way they do in my own DNA.”

Mr. Obama compromises whatever integrity he might have when he fails to stand for one truth. Instead, he chooses to stand for whichever truth might be most convenient at the moment. Many politicians are infected with this ailment but it is especially annoying and non-assuring when the president of the United States reveals a character weakness that is to glaringly obvious. Stand for something, Mr. Obama. People will respect you even if you stand for the wrong thing. But no one can respect you if you take no stand on anything.