The Numinous Negro

[Cy]

Why the absolutely irrational, uncritical support for a four year senator with miniscule experience and a secret past, with a tradition of terrorist associations, radicalism, and no specific leadership?

Why the support for a guy who is to the left of Kerry, less technocratic than Dukakis, and less intelligent than Gore?

Why a media willing to drop every pretense to objectivity and behave like little girls in love at the mere sight of above senator?

There is but one reason: Barack Obama is the Numinous Negro.

What is the Numinous Negro? He is the creation of our collective guilt, the psychic compensation for the reality that the black race has underperformed so incredibly in our nation relative to other races.

He manifests in movies and television shows as the supporting role judge or teacher or, generally speaking, noble hero who always has an unearthly or divine wisdom, generally delivered in a supra-rational, baritone voice. He is Morgan Freeman in any number of roles. He's the black judge in just about every movie. He is a deus ex machina that is a "game-changer" in the movie.

He is what guilty white people want SO BAD to be true, so that they can appease their conscience. It's the new "I have black friends" of the media generation.

And instead of dealing with the TRUTH as it is, that in fact the black race has been left behind by the American Dream PRECISELY BECAUSE of liberalism, the Great Society, and the New Deal, we deal with it psycically through the Numinous Negro.

If we vote Obama in, so the thinking goes, we will exorcise that collective guilt from our consciences. It will be the ultimate "I have black friends," because now, "I have a black president."

Forget the fact that Obama has as much to do with the American Black (children of slaves) experience as I have with southern masters (i.e. none). That doesn't matter. Because identity politics is all there is. All that matters.

The image of the Numinous Negro has hypnotized us. We think we're getting Morgan Freeman as God in Bruce Almighty coming down to save us. It's why Freeman was cast for that role (because he fits our psychic expectations so perfectly), and it's why Obama is doing as well as he is, despite all the above negatives.

Comments?

[Cy]

"Forget the fact that Obama has as much to do with the American Black (children of slaves) experience as I have with southern masters (i.e. none). That doesn't matter. Because identity politics is all there is. All that matters."

I needed to expand on something...

What I meant by this comment is that, I don't really believe for a minute that voting for Obama will mean anything in terms of the USA dealing with its race issues. It will mean TONS in the classic tradition of good ole American "Anyone can make it here". I mean, the son of a Kenyan makes it as president, that's pretty cool.

But in terms of dealing with our deep historical scars of slavery and racism, it does nothing. Obama adopted his "American black heritage" like a typical post-modern soul searching for a designer identity. Sort of like Walter (John Goodman) in Big Lebowski deciding that he was going to be Jewish.

Nevertheless, Americans voting for a black man has nothing to do with a true redemption of our racial scars (something that we will indeed make a big step toward when the first descendant of black slaves becomes president).

Rather, it has to do with themselves.

By way of analogy, I think of Christians who participate in "evangelism" programs. They may stand out on the street corner and hand out pamphlets. This is far more about their personal pieties, their personal guilt, or their fears than it is about some "desire for the lost." Because when you deal with them, they give you that glaze-eyed look like, you're not human, but just some "target" for their cult.

It is with those eyes that the American populace is approaching the Numinous Negroe, Barack Obama. It's more about appeasing their guilt, or their personal pieties, than about the possibility of any real redemption of our racial scars.

[SkinBasket]

Oh great. Another well spoken rational conservative. You're going to raise the bar for what is expected of the normal people around here.

[BallHawk]

with a tradition of.....radicalism,

Care to elaborate on the radical thoughts Obama has come up with?

[bobblehead]

I have no guilt.....kinda shoots your arguement in the ass.

Try this on one....8 years of bush and a horrendous GOP congress has made Obama electable to a lot of people....putting McCain up made him nearly a slam dunk.

Rudy, Thompson, or Romney would win this in a breeze...but we still have a damaged republican brand to deal with.

[hoosier]

"Forget the fact that Obama has as much to do with the American Black (children of slaves) experience as I have with southern masters (i.e. none). That doesn't matter. Because identity politics is all there is. All that matters."

I needed to expand on something...

What I meant by this comment is that, I don't really believe for a minute that voting for Obama will mean anything in terms of the USA dealing with its race issues. It will mean TONS in the classic tradition of good ole American "Anyone can make it here". I mean, the son of a Kenyan makes it as president, that's pretty cool.

But in terms of dealing with our deep historical scars of slavery and racism, it does nothing. Obama adopted his "American black heritage" like a typical post-modern soul searching for a designer identity. Sort of like Walter (John Goodman) in Big Lebowski deciding that he was going to be Jewish.

Nevertheless, Americans voting for a black man has nothing to do with a true redemption of our racial scars (something that we will indeed make a big step toward when the first descendant of black slaves becomes president).

Rather, it has to do with themselves.

By way of analogy, I think of Christians who participate in "evangelism" programs. They may stand out on the street corner and hand out pamphlets. This is far more about their personal pieties, their personal guilt, or their fears than it is about some "desire for the lost." Because when you deal with them, they give you that glaze-eyed look like, you're not human, but just some "target" for their cult.

It is with those eyes that the American populace is approaching the Numinous Negroe, Barack Obama. It's more about appeasing their guilt, or their personal pieties, than about the possibility of any real redemption of our racial scars.

How is Obama any less a part of that heritage than Jesse Jackson or Colin Powell or George Jefferson? If any of them can claim to be part of that "heritage" surely it's not because their great grandparents were slaves--after all, anyone among us who claims to identify with what great grandparents went through is adopting an imaginary identity. No, what they have in common--and what they share with that heritage--is that they are defined first and foremost as "black men" in this country, whereas Archie Bunker is not defined as a white guy, he's just a guy.

[HowardRoark]

No, what they have in common--and what they share with that heritage--is that they are defined first and foremost as "black men" in this country.

By whom?

[BallHawk]

Rudy, Thompson, or Romney would win this in a breeze...but we still have a damaged republican brand to deal with.

Yeah, they would of made it a breeze for Obama.

McCain was the only candidate who could have given the GOP a shot in this election. Anybody else is dismissed as a regular Republican and the race is over.

[bobblehead]

Rudy, Thompson, or Romney would win this in a breeze...but we still have a damaged republican brand to deal with.

Yeah, they would of made it a breeze for Obama.

McCain was the only candidate who could have given the GOP a shot in this election. Anybody else is dismissed as a regular Republican and the race is over.

your too young apparently. National elections are always a verdict on conservatism....real conservatives don't lose national elections....wishy washy moderate Bush1 and McCains lose elections. That is the way it is. While the media slayed gingrich he led the first successive republican house victory in 60 years....by sticking to conservative values. As the GOP slid into comfortability in power and started spending and being lazy legislators who didn't stand for conservative values they lost....they will lose until they find their soul.

McCain will lose...because he is the candidate that people like you think is best....He is Bush1 all over again.....

[HarveyWallbangers]

A lot of good points by Cy here. I also agree with bobblehead that McCain was the worst choice.

Bush spent money like a drunken sailor. (Just two examples are the big increase in education spending and the big increase in funds aimed towards Africa.) It didn't help the economy and it didn't draw him praise from the left-leaning media. All it did was make it hard for a Republican to win this election. Yet, a guy who intends to make government even bigger, a guy who has openly talked about "wealth redistribution", a guy who is going to make things tough on small business owners, etc. is a virtual lock to win the election. I never thought it would happen. He's the black Dukakis. I think Cy has a point--although I think that if Obama were Republican, things would be different. People would be going after "the Uncle Tom" hard.

[HowardRoark]

A lot of good points by Cy here. I also agree with bobblehead that McCain was the worst choice.

Bush spent money like a drunken sailor. (Just two examples are the big increase in education spending and the big increase in funds aimed towards Africa.) It didn't help the economy and it didn't draw him praise from the left-leaning media. All it did was make it hard for a Republican to win this election. Yet, a guy who intends to make government even bigger, a guy who has openly talked about "wealth redistribution", a guy who is going to make things tough on small business owners, etc. is a virtual lock to win the election. I never thought it would happen. He's the black Dukakis. I think Cy has a point--although I think that if Obama were Republican, things would be different. People would be going after "the Uncle Tom" hard.

I was thinking the same thing earlier. What if the the two switched bodies, what would all the sycophants be saying?

[wist43]

Don't accept that arguement Cy...

Non-black, indendent Obama voters couldn't care less about Obama's race... simply put, most will vote for him b/c they believe he will give them either a check or a tax cut.

They're completely ignorant dolts, of course, but doesn't have anything to do with race.

I'm sure there will some guilt ridden country club types that might fall under your description, but not enough to register I wouldn't think; of course, I'm not sure you'd have any way of measuring it, b/c if they did vote for Obama b/c racial guilt, they'd never admit to it.

[Freak Out]

What a load of crap. The majority of people are voting for him because he's not a republican. That's it. Bush and his administrations have fucked this country over with the help of Congress and voting Hussein is the only "change" given them. If he fuck's it up we'll change again in four years. Oh wait....he's going to take away our right to vote.

[mraynrand]

The majority of people are voting for him because he's not a republican. That's it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6ikOxi9yYk

[mraynrand]

I was thinking the same thing earlier. What if the the two switched bodies, what would all the sycophants be saying?

They'd still be looking for the pubic hair on the coke can.

[Cy]

A quick response to some of the comments.

1.) It is true, no single theory cannot accomodate every single anecdote. I agree that there are some who simply -- as some have been quoting DeTocqueville (sp?) -- want to vote themselves a chuck of change from the productive guy next door. What I'm looking for is that attitude that has propelled Obama into demigod status. Kerry and Gore or any old run of the mill lib would get the freeloader vote, and any Dem would get the Bush derangement syndrome vote. But a vote for Obama is quite clearly more than a vote against Bush.

2.) Someone asked "what radical positions Obama has taken?" I wonder if he's being ironical, kidding, or just uninformed. He's the most liberal senator in the senate. He has a history of hanging around radical elements, of the black liberation theology camp, of the "rules for radicals" crowd, of the collectivist strain. His language is littered with references to "sacrifice," "community," and "my brother's keeper," which makes fine INDIVIDUAL ethics, until it becomes a prescription for the state, at which time it becomes tyranny of the most perverse kind. (As someone said -- maybe Friedman? -- something to the effect of "I'd rather have a mean tyrant than a nice one...at least it's clearer what the mean one is all about.")

3.) I understand that this is an anti-GOP year...but something way more is going on. And great if you're not guilty about slavery -- either am I -- but I think a great bulk of suburban type, white women, and their senstivite husbands, are the types that are drawn to Obama.

[Tyrone Bigguns]

The most liberal senator is the biggest canard.

Any ranking that has Obama #1 over Sanders is laughable.

Amazing how each time a dem runs for prez he is the most liberal.

[Cy]

4.) Oh, and number four...

Yes, in fact, I have thought of the whole "what if a black conservative ran?" And I have to admit, I'd be pretty psyched. I think the "Numinous Negro" thing runs deep for many people, myself included. It boils simply down to this: Many people want to see some good news coming out of that race other than in entertainment, sports, and thug politics, all of which seem to have the operative paradigm of: Can't get out of the ghetto, let's make the whole culture a ghetto.

You can hear the "Numinous Negro" -- conservative installment -- anytime you're listening to conservative talk radio, and a black American calls, and they will instinctively be given extra time. Why? Because for whatever reason, it "means more" coming from a black conservative than from the typical "Diddos from a Kansas soccer mom, Rush!"

[Cy]

The most liberal senator is the biggest canard.

Any ranking that has Obama #1 over Sanders is laughable.

Amazing how each time a dem runs for prez he is the most liberal.

Not a canard. It's according to the National Journal, which tallies this stuff using ratings from a wide array of groups on the left and the right. In other words, it is liberal groups who rate Obama their friend. The National Journal has been doing this for years and is quite reputable. Here is the ranking for 2007:

Obama, Barack, D-Ill. 95.5 4.5
Whitehouse, Sheldon, D-R.I. 94.3 5.7
Biden, Joseph, D-Del. 94.2 5.8
Sanders, Bernie, I-Vt. 93.7 6.3

Great...I didn't even know that Biden was third. But your Sanders is number 4.

[Cy]

I've been doing a quick study on National Journal scores, vis a vis the comment that whomever the Dems put up is the "most liberal." And in fact it's true...

Kerry WAS the most liberal senator in 2003.

But there's a simple explanation for this. When a Dem knows he's going to run for president, he needs to get the kook, left-wing base on board in the primaries. So he has to tack left.