When the obvious wouldn’t do, Part Three

Bill Otis picks up on the notion that wishful thinking caused some on the center-right to overlook the rather obvious radicalism of Barack Obama:

Conservatives pride themselves on having a degree of mental discipline their opponents lack, but in fact conservatives live in the same world as everyone else, and sooner or later, by sheer attrition if nothing else, are prone to the mistakes the surrounding culture relentlessly encourages. Wishful thinking is surely among them. Who doesn’t want a holiday from, among a host of other things, the mullahs, the market, and the looming catastrophe in entitlement spending (a catastrophe that appeared well before Obama)? And who didn’t find Obama’s demeanor soothing, sensible and balanced? Wishful thinking is the sanctuary of a fatigued mind. And a lot of us are fatigued.

Obama’s melody sounded safe, and enticed many, including some conservatives, to ignore the fact that the lyrics were written by Jeremiah Wright. Now that Obama has changed his tune, so to speak, the wishful thinkers can hear the words better. But now is too late.

I’m enough of a wishful thinker to deny that Obama’s lyrics are those of Jeremiah Wright. But the radicalism of the lyrics is unmistakable and, apart from the reference to Wright, I agree with Bill.

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