POSTED RESPONSE TO A COLUMN BY KONRAD YAKABUSKI IN TORONTO'S GLOBE AND MAIL
“...[Obama’s] the most
formidable fundraising apparatus in the history of American politics..."
As with almost anything in American politics, you cannot
make such a generalization.
In this case there are genuine reasons for change less than
4 years later.
In 2008, the entire world held its breath in anticipation of
Obama, a seemingly charming and graceful figure with great promise, succeeding
George Bush, a certified moron, and his ugly gang of war criminals.
Less than four years later, what do we have?
America is still fighting in Afghanistan, it is also
assassinating thousands in Pakistan, Guantanamo is still open, the CIA's
International Torture Gulag still operates, America only has come even closer
to being a police state, and virtually nothing of Obama's promise has been
realized.
Obama's Peace Prize has become a nasty sarcasm with his most
memorable contribution being the work of death-drones, a new form of South
American death squads.
The second big factor here is Obama's relationship with
Israel.
He started in office with the right view for those who care
about peace and justice, but that view earned him only hatred and contempt in
Israel.
He was reviled and called names, and his Vice-President was
insulted on a trip.
He has back-peddled, succeeding in making himself not only
unliked by those wishing for justice and peace, but gaining no popularity with
Israel or its apologists.
Wealthy American Jews are very important political
contributors to a campaign system built on private money, with, only recently,
just one man having given Newt Gingrich about $18 million for his brief
nomination drive, the quid pro quo for that money being Newt making absurd
public statements like "There are no Palestinians."
Already Romney has make the statement that in the Middle
East, he would do everything the exact opposite to Obama.
That is music to the ears of American donors who like to
hear good things for Israel, and it will be re-inforced by government and
private contacts in Israel privately expressing their contempt for Obama.
I doubt Obama stands a chance of matching Romney's funds,
unless he starts a new war with Iran, something not unthinkable and that would
turn around the opinion of an important group of contributors.
It is all very sad from the point of view of democratic and
other human rights principles.
America simply gets the best government money can buy.
