Victor Davis Hansen, riffing on Obama’s prop of a classical temple for his big speech, shows how a knowledge of ancient literature and history can help us understand contemporary politics:
Why and how did McCain catch up? Let us count the ways: the disastrous European victory lap of Obama’s; the uninspired professorial pontificating to Rick Warren; the deer-in-the-headlights serial responses to the Georgia crisis; and the McCain ads that were as cleverly effective as they were derided as childish by outraged liberals.
But perhaps the greatest consideration is Obama’s Hellenic hubris, which is different than simple arrogance. Hubris is a sort of fit, a haughtiness steeped in delusions of grandeur and divinity that takes over a weak individual, and soon encourages recklessness and overreaching (atê), all culminating in ruin and divine retribution (nemesis).
Go figure: Obama/Oedipus goes to Berlin. There he speaks in front of a grandiose Victory Column commemorating Prussian arrogance (after begging in vain to have a JFK/Reagan presidential moment at the grander Brandenburg Gate). He reviews American sins, revises the history of the Berlin Airlift, and claims (falsely) he’s the first black high official Germany has dealt with before. Then to hysterical applause from 200,000 Berliners, eager for subsequent free music and beer, he prances home, convinced that this was a success rather than an Apollonian trap.
Meanwhile an Ethel in Tulare turns on the TV and sees thousands of Europeans (who habitually make fun of her country) applaud Obama—and makes the logical assumption that they apparently think he is one of them, rather than one of us.
Next, drunk with pride, Obama thinks that such a losing paradigm (again, really a warning from the gods) apparently was not only successful, but will work again in Denver. So he transfers his speech to an outdoor forum, where tens of thousands of raving fans can watch him apotheosize in front of a faux Doric temple and accept nomination.
Isn’t there one sane person on his staff who can stop this divine madness, a single henchman who can whisper in his ear as puts on his golden crown not Vero possumus (”Yes! We can!”), but as was true of returning heroes during Roman Triumphs—”Respica te, hominem te memento” (”Watch behind you; remember you’re just a man!”)?
15 comments ↓
Hanson’s own hubris, not to mention his incessant jingoism and blind hatred of Obama, are tiresome.
Obama really did look magnificent yesterday.
To be fair, I think he was trying to bring to attention MLK jr.s march on Washington 45 years ago. But considering all the acceptance of divinization (like Herod) it came across as you say.
When antichrist comes, will it not be like this?
Anon @3 - Can you point to substantial evidence that Barack Obama has accepted divinization (like Herod)? Your comments, may I gently say, are kind of … well, just stop scaring me.
I don’t know what these other guys are talking about. I thought Mr. Hansen’s commentary on Barack H. Obama was simply brilliant. Even though my familiarity with classical literature and culture is not insignificant, I find myself absolutely blown away by the apt comparison of Obama’s behavior to Hellenic hubris. My head is still spinning.
Other anon, have you not been paying attention? The campaign graphics and setting symbolism (including in Europe) his not rejecting Chris Matthews and others declaring him to be a divine being, his claiming divine powers and divine historical significance? All of that you have missed? McCain’s commercial was a spoof, the reality is far more intense and scary.
It isn’t just the deification, but the Leninist-Stalinist-Nazi chique in the campaign posters as well.
Jonathan,
What “hubris” are you talking about? Do you have some
“specifics”?
Face it: we’re not used to seeing a black man do what Sen. Obama is doing; we don’t mind blacks who entertain us or even teach our children in school, but we don’t want them as chief executive. Any black who thinks he’s good enough to do that must think he’s a god.
As far as I’m concerned, I don’t care what race any candidate is. The fact is, this man has almost no experience, is radical in his politics and associations and would be a terrible choice for President for those reasons alone.
McCain took that argument away from you by linking arms with Sarah Palin. Perhaps she thinks she’s a goddess. McCain certainly wants to be the god of war.
Bass, the insinuation that I”m a racist for not supporting Obamessiah is despicable. I was an Alan Keyes delegate on the local level the last time around. Apologize.
Then you go on to make no sense at all. What has linking arms to do with deification? Where do you get off saying that McCain wants to be Ares? Are you a Michael Moore sock puppet?
The WSJ has an interesting article on “Obama as Shaman” here:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121736628530894671.html?mod=opinion_journal_federation
Why doesn’t the outrage against the “politics of personal destruction” apply to bigoted nonsense like Hanson’s article?
Bass (@14), because he’s a Republican attacking a Democrat. Come on, learn the rules here!
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