College Op-Ed: Obama As My Personal Jesus

I don’t typically highlight college editorials simply because they’re written by college students. I think back to the idiotic things I said in my college newspaper and shudder. So I am somewhat dismissive and forgiving of things people do or say in college because I dismiss and forgive myself for the things I said and did in college…except a few things.

But once in a while, one college editorial catches so perfectly the zeitgeist of the moment that I can’t ignore it. Young people and the press are so taken with Obama that they find rational thought impossible, not that rational thought was their strong suit to begin with.

Here’s a few paragraphs of an editorial from the Smith College Sophian:

Obama is my homeboy. And I’m not saying that because he’s black – I’m saying that in reference to those Urban Outfitters t-shirts from a couple years ago that said, “Jesus is my homeboy.” Yes, I just said it. Obama is my Jesus.

While you may be overtly religious and find this to be idol-worshipping, or may be overtly politically correct and just know that everything in that sentence could be found offensive, I’m afraid it’s true anyway.

…I’ve officially been saved, and soon, whether they like it or not, the rest of the country will be too. I will follow him, all the way to the White House, and I’ll be standing there in our nation’s capital in January 2009, when Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States of America. In the name of Obama, Amen.

There’s certainly a delight the writer is taking in the irreverence of her statement. And she’s obviously employing hyperbole in a “look at me” style so fitting to college age students.

But a country that looks to its politicians for truth, rather than policy answers is one that is barreling down the road towards dictatorship. I’m not saying that Obama’s going to become Putin or some 21st century Napoleon but there does seem to be a fundamental misunderstanding of politicians.

We used to look to our neighbors, our churches, our community organizations for help. Too many of us don’t anymore. We don’t know our neighbors. We don’t belong to a church. And the members of community organizations are graying and dying and not being replaced. So we increasingly are looking to our politicians to fill that hole. And when Obama disappoints (which he inevitably must as expectations are so high), many won’t have the logical response of shunning those who seek power, they will simply seek a new rising star to attach their own desires to. And there’s a funny thing about those who seek power. They usually get it.