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The Audacity Of Telling Us Hard Truths

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JOSEPH H. BROWN

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 25, 2008

Although I was invited to see Sen. Barack Obama last week at his campaign rally in Tampa, I decided not to go because I didn't want to jinx him.

I say that because every time I've attended a rally for a presidential candidate, he ended up losing the election. The most recent time was 2000, when I was invited to see Al Gore in downtown Tampa. Then again, there are still people who say he didn't really lose that election.

The first presidential rally I ever attended was in 1972 for George McGovern, who was the first person I ever voted for. Many people laugh today when I tell them I voted for McGovern, who got creamed (he carried one state), but I have no regrets. I was never going to vote for Richard Nixon, who resigned in disgrace less than two years later.

In fact, Obama's speech reminded me of what I heard McGovern say in 1972: criticizing the current administration, promising to get the country out of an unpopular war and rallying the crowd about the need for change. Although he is clearly a liberal, some of his recent speeches seem to indicate that, unlike McGovern, he does know the limits of government.

The Need For Personal Responsibility
"Parents if you don't parent, we can't improve our schools," Obama told a small crowd in Gary, Ind., last month. "You've got to parent. You've got to turn off the television set in your house once in a while; you've got to put the video game away once in a while."

The audience enthusiastically clapped and cheered.

"You should meet with the teacher and find out what the homework is and help that child with the homework. And if you don't know how to do the homework, don't be embarrassed, find someone to help you."

The crowd yelled their approval even louder.

"And the last thing is, if your child is misbehaving at school don't curse out the teacher. You know who you are. It's not the teacher's fault that your child is misbehaving. That's some home training. ... Don't blame the teachers, and the government and the schools if you're not doing your job."

Government Can Only Do So Much

When Obama gave a similar speech in Texas back in February (check it out at www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0L2GEBhd2w), he was accused of having a "Cosby moment," a reference to the actor-comedian's nationwide "call outs," where he lectures black Americans about the destructive detours some of us are taking on the road to equality. Bill Cosby's "tough love" honesty, however, has drawn many critics, who accuse him of "blaming the victim."

While Obama usually prefaces his remarks with, "Now, I hope I don't offend anybody," Cosby says no such thing. Either way, I think Americans are ready for messages about personal responsibility and the limits of government, even from a Democrat.

The presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, calls his campaign the "Straight Talk Express." While campaigning for the Michigan primary in January, he told a crowd, "Michigan has a bright future, but it will not be reached attempting to recreate the past," and that "there are some jobs that aren't coming back to Michigan." McCain believes the nation needs to bolster job training so displaced workers can prosper in the highly competitive global economy. He lost the primary.

Still, that's what Americans need to hear. We'll see how much "straight talk" we get before Nov. 4.

Joseph H. Brown is a Tribune editorial writer.

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