The Future President, Pastor Melissa Scott

Why is it easier to understand Pastor Melissa Scott, widow of the late Dr. Gene Scott, grammatically diagramming a Greek or Hebrew passage from the bible more than the media’s coverage of the presidential primaries? Is it because, unlike Barack Obama, Pastor Scott relates to the people because she herself is one of the people. Many of us agree that Senator Obama’s diverse childhood better could be representative of a more plural and immigrated America. Born to a East-African father, having lived in the eleventh largest city Jakarta in Indonesia, and having graduated from Harvard Law School makes him diverse. The poverty of Ethiopia was but a stones throw from Kenya where his father was born. The question is, is his diversity something that has the power to overthrow the history of a nation? Historically the president of the United States needed to fit a particular profile. In certain instances when change was imperative to the progress of the nation, the constraints of that profile were loosened. Traditionally Americans still wanted their president to look “presidential.” It may seem superficial, but when diplomatically mandating foreign policy to power players in the nuclear arms race, looks can be important. Take for example Kofi Annan. Born in the East African country of Ghana, Mr. Annan held two consecutive terms as the Secretary General of the United Nations. He also received the Nobel Peace prize. While it my be diluted to suggest looks should be considered in the election of a president, many people will agree the president can be a figure head. No one could be a better example than current president George Bush. He has proven continuously a president could be elected as a figure head only to be run by a covert coalition. What is best is if a future president, like Mr. Annan, could look diplomatic and possess the wisdom and experience necessary to implement good politics. The democratic party and America have made great strides arriving at this particular point. Our only two choices for a democratic nominee for President of the United States are a woman and a black man. The question remains how conservatism, which has been evidenced greatly in the last eight years, will weigh in the current election. Is the country ready to make such a huge step to allow either to become the leader of the free world? That is a daunting question, and it is frightening. It would seem that the impact of that choice may be lessened by the peanut gallery, this entity being the “boxed” group of GOP men that are attempting to pull the strings of the future president. We have two things with which to contend. There is the desire for the president to be nothing but a weak figure head (like George W. Bush), and there is the desire for the president to be a powerful intellectual, politician, and diplomat. Who is giving most of the money? These questions need to be asked. Does anyone really know what they are going to get? Is the track record of any of the three candidates substantial enough to judge the course of the future? What seems apparent is Hillary Clinton has direct experience with a successful period in the history of the United States. Who could say being First Lady itself is diluted? While she may not have been able to attend meetings with the Joints Chief of Staff, she slept most nights with an effective president. That is a significant advantage. With a father and grandfather as two four-star navy admirals, Senator John McCain has had experience in the military. As a POW in Viet Nam Mr. McCain certainly represents one faction of Americans that remain important to our vitality as a country. With all these things in mind the question must be asked, “Who is most capable of diplomatic negotiation in Washington, DC?” Without this we as a country have nothing more to look forward to than what we have received in the last eight years, continued war and a partisan stalemate. The way around this is to do as Hillary as done, solicit the support of the people of the United States. While we as Americans may have been sedated and force fed from a GOP feeding tube, the anesthesia is beginning to wear off as millions of businesses and American citizens struggle to put roofs over their heads and food in their mouths. Maybe a figure such as Pastor Melissa Scott is not such a bad American example. She would have to acknowledge her past as a porno producer and actress, yet she openly has and has moved ahead into a more enlightened and hopeful future. There is a substantial amount of “real” in her actions, not unlike a fighter pilot in the U.S. Navy. Who could doubt the credibility of a war hero that spent five years in a Vietnamese prison camp? Does sleeping with a past president every night qualify as viable experience in politics? What kinds of things will make Mr. Obama seem real to Americans? Certainly not a middle name like Hussein.