Obama and the Golden Fleece: Mo Dowd Gets it Wrong.

News Type: Opinion — Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:40 AM EDT

politics, obama, maureen-dowd, mythology, rev-wright

Jason bringing Pelias the Golden Fleece, Apulian red-figure calyx krater, ca. 340 BC–330 BC, Louvre

Mo Dowd conflates the legends of Jason and Oedipus in a stunningly bad bit of writing.

The Illinois senator doesn't pay attention to the mythic nature of campaigns, but if he did, he would recognize the narrative of the classic hero myth: The young hero ventures out on an adventure to seek a golden fleece or an Oval Office; he has to kill monsters and face hurdles before he returns home, knocks off his father and assumes the throne.

If I were Maureen Dowd, I'd avoid any reference to Jason and the Golden Fleece. To those who know the legend, Jason's mighty deeds were mostly the doing of Medea, the sorceress who loved him. When Jason returned to Corinth, he arranged to enter into a political marriage with the daughter of the king of Corinth.

Medea angrily confronts Jason with her long history of working on his behalf. Jason cruelly tells Medea she only loved him because Aphrodite had cast a spell upon Medea. In a fury, Medea kills her children by Jason and his bride-to-be, then rides away on a dragon chariot.

Jason loses favor with the gods and the people of Corinth. He wanders alone for some years. Returning to the rotten hulk of the Argo, he falls asleep in its shadow. The ship's stern falls on him, crushing him to death.

The gods closely observe those who climb to the top of the pile on the backs of others. While Rev. Wright was a mover and shaker, lending cred to Obama's political ambitions, Obama was proud to have it known. Obama needed the authenticity only a Rev. Wright could provide, for Obama was not exactly a product of the American Black Experience, whatever that may mean in these confusing times where suburban white kids shave their eyebrows to match the thugly couture of Solja Boy.

Obama is a chameleon, and that is no disparaging comment. A politician must adapt to his constituency. When it suited his purposes to assume a Black Demeanor, lo, was he not a member of Rev. Wright's congregation? When Whiteness was called for, Obama could produce his mother's side of the family. And to lend additional credence to his pastiche of pseudo-authenticity, like a movie costumer picking out a few stitches in a uniform to produce the effect of much wearing, Obama would do so to the point of saying his saintly white grandmother secretly harbored old racist thoughts. He was and remains an amorphous, billowing cumulus cloud of Jungian archetypes: all may project their hopes and dreams upon him.

Perhaps, like Medea, Obama's followers are fated to love this man. Throughout Greek tragedies of this sort, we expect the politically grasping Jasons of our world to right all the wrongs with the aid of gods and heroes. It never quite works out that way: the gods and men who love the Jasons and Obamas have their own ends in mind. When all is said and done, we forget these people are mere men, fallible, greedy, selfish and grasping for power. Love deludes men and gods alike, and these stories never end well.

In most cases, it's the unlikely, stammering Claudius-es and Lincolns and Trumans, the meek who survive the political intrigues: they serve us best. Lincoln was wildly unpopular among the great and powerful: even his own cabinet called him The Great Baboon. Claudius was supposed to be the creature of his Praetorian Guards. Lincoln was a compromise candidate, very much a dark horse. Truman timidly emerges from the shadow of Roosevelt to shoulder the burdens of dropping two nuclear bombs on Japan and a terrible war in Korea. The meek will inherit the earth, but not before the earth has been torn to pieces by the proud.

The shape-shifting sorceress of race politics has served Barack Obama faithfully and well until now. Obama held out the glamorous promises of redemption and hope, a transcending step forward into a world where race and creed would become hateful archaisms. Yet he clung to Rev, Wright until the last drop of usefulness had been wrung from him, made excuses for him, again playing all sides against each other until at last Wright's contempt became too obvious for even Obama to tolerate.

I will say this, knowing it is sure to arouse much nay-saying: Barack Obama has played with fire, taking credit for triumphs others won for him. Obama is a political tabula rasa who marched in lock step with the contemptible do-nothing Democrats now in power. Proof of this statement is the statistical tie between all three major candidates: nothing of substance separates them. Any differences exist only in our minds. None of them have distinguished themselves, rising to any great moral challenge. All three issue mushy feel-good statements, discreetly avoiding references to the pernicious assaults on our rights, the bloated power of the Executive, (powers they seek), the gargantuan failure to effectively counter manifest threats to democracy and the right of man.

All three candidates are beholden to sorcerers who alternately charm and terrify us with bogus non-issues. Like Jason abandoning the sorceress Medea in favor of a politically convenient marriage, Obama now faces an unlikely enemy in the form of his own pastor, a man who will not be silenced. Rev. Wright, like Medea, is perfectly willing to sacrifice her children to be revenged. We have not yet heard the last word from this vengeful bigot, and he may yet drag down his onetime protégé.

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3.6

{"commentId":1750478,"authorDomain":"blai"}

BlaiseP

I suppose I've dragged the analogy along too far, but I always do. Rev. Wright's new book is about to hit the shelves. Boy howdy.

{"commentId":1750478,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"blai"}

2 votes

#1 - Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:49 AM EDT

{"commentId":1750699,"authorDomain":"youssef51"}

Youssef51

Thank goodness somebody knows their classics around here. Ms. Dowd was flailing badly, whacking Oedipus and the Argonauts upside the head.

and he may yet drag down his onetime protégé.

He just might, he believes (or claims to believe) a whole lot of ridiculous foolishness. Still, he is a remarkable man who has led a remarkable life.

{"commentId":1750699,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"youssef51"}

3 votes

#2 - Wed Apr 30, 2008 12:46 PM EDT

{"commentId":1750981,"authorDomain":"blai"}

BlaiseP

In his wonderful book Leaven of Malice, Robertson Davies wrote about an earnest young man who attempted to use the word "oedipal". His youngster was foisting some pop psychology on an old professor of Classics. The professor roars at his giver of unwanted advice:

I am increasingly reminded of Oedipus. Do you not recall that in that tragic history, Oedipus met a Sphinx? The Sphinx spoke in riddles -- very terrible riddles, for those who could not guess them died. But Oedipus guessed the riddle, and the chagrin of the Sphinx was so great that it destroyed itself. I am but a poor shadow of Oedipus, I fear, and you, Mr. Yarrow, but a puny kitten of a Sphinx. But you are, like many another Sphinx of our modern world, an undereducated, brassy young pup, who thinks that gall can take the place of the authority of wisdom, and that a professional lingo can disguise his lack of thought. You aspire to be a Sphinx, without first putting yourself to the labour of acquiring a secret.

The politics of hatred are simple and direct, easily harnessed to the fearful masses by demagogues of every stripe. We are not yet done with ugly notions of race and gender in this country. Despite Dr. King's earnest entreaties, men and women are not yet judged by the content of their character but by the color of their skin.

I cannot blame Obama for Wright. I've sat in more than a few pews, faintly nauseous, enduring bad sermons. Obama really does mean well, yet he will not change much. If history and literature teach us anything, it is this: though the faces change, the masks remain the same.

{"commentId":1750981,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"blai"}

3 votes

#2.1 - Wed Apr 30, 2008 1:54 PM EDT

{"commentId":1751049,"authorDomain":"youssef51"}

Youssef51

the masks remain the same.

Which masks should we think of when we look at Sen. Obama's mask, in that case?

{"commentId":1751049,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"youssef51"}

1 vote

#2.2 - Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:10 PM EDT

{"commentId":1750766,"authorDomain":"SVForbes"}

ShaunV

The shape-shifting sorceress of race politics has served Barack Obama faithfully and well until now. Obama held out the glamorous promises of redemption and hope, a transcending step forward into a world where race and creed would become hateful archaisms. Yet he clung to Rev, Wright until the last drop of usefulness had been wrung from him, made excuses for him, again playing all sides against each other until at last Wright's contempt became too obvious for even Obama to tolerate.

When attempting to gauge a politician's words and campaign promises.... all the general public has is trust because few people will ever have the opportunity to interact in person, regularly, with a presidential candidate.

Trusting the promises of someone whom one has never met is always a leap of faith. Once suspicions are aroused, no matter what the reason, trust is easily lost and once lost difficult to regain.

It is difficult to believe that Obama knew Wright for 20 years yet is unaware of the types of speeches Wright was prone to giving at his church. This is why people will lose trust in Obama.

In his press club speech broadcast on C-span, Wright insulted almost everyone. He insulted other races, multiple nationalities, politicians in general, scientists, medical professionals and gays.

It is not difficult to see that he could easily make a lot of enemies.

Obama should have distanced himself along time ago.

{"commentId":1750766,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"SVForbes"}

5 votes

#3 - Wed Apr 30, 2008 1:05 PM EDT

{"commentId":1751041,"authorDomain":"youssef51"}

Youssef51

Obama should have distanced himself along time ago.

Dunno, Shaun. Hindsight is 20/20.

I think this is one more example of what Richard Dawkins calls "weird respect".

I think we can be pretty confident that Barack Obama, just like our friend BlaiseP,

sat in more than a few pews, faintly nauseous, enduring bad sermons

many of these delivered by the Rev. Wright.

The problem being that the religious context tends to turn off people's critical facilities. They don't complain about statements that they would have complained about or even contradicted in a secular context.

Please notice that I said "tends to turn off".

{"commentId":1751041,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"youssef51"}

4 votes

#3.1 - Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:08 PM EDT

{"commentId":1751423,"authorDomain":"SVForbes"}

ShaunV

Dunno, Shaun. Hindsight is 20/20.

I agree with that statement regarding the average individual.

Obama, however, is politically savvy and has publicists to help him out. Wright's sermons are no secret.

I understand Blaise's point about politicians needing to be chameleons.

Still, it's a tricky game, given the population democraphics, to support someone who is insulting almost everyone.

At this point, Obama likely lost a lot of middle class voters, who prior supported him, as well as the swing contingent. If one knew Wright for 20 years, this issue is not difficult to predict.

IMO, the wise political choice would have been to stay away from someone who is so controversial and in such a flamboyant and vociferous way.

{"commentId":1751423,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"SVForbes"}

2 votes

#3.2 - Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:31 PM EDT

{"commentId":1751123,"authorDomain":"spiffie"}

spiffie

I'm not sure that she's conflating Jason and Oedipus, but Jason didn't take the throne of Iolcus for himself; it passed to his son Thessaluls. Jason returned to Iolcus with Peleus and killed Acastus to reclaim the kingdom for his family (I think). Presumably this all happened after the Medea and before Jason had his…unfortunate run-in with the Argo.

{"commentId":1751123,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"spiffie"}

2 votes

#4 - Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:26 PM EDT

{"commentId":1751327,"authorDomain":"spiffie"}

spiffie

Although come to think of it, Acastus wasn't the father of Jason, either. He was more of a cousin. I guess maybe MoDo did get it more mixed up than right.

{"commentId":1751327,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"spiffie"}

2 votes

#4.1 - Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:13 PM EDT

{"commentId":1751230,"authorDomain":"wharrison55"}

Bill Harrison

I've said this before and I'll say it again. Of course no one can know exactly how a candidate will turn out as president if elected but I've got a pretty good inkling as regards Barack Obama by reading about his childhood, education and rise to political prominence. Perhaps if there's an earth-shattering Democratic landslide in November he will be tempted to overreach for an updated version of FDR's New Deal with a whole new bevvy of programs to be paid for with new taxes but I think most of his earnest young followers are in for a major disappointment. To me the guy looks like he always wants to have things both ways (and with his bi-racial background it's hard to see how he wouldn't). All politicians are like this to a degree but those that promise sweeping change are not. So my guess is that if he's elected he'll be a conventional liberal on social and domestic policy and more hawkish on foreign policy than first meets the eye given the exigencies he will face and being mindful of the blame the American people attached to the Democratic Party after its McGovernization in '72 (which is a blame that carries on to this day).

{"commentId":1751230,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"wharrison55"}

5 votes

#5 - Wed Apr 30, 2008 2:53 PM EDT

{"commentId":1751362,"authorDomain":"blai"}

BlaiseP

Republicans own. Democrats rent. It's always been Owners versus Renters, those are the masks of which I speak. Any other distinctions are moot.

While everyone is concerned about the presidential elections, I'm watching the congressional races as closely as I can, for the Congress must take up the cudgels if anything is to be accomplished. The task is made harder by the Rev Wrights and assorted pig heads of punditry sucking all the oxygen out of the room. It little matters what a president proposes, it is Congress which disposes.

Today's Democrats more defined by Clinton as by old McGovern, for few remember him. Obama may yet become a McGovern without the military experience: both of us remember the hordes of pimply-faced acolytes singing the praises of George McGovern. As the Republicans yearned for the reincarnation of Reagan, electing George W Bush, the Dems really want another Bill Clinton.

We both know Reagan and Clinton were hugely different than their publicly stated positions. I often damn Reagan, but he was not the iron-bottomed Conservative as advertised in the elections. Obama, should he be elected, will be far less Liberal than many suppose. He's shown his ability to play go-along get-along back in Illinois. He promises bipartisanship and he'll likely deliver. When he does, watch for his erstwhile supporters of the dKos camp to gibber and rant about Selling Out. He's not getting out of Iraq. We've been in the goddamn Persian Gulf since Hector was a pup, at least since WW2 I think...

{"commentId":1751362,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"blai"}

7 votes

#5.1 - Wed Apr 30, 2008 3:19 PM EDT

{"commentId":1753443,"authorDomain":"youssef51"}

Youssef51

When he does, watch for his erstwhile supporters of the dKos camp to gibber and rant about Selling Out.

No one cares what these people think starting the day after Election Day. They hardly care themselves.

{"commentId":1753443,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"youssef51"}

#5.2 - Thu May 1, 2008 4:57 AM EDT

{"commentId":1753445,"authorDomain":"youssef51"}

Youssef51

So my guess is that if he's elected he'll be a conventional liberal on social and domestic policy and more hawkish on foreign policy than first meets the eye given the exigencies

I hope so.

{"commentId":1753445,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"youssef51"}

#5.3 - Thu May 1, 2008 4:59 AM EDT

{"commentId":1753260,"authorDomain":"redruby"}

Redruby

People project their own fantasies onto Obama. He promises nothing but the status quo. His healthcare proposals make no real change, just forcing Americans to buy from the same ol' insurance companies and not even wanting that to be a mandate.

Blaise, I enjoy your writing and wish I had time for a more reflective comment.

{"commentId":1753260,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"redruby"}

2 votes

#6 - Thu May 1, 2008 1:21 AM EDT

{"commentId":1753288,"authorDomain":"TBK"}

TBK

I don't know about all the sorceress stuff but of course Barack had a tough go at it and he could have thrown his Pastor under the bus very easily but he didn't, which shows great character. Young black as I'm sure young white men who are fatherless thirst for that male figure who takes interest in them and form a tightly knit bond.

Because that person who might have said somethings over the years you might not agreed with, you don't just throw them off the train when challenges arise. You stand by them as the person you have come to know and denounce the behavior.

Unlike many people out here such as Hillary Clinton who is using a delicate issues like this, only to advance her political stance, when Rev. Wright counseled her and Billy during the Monica & Bill show. But you don't see Barack dropping that in her lap, or saying to her why didn't she leave Bill 29 years ago, when he was accused of sexually assaulting several women in a proven pattern. Even wagging his finger in the face of the American people, stating ('lying') I did not have sexual relations with that woman Monica Lewinski! LIES!!!!!!

Just like Hillary will not say her war vote was wrong, Bill never admitted to having sex with Monica Lewinski, only that he had an 'inappropriate' relationship with her.

So there's no doubt about character here and I know and believe in my heart, Obama will be just as fierce fighting for all Americans and giving voice to the voiceless against all the odds. The Clinton's obviously don't give a damn about people, only their own political empire they feel entitled to and will slide into the bottomless gutter to get there.

{"commentId":1753288,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"TBK"}

1 vote

#7 - Thu May 1, 2008 1:35 AM EDT

{"commentId":1930371,"authorDomain":"cletuswilbury"}

Cletus Wilbury

"Obama would do so to the point of saying his saintly white grandmother secretly harbored old racist thoughts. "

I've posted this elsewhere, but will repeat here just in case some didn't see it. The relevant text I typed here.

I see it what Obama words refer to as slightly more complex. Obama's grandfather, Stan, accused Obama's grandmother of racism because of some things she said. Obama knew his grandmother better.
Similar to the situation with Wright, people accused Wright of racism because of some things he said. Obama (thought?) he knew Wright better.

Correction welcomed.

{"commentId":1930371,"threadId":"257706","contentId":"1461551","authorDomain":"cletuswilbury"}

#8 - Tue Jun 10, 2008 5:16 AM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"257706","isPrivate":false}

BLAISEP

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Obama and the Golden Fleece: Mo Dowd Gets it Wrong.

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