Challenge

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Why do we challenge ourselves?  What is it that drives us?  

I spent time last night with three young women who all auditioned for parts in a play with a small number of roles.   These three women are best of friends and yet are competing for roles in the same play.  They put themselves in this situation on a regular basis.  No matter who is casted,  feelings are hurt.  But, does one not try for fear of hurting a friend's feelings?   I don't know the answer to that.

The same thing is going on in the political arena.  Why do all of these people want to be president?   The power.   That is always the real answer although they offer rhetoric about wanting to fix what is broken.  There are so many ways to work at what is broken without having to be president. 

I watched The McLaughlin Group Sunday morning.  They are always interesting and irritating and whatever else but this week John raised an excellent point.   He pointed out the difference between Obama running for president as compared to Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton.   Obama is not running as a black man.   He has no black agenda, in fact, he has actively avoided the black controversial issues-Duke, Imus, etc.  He is running because he wants to be president and try to fix so many things that are wrong, not correct years and years of black oppression.   One could say that it is because he is half black.  Let's be real.   Americans are looking at him as a black candidate.    Mr. McLaughlin has given me a cause to pause here and take a better look.  His inexperience is scary though.    A lot can happen in ten months.