I've been working on a long analysis of Barack Obama's first autobiography (or, perhaps, autobiographical novel), Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, for The American Conservative. I hear that my article was already being denounced around Washington before it was even finished!
Even though the book has been on the bestseller lists for over a year, almost nobody seems to actually finished it. It's extraordinarily revealing, showing a personality very different from the "race transcender" in whom such messianic hopes are invested.
Does Obama's talent as a memoirist / novelist mean he'd be a good President? Who knows? But it would be refreshing to have a President who is at least good at something.
My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer
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If it's such a compelling read and Obama is a fine writer, then why isn't anybody finishing the book? (Now I'm interested. Maybe I'll check it out.)
Also, do you suppose he actually wrote the book by himself, or did he end up hiring a writer? Any clue?
Obama's prose style in his 1995 book is elegant but difficult. It's frustratingly slow to read. It took me a long time to finish the book.
I very much doubt he had a ghostwriter for his first book. A professional scribe-for-hire would have made it more reader-friendly, less literary.
"Does Obama's talent as a memoirist / novelist mean he'd be a good President? Who knows? But it would be refreshing to have a President who is at least good at something."
A "fabulist", Steve, a "fabulist": it was just within your grasp. :)
As for the latter comment, how dare you insinuate that the current Commander in Chief lacks any discernable skill(s)!
His formidable panoply of abilities includes, to name but a few: the ability to wage profligate wars of choice rather than of necessity; the ability to simultaneously invite and invade the world; and the ability, admittedly inadvertant, to provide almost endless fodder for "quote calendars".
You failed to notice these qualities, yet you have the temerity to call yourself a conservative? When was the last time you called someone a "faggot" at CPAC, huh?
It's not clear that it's a result of some innate quality of his or just some remarkable historical circumstance, but Bush has proven absolutely preternatural in his ability to destroy conservatism and get the conservative media establishment to support him every step of the way and *then* to leave them choosing his sucessor with no sign of having learned anything. Bush makes the most decadent Roman ruler look like Bismarck.
From the view of people who think both republicans and democrats are idiots, Bush's mad romp through politics, destroying everything in his path, is pretty funny.
On topic, I think Obama would be boring, if he were to win, which he won't. A highly faded version of Clinton.
I think you're a bit unfair to W. Sure, he's bad at being President, but he's really, really good at getting elected President. You've said so yourself. As a pure politician he has few equals.
Bush certainly could write a book ... of course, it would be the kind that you color.
Iron Rails & Iron Weights
Don't vex, Steve. If any of Obama's crew come here trying to diss you, your homeys will have 'em for breakfast. Respect!
Steve, if you want something to counter TAOH's enervating effect, try reviewing Scooter Libby's masterwork:
In 1996 Libby published a novel entitled The Apprentice. It concerns a group of travelers stranded in northern Japan in the winter of 1903 during a smallpox epidemic.[22] After Libby's grand jury indictment, his publisher (St. Martin's Press [Griffin]) reprinted the novel, described as "an everyday tale of bestiality and paedophilia in 1903 Japan...[and] packed with sexual perversion, dwelling on prepubescent girls and their training as prostitutes": "One passage describes a girl being thrown into a cage 'with a bear trained to couple with young girls so the girls would be frigid and not fall in love with their patrons....They fed her through the bars and aroused the bear with a stick when it seemed to lose interest. Groups of men paid to watch.'"[23]
Sicko!
Why aren't comments enabled on the Scooter Libby post?
he's already sold out to the israeli lobby by the time he gets through the primaries he'll be more of the same. The front end isn't going to get any better until the back end is fixed.
I'm sure B'nai B'rith train their agent provocateurs to act more subtly, so I suspect Jupiter is the real thing. Or as U2 would have it, even better than the real thing.
I'm sure B'nai B'rith train their agent provocateurs to act more subtly
Ah yes, those sneaky Jews, with their well-trained and subtle agent provocateurs! Pardon me for asking, but do you have any credible evidence (besides being "sure") that the B'Nai B'rith actually does this? Didn't think so.
As far as Jupiter goes, he's obviously a kook and he's obviously real, and that's not good for anybody, least of all this website.
By a strange coincidence(But not really,since the Bamster is in the news every day,specially here in Chicago)I looked thru Baracks tome last nite at Borders!(Nope,I didnt buy it!)I guess great minds think alike,heh heh. Hey,I am keeding!I cannot wait to read Steves analysis--we're talking pure gold! Strangets story:"Barry's" dad meets an African dude at a dam,or cliff,or something;the guy borrows Dads pipe. He accidentally drops it over the railing.When the man refuses to go over the railing for the pipe,Dad picks him up and,Mafia-style,dangles him over the railing!This story is related to Barry by his mommy and grandad in a 'gee whiz,whatta guy' tone,as if they are proud and merely bemused by their African tribesman husband/son-in-law threatening guys with death over a $2 trinket. Reminds me of this little ditty:"I do not like thee,Dr. Fell/The reason why I cannot tell/But this I know and know full well/ I DO NOT LIKE THEE DR. FELL :)
:( Uhm did I say something naughty??
there was some talk that this guy might owe himself reparations because his mother's family owned slaves.
doh! his dad was from kenya. kenyans were never slaves in the states.
this guy's weird background plays havoc with american race politics.
Not really Jody. In fact obammy is the latest in a long line of 'mulattoes' who have stepped up to lead black people in America. Thurgood,Walter Williams,and the Big Kahuna W.E.B. DuBois. And he DOES consider himself BLACK,kids. All that stuff about "one America" aside,Obammy is NEGRO! In one story in the book he relates how some street black encourages him to leave Roseland(black suburb--a scarey place)"You gotta leave,"says the brutha,"cuz you CAN!" Obammys 1/2 mix makes him all the more insistent on being Black,and much more capable of achieving success.
Pardon me for asking, but do you have any credible evidence (besides being "sure") that the B'Nai B'rith actually does this?
It's deductive logic. They're not purposely going to train them badly, now are they? Else they might suffer another embarrassment like the Roy Bullock case.
Hmmm, Kenyan, eh.
It seems that Kenyans are a cut above the rest, if evidence my wife, a teacher, has seen is any guide.
But then I remember the Mau Mau rebelion. Where was that again?
Steve,
You put out plenty of output, and need not apologize for anything. This is the most interesting blog Ive found, the comments section alone is as good as most blogs due to informed readers.
This story ought to give you a little more insight into Obama's character:
http://somervillenews.typepad.com/the_somerville_news/2007/03/obama_finally_p.html
Jupiter was the name of a slave in a family for which I did the genealogy. It was a French Creole family in the gulf area. Jupiter was the valet for one of the "masters" who seems to have had a "spousal" relationship with Jupiter's daughter. The Jupiter family did pretty well eventually, securing freedom and possessions for themselves.
Perhaps the "Jupiter" posting here is a descendent of this slave?
I'm very sorry Desiree, I'm giving you an F-
warmest regards
Jupiter
I nearly forgot(!)--
NATIVE BORN WHITE CHRISTIAN
NATIVE BORN WHITE CHRISTIAN
NATIVE BORN WHITE CHRISTIAN
NATIVE BORN WHITE CHRISTIAN
NATIVE BORN WHITE CHRISTIAN
That is all.
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