Stand By to Come About?

It's like I was sayin' to a friend of mine this morning.....you never know what will prompt the winds of change. Or, what might offer the impetus to start a Blog. For me, it turned out to be all the shrieking bullshit about Obama's invitation of Rick Warren to give the invocation at the Inaugural. I saw this snippet in an AP story this morning ---about how Rev. Warren "loves" gays while he nonetheless opposes their "lifestyle" (as if it's chosen), opposes gay marriage and sounds all the other Anita Bryant echoes from the Moral Majority's halcyon Reagan days.

Of all the guys Barack could've picked to offer the invocation, I thought, he picks THIS cat?

Why?

Commencing with the 5th 'graph of the AP story, the following was noted:

Obama defended his choice on Thursday, saying that he has also invited Joseph Lowery, a Methodist minister and civil rights leader who supports same-sex marriage and gay rights, to deliver the benediction.

"During the course of the entire inaugural festivities, there are going to be a wide range of viewpoints that are presented. And that's how it should be, because that's what America's about. That's part of the magic of this country ... we are diverse and noisy and opinionated," Obama said.

Now, is it just me, but could this be the moment in time upon which we later look back and peg as the precursor-tick-of-the-clock during which we flicked on our national blinker and moved out of the gridlocked, "politics-as-usual" lane and into a "faster lane" marked by a good faith, no bullshit attempts at bipartisanship? For that lane change to work, somebody has to go first, right? Somebody has to give a little -- perhaps on only insignificant points at first or on fronts involving more style over substance.

Is Obama leading here, I found myself thinking?

Nahhh....humans are venal creatures. Surely, the other side will screw it up. Instead of recognizing what is offered as the gift it is, the other guys will instead lick their party-polemic chops over the political give and use that opportunity to make some political hay out of the giving. That's the way it's done in D.C.

I went on to the Sports Page. As I tried to concentrate on a waning 2008 - 09 college football season which left my LSU Tigers mired in unexpected mediocrity and sweeping the SEC basement, I found my mind wandering...

Well....what if?

What if this WAS a gift to the other side?

And, what if, when the gift was given and abused.....what if SOMEbody was willing to avoid the tit-for-tat response so familiar to us and give a little again -- not on core issues at first....but SOMEwhere.

Is that what you're doing, Barack?

Could such an approach possibly lead to some type of new understanding blossoming within the giant heart of the American people? Could we, as a people, be led by Obama's initial choice here ---a tiny, baby step--- to ruminate upon magnitude of what's being attempted? Could such an understanding, evolving little by little over time, force the other side to get REAL....not because they want to, necessarily, but because to do otherwise is antithetical to the evolving will of the people? Could such an approach ---demonstrated by Barack here at this early point on a largely symbolic, meaningless front--- foreshadow a long needed evolution of old-school, tit-for-tat party politics?

Could all of this mark the germination of a simple idea: Entrenched, Washington siege warfare is now simply "bad politics"?

Could Obama be that smart?

I was up at my hunting camp this weekend with my Dad, 75 years old, and a died-in-the-wool conservative Republican with all the predilections and prejudices of his Pre- World War II upbringing. This topic came up. I think even a conservative guy like Jimmy recognized something different about the way Obama has come out of the gate. He says to me, out of the blue: "You know, son, the election is over. I remember when Bush won, the comment from the Republicans to the Gore people and later to the Kerry people was for them to 'get over it.' Well, now, the Republicans have to 'get over it.' We have a lot of work to do and this man is now Our President. Barack Obama is MY President and I really feel a duty to help the guy. Everybody needs to get on board, is the way I see it."

I was a little stunned -- not because of the Old Man's acceptance of the outcome of the election -- but by his willingness to grab an oar in the new guy's boat and to NOT "buy into" the usual junior high sort of political back-biting and 2nd guessing which has often followed a change in either the Executive or the national legislature.

What does it all mean?

Could it mean a shift in the winds, sensed by Obama -- who now quickly moves to foster the change by adjusting his political sails to catch the new direction of the breeze?

Are we about to hear: "All hands on deck, prepare to come about!"

Or, should I just sign this initial Blog Entry: Pollyanna?

J.R.