But there is no time to languish in romanticism. In fact, I find the Camelot analogy foolish and superficial. Americans have always thrived on fantasy, denial and escapism. I wonder how many know that Kennedy was the president who initially involved America in the politics of south Vietnam when he ordered an expeditionary corps of infantry advisors, helicopter crews, fighter-bomber pilots, and Special Forces teams there in November of 1961?

President Kennedy came from an enormously wealthy and ambitious Irish family. With a classy first lady and a French name, Americans loved to be seduced by the fiction and legend of Camelot during Kennedy’s presidency. For those who choose to remember the sad ending, the allusion to Kennedy as Camelot was completed by Jackie at the time of her husband’s assassination which was compared to the death of King Arthur. Indeed, Obama as Camelot is not only inappropriate but irresponsible. Let us not confound the promise of change and hope with a medieval myth. Barack Obama is his own man and he should be considered apart from Kennedy. It is unfair and in my opinion even dangerous to insist on that comparison.

Senator Obama is clearly intelligent, articulate, and charming. He does exudes a charisma that is comparable with that of President John F. Kennedy. The charismatic simile with Kennedy is only superficially valid. Beneath the surface, the comparison is no longer viable. Barack Obama endured not only poverty but also the absence of an ambitious and powerful patriarch of a role model during his formative years and growing up in remote parts of the world.

The daunting task that lies ahead of Senator Obama is twofold and it is infinitely graver than what President Kennedy was confronted with upon entering his presidency. Even to become elected, Obama not only faces the difficult challenge of defeating the white majority of billionaire Republicans, but also he must convert the huge coalition of Hillary Clinton supporters and persuade them to vote on his ticket.

Will the older women, Hispanics and blue collar workers who have overwhelmingly voted for Senator Clinton really throw their full support towards Barack Obama? This is no time for romantic novels. Hillary’s constituents comprise half the democratic population, the largest percentage of whom are not comfortable supporting Senator Obama. Hillary can help open their minds, but Barack is the one who must ultimately convince them.

No, Barack Obama is in no way a reincarnation of John F. Kennedy nor are there time for unrealistic comparisons based on denial of reality and sanguine fantasy. Rather that involving the United States in a war as Kennedy did, Obama’s dire challenge is to find the appropriate means of disentangling America from a war. It is a conflict equal to the complexity of what regrettably became known as America’s war in Vietnam. Domestically, he must attack profoundly difficult economic issues Indisputably, an intricate and grueling task awaits Senator Obama in the White House.

Thus I plead to not romanticize the Presidency of the United States, for it will be neither a Hollywood fantasy nor an extended Honeymoon for Obama when he’s elected. What is absolutely critical in November is that Americans vote for change and that as a result, change follows. His timing is right. In fact, it couldn’t be better. Barack Obama is an enormously appealing candidate because he symbolizes hope in a demoralized country, not because he is a black man who rides a white horse in a fairy tale. In every way, inside and out, he seems to embody what is different.

Read PART 1 of this article

Adventurous spirit at heart, Mitzi is oginally from the rock and roll music capital, Austin, Texas. She has pushed her way around the globe from an eleven year sejour in Paris to currently teaching in Asia. Although a hopeless Francophile, she can now be found strolling in a picturesque little fishing village on the coast of the East Sea, where she is writing and teaching English. For her complete bio, click here.

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