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Issue date: 2/21/08 Section: Just on the Web

Mike LaFave

I promise I'll get back to individual issues soon, but this political season has me fired up. So you might ask yourself, "If he's so fired up about this year's political season, why is he going to write about John F. Kennedy?" There is a simple answer.

I keep hearing Barack Obama being compared to John F. Kennedy. Teddy "Watch Out For That Bridge" Kennedy has endorsed Obama. Teddy's son Patrick is on the bandwagon. And JFK's daughter Caroline is not only backing the Illinois Senator, but also saying that B. Hussein Obama reminds her of her father.

"Barack Obama is so inspirational, it's like JFK all over again," I keep hearing. What makes me laugh is that often I'll hear this uniformed opinion from a college student who wasn't alive for the Kennedy administration.

But what I'm here to tell you today is: Obama is nothing like Kennedy. In fact, if JFK was an active politician today, he would be a Republican.

Oh yes, I said it. The beloved JFK, the man every Democrat attempts to compare himself with, would be a member of the Grand Old Party.

Let's look at some of what Kennedy did in his short time in office.

JFK cut taxes. Democrats today want to repeal the tax cuts, which is effectively a tax increase, the exact opposite of what their supposed role model John F. Kennedy did.

JFK was strong on national defense. It could be argued that Kennedy was hawkish when it came to foreign policy. JFK wanted to protect American interests, even if it meant military force would have to be used. Today's Democrats want to pull out of a war we're winning and by giving Iraq up to terrorists and Iran, take a gigantic step backwards in the War on Terror. That doesn't look like a move out of the Kennedy playbook.

When JFK ran for President against Republican Richard Nixon, it was Nixon who championed environmental issues, not Kennedy. That's not to say Kennedy and today's Republican Party are against the environment, but Nixon and today's Democrats are willing to make businesses and the economy suffer to protect it.

JFK was very religious. There was a huge controversy when Kennedy ran for Commander and Chief. Many wondered if the American public could ever vote a Catholic into office. Of course there are rumors that a bunch of already-dead people in Chicago and Frank Sinatra are to be credited for the JFK victory, but nonetheless, Kennedy looked the controversy in the face and laughed at it. John F. Kennedy confronted the worries of many and gave one of the most famous religious speeches in modern history. Now, remind me quick, which party is it that is stereotyped as being more religious? Yeah, I think you got my point there.

JFK is well known as one of the leaders in the civil rights movement. His Vice President, Lyndon B. Johnson, finished what Kennedy and many African-American leaders had started. But both JFK and LBJ had to team up with Republican members of congress to defeat Democrats, like Al Gore's father, who were against the Civil Rights Act.

JFK famously declared, "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you - ask what can you do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Now if you didn't know who said those unforgettable words, who would you guess had said them: a Democrat or a Republican? Democrats are promising voters the government will do everything for you. "Hey, can't afford to get the latest cell phone model? Don't worry, elect Democrats and the government will buy it for you." Whereas Republicans lean more on the side of personal responsibility. And spreading freedom to mankind, you might have guessed George W. Bush had said that if you didn't know any better.

As for Mr. Obama, he's a charismatic character. He's an elegant speaker. But he's all sizzle and no steak. He's all flash and no substance. After winning the Wisconsin primary, Obama gave a speech addressing concerns that his words are empty. He gave a long-winded 45 minute lecture. I loved it. For all this talk about "Change," and "A new chapter in the history books," and the "Great Uniter," when pressed to explain his policy plans, Obama spit out classic liberal language. These were not new, innovative ideas - they were traditional liberal ideas. And that's fine if you like liberal policies, but please spare me this "Obama the nonpartisan" rhetoric I've been having to stomach.

And there is another thing I've found incredibly humorous. The one thing we can all agree on about B. Hussein Obama is that the man gives a good speech. Hell, his speech at the 2004 Democratic Convention is what put his name on the map! But now it turns out, he's plagiarizing his material from Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Now, I've had the opportunity to watch both speeches back-to-back, and it's not close - it's damn near identical. Obama takes a line Patrick uses at the end of the paragraph and throws it at the top. The rest is the same. For a man who's greatest strength is his ability to enthrall an audience with his words, wouldn't it be nice if he wasn't borrowing those words from his buddy - with no attribution, mind you. If I did that, I would lose my blog... which might make some of you happy.

I'm not saying if JFK were alive today he'd be a Reagan conservative. But one thing is for sure: he wouldn't be an Obama liberal either.

Related Videos:
YouTube: Just Words. Just not Obama's.
YouTube: Deval Patrick's "Just Words" speech
YouTube: Barack Obama's "Words Matter" speech

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