What Would Obama Do?

What Would Obama Do?

You have probably seen the bracelets that say WWJD. (What Would Jesus Do?) It's a common method of reminding people that have embraced Christianity that every action of their lives needs to be measured against the standard that Jesus set. We aren't perfect, and to expect Christians to conform perfectly to Jesus' standard is unrealistic, but having this as a goal is certainly valuable.

We've made fun of Obamessiah during the campaign--but the idol worship continues, as this December 13, 2008 Washington Post article explains:

Sherry Jones was driving her 13-year-old son, Malcolm, to school the other morning when he mentioned something about some kid he didn't like.

Something about the kid being a jerk.

Jones told him that wasn't kind. When you speak of people, she said, always speak good of them.

"Look at Barack! . . . During the campaign, no matter what, Obama always took the high road," she told him. "During the debates when John McCain would say a dig, Barack would never react. . . . He was always positive."

Malcolm, who likes a good debate, was, for that moment, quiet.

In that silence, Jones realized that something about her spontaneous, trapped-in-the-car lecture was working. "If my son didn't agree, he would let me know," says Jones, an accountant who lives in Silver Spring. "He always has something else to say. . . . Usually, he will say, 'Yeah, but . . . ' When I use Barack Obama as an example, I can see him. He's quiet. He may sit up a little straighter.

"He hasn't gotten to the point where he says, 'You are right.' " But there is something to be said for him saying nothing.

Now, don't get me wrong. I think President Obama might be a good example to many young black men. There are vast numbers of young black Americans who do the right thing: they go to school; get good jobs; marry; and raise families. But there are also a lot of young blacks who take the path of least resistance, and buy into the idea that studying and preparing for school is "acting white." Obama can be a positive example that yes, "acting white" can get you a decent job in America.

Still, I look at the adulation that Obama is enjoying, and I shake my head at the parallels to the twentieth century's cult of personality leaders. Michelle Malkin brought this amazing story to my attention.