He Has Found The Enemy, And It Is Them.

On Tuesday, former senator Rick Santorum made an appearance at UNL.

His mission?

To warn of the impending danger posed by Islamic extremists.

In a speech that blended history, current events, and theology, Santorum contended that Muslims "who take their religion literally" are threatening Western civilization as we know it. He condemned both Bush and Obama for refusing to acknowledge this.

A key problem in Islam, according to Santorum, is a lack of seperation between church and state. Mohammed was not merely a spiritual figure; he was a leader, and a ruthless conqueror. In contrast, Santorum identified Jesus's command to "render unto Caeser what is Caeser's" as the beginning of a long tradition of secular government in the Christian world.

Santorum believes that Islamic teachings on civil authority are incompatible with the democratic ideals of the West. The consequences of this are seen in Western countries such as the UK and the Netherlands, where critics of Islam are falling victim to what Santorum labeled "creeping Sharia" -- a gradual surrender to Islamic law.

The lesson was timely and informative, but not without flaws.

Santorum's analysis of the differences between Islam and Christianity was shallow. To say that Christiandom has been defined by a seperation of church and state is to ignore a history in which popes frequently held kings in their sway. Likewise, his invectives against Muslims who, unlike Christians, take their scriptures literally seemed strange indeed, considering that millions of Christians view the Bible in the same light.

Practical policy was also hard to come by in Santorum's speech. One of his suggestions for "defeating" radical Islam was to drastically reduce the price of oil, thereby crippling the economic engine of the Middle East. Even assuming that America has the power to magically manipulate oil prices, this seems like a bad policy. While poverty may not be the primary root of Islamic terrorism, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which poverty would make people less prone to religious extremism. Funding from wealthy sheiks may bolster some terrorist organizations, but as long as there are people willing to blow themselves up for a righteous cause, they'll find ways to do so. 

However, the core of Santorum's message -- that differing religious beliefs can produce societies with radically different values -- was a solid one. On college campuses, where the dogma of diversity can silence meaningful discussion about the substantial differences that exist between cultures, we could use a few more Rick Santorums.

Obama: People Still Like Him.

Is the Obama brand tarnished? Not so, sayeth Ben Smith:

With Barack Obama’s victory in passing a massive stimulus package marred by days of bad press — as not a single House Republican backed the bill, his health czar went down in flames and his second pick for commerce secretary walked away — the administration has been cut down to size, and lost some of its bipartisan sheen.

Such, at least, has been the beltway chatter, but so far the numbers don’t back it up.

Obama’s approval rating remains well above 60 percent in tracking polls. A range of state pollsters said they’d seen no diminution in the president’s sky-high approval ratings, and no improvement in congressional Republicans’ dismal numbers.

Nothing surprising here. Obama has been president for less than a month; Americans are reserving judgement until they have something to judge. But if the economy is still in the tank a year from now, the numbers may be a bit different. Fair or not, the current President is always blamed when the money trees refuse to bear their succulent fruit.

But even if Obama can't resuscitate the GDP, we'll always have a larger national debt to look forward to. It's so beautiful, floating out there in space, cloaked in a shroud of incomprehensible majesty. I'm pretty sure it's already being worshipped by some celebrity-saturated cult in L.A.

The Meaning of Obama.

Barack H. Obama is now the President of the United States of America. For thousands of Americans, this means more than just a pretty new face in the White House. They believe that the Obama administration will fundamentally transform the character of our Nation. In the minds of these starry-eyed followers, Barack Obama's America will be a wondrous place where teenagers reject apathy, divisive political arguments are banished to the nether-world, marriages are strong, and public broadcasting is enjoyed and beloved by all.

It's a nice dream. It's also sheer nonsense.

When you wake up tomorrow, you probably won't be thinking of Obama's smiling face, and how swell it is that he wants to reach across the aisle. If your mind is running at all, it's far more likely to be focused on the concept of syrup-drenched waffles, and the deliciousness thereof. Soon enough, your daily routine will kick in, and you'll continue to live your life much as you did four months ago.

You'll work.
You'll talk with friends.
You'll spend too much time on YouTube.

If you happen to be the kind of person who volunteers at soup kitchens, participates in canned-food drives, and attends community meetings, you will keep on doing so. If you're a disengaged citizen who thinks that homeless people are worthless junkies, and enjoys kicking small animals, you'll stay on your dark path. The man who happens to occupy the White House doesn't even enter into the equation of your everyday choices.

This isn't to say that people can't change. They can. But speaking in a broad sense, personal change is a gradual process that originates from two main sources: our contact with God, and our contact with those who are closest to us.

Contrary to popular belief, Obama is not divine. And no matter how friendly he may look, Obama is not your friend. If given the opportunity, he probably wouldn't even want to hang out with you. It's true that Obama's inspirational speeches provide millions with an emotional high, but a surge of emotion is hardly enough to spark genuine change in an individual. In order for one man to change another, the element of regular, personal contact has to be present. The human mind is a collection of rigid patterns that can only be altered with the introduction of new, more powerful patterns. Watching a nice man talk about hope on TV hardly does the trick. 

However, Obama and his supporters can't be blamed for the faulty notion of the President's transformative power. Every four years, voters fall hard for the big lie of American politics: the notion that the President has the power to control the culture of our Nation.

Conservative icon Barry Goldwater pioneered the concept of placing "the social issue" at the center of a presidential campaign. He didn't just propose a set of policies; he promised moral renewal, and a return to a simpler time of tradition and order. While Goldwater's pitch was unsuccessful, Nixon, Reagan and Dubya used similar themes to appeal to the country. Even Bill Clinton called on his fellow Americans to "take more responsibility" for their families and communities. Ultimately, each of these presidents did change the country -- but almost solely in the realm of policy. The cultural fabric of America travelled on its own trajectory, one that politicians could neither predict nor control.

If America is a different place in 2012, there may be some things that Obama can take credit (or be blamed) for. After all, the President can have a profound effect on things like the economy, and America's relationship with the rest of the world. On the other hand, the attitudes, habits, and beliefs of 300 million individuals can't be altered with an executive order. Life goes on, regardless of whether there's a Bush or an Obama in the Oval Office. 

Real change happens. 

But it doesn't come from 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. 

The Rick Warren Nontroversy.

It's been almost a month since Obama announced that evangelical megastar Rick Warren would deliver his inaugural invocation. Some people are still mad. But what exactly are they mad about?

Most of Rick Warren's detractors cite his conservative views on gay marriage, including his support for California's proposition 8, as well as his religious beliefs concerning the immorality of homosexual behavior. For many liberal Democrats, these views are simply beyond the realm of acceptability. They applaud Obama's incessant talk of bridging the divide between the right and the left, but offering the spotlight to a "divisive bigot" like Rick Warren is apparently a bridge too far.

Outside of the liberal bubble, things look a little different. While gay marriage is a polarizing issue, it's far less polarizing than many assume. In contrast to the recent failures of two ballot initiatives banning abortion in conservative South Dakota, gay marriage bans have been almost universally successful in states across America. And as proposition 8's victory in deep-blue California proves, opponents of gay marriage aren't defined by party lines. In many cases, America's diversity works to the disadvantage of the "gay rights" lobby. Members of racial minorities may vote overwhelmingly for Democratic candidates, but many hold the same conservative views on homosexuality and gay marriage that white evangelicals like Rick Warren espouse.

Same-sex marriage certainly doesn't face same-sect opposition.

But you could throw all that out the window, and the uproar surrounding Rick Warren's selection would still be ridiculous. Just in case anyone missed it, Barack Obama never supported gay marriage in the first place. Sure, he doesn't believe that homosexuality itself is sinful, or support constitutional amendments banning gay marriage, but when it came to the biggest political issue on the "gay agenda", Obama refused to explicitly give his blessing. Instead, Obama repeatedly expressed his belief that "marriage is between a man and a woman." 

This isn't a case of betrayal. This is a case of a mainstream politician who took a mainstream stance on gay marriage and selected a mainstream pastor to say a nice little prayer at his inauguration.

Nothing else.

Open Letters To Random Public Figures At The Dawn Of A New Year.

Dear Barack Obama,

Please don't screw everything up.
Please.

Dear George W. Bush,

People are always saying mean things about you, but deep down inside, they're just jealous that you got to be president and they didn't. You're not really like Hitler, are you? I mean, you don't even have a mustache. Which, by the way, is something you should definitely consider growing. You have less than a month left in office, and everyone is shunning you. What do you have to lose? Growing a mustache would transform you into a legend, like bigfoot, or that dancing guy on YouTube. And given the complete intolerance for presidential facial hair that has prevailed throughout the last 100 years, your upper-lip warmer would strike a blow for facial freedom that would resound for decades to come. Please George, do it for the children.

Dear Sarah Palin,

A little bit of ambition can be a great thing. Too much ambition, on the other hand, can lead to bad things. Like being stabbed by your friends en-masse on the Ides of March. You don't want that to happen, do you? Alaska is a nice place. Why don't you just stay there? In Washington DC, they don't even let you hunt mooses. Heck, they don't even have mooses.

It's a hellhole, Sarah. Let the elites have it.

Dear Mike Huckabee,

I've never seen your TV show, but just thinking about the fact that you have a TV show makes me feel inexplicably happy. On a vaguely related note, you should start endorsing products. I would definitely buy Huckabee biscuit mix -- and I don't even normally buy biscuit mix! Think about it: you could be the white male Aunt Jemima of biscuits. It almost makes the presidency sound pathetic in comparison.

Dear Osama Bin Laden,

I know you don't like Americans very much, but really, we aren't that bad. Have you ever had a chocolate chip cookie? We invented those. They're basically little circles of condensed joy. Of course, they have to be fresh from the oven if you want to experience them in their full glory, but even a bag of "Famous Amos" will do in a pinch. Seriously, you should try some. And maybe rethink that whole "death to America" thing.

Dear Kim Jong Il,

Are you still alive? If not, can I have your gerbil? It would mean a lot to me.

If you are still alive, please die. You're kind of a terrible person, and I really want that gerbil. Thanks.

Dear American Capitalism,

Please don't leave. We still love you! Some may complain about your so-called "excesses," but I don't see anything wrong with a small group of people becoming very rich, and then squandering their wealth on gold-plated ice cream and bad mortgages. Without the zany antics of irresponsible rich people, the world would be as boring as Imperial Margarine. And just between you and me, I'm not a big fan of your cousin, European Socialism. He may give everyone medicine for free, and feed homeless kittens, but he's still a smug, self-righteous jerk. Don't even get me started on those taxes of his. Anyways, just hang in there. If you survive to annoy just one more French person, it'll be worth it.

Just A Little Bit Of Harmless Corruption.

When a Senate seat is vacated, it's always tough for the governor saddled with the task of finding a new person to fill it. The concerns of competing interest groups must be balanced, and possible charges of cronyism and nepotism must be avoided. For Governor Rod Blagojevich of Illinois, the challenge was especially daunting, given the stature of the seat's previous occupant.

Fortunately, resourceful Rod drew up an elegant solution to the problem: handing out the seat to whoever gave him the most money.

The plan was almost perfect, except for two little things: it was illegal, and evil.

Now, the FBI has gone and spoiled everything. I guess he should have just stuck with the coin toss.

The Same Old Change.

In the aftermath of Barack Obama's election, partisan pundits immediately declared that the American people were on their side, and ordered the President-Elect to act accordingly. Giddy liberals crowed about the death of American conservatism. In their estimation, Obama had won a mandate to transform the good ol' U.S.A. into the socialist paradise of their dreams. Conservatives, for their part, maintained that America was still a pretty conservative place, and that Obama should play it safe.

Sorry liberals, but it looks like Obama seems to agree with the other side. Kind of.

For all his failings, Obama is smart enough to know that Americans want policies that actually work. Which is why you won't see Obama making any massive changes to the fundamentals of the current American economic system, or other such foolishness. There may be some minor tweaks -- a little more taxation there, a little less over here, a few favors for labor unions -- but at the end of the day, America will be left with the same free-market-plus-a-little-extra system we know and love.

There are, of course, other economic paths that Obama could explore. A long time ago, a bunch of people tried a radically different system. It was called communism, and it was terrible. People starved. Which is what tends to happen when you shun economic reality in favor of utopian fairy-tales. Obama may be a liberal, but his choice of relatively moderate, realistic economic policy advisors shows that his mind isn't frolicking with the marxist unicorns just yet.

And to the peaceniks, who have spent decades (centuries?) waiting for a dove to descend upon Washington: prepare for a major letdown. You swept Obama to the Democratic nomination because Hillary frightened you with her pants-wearing hawkishness. And who does Obama pick as his number one diplomat? Hint: not Dennis Kucinich. But it doesn't stop there. Not satisfied with mildly snubbing the legions of pacifism, Obama has gone for a full Three Stooges style eye-poking by letting Bush's Secretary of Defense stick around for the new administration.

Don't worry hippies. It's not personal -- it's business.

At this critical juncture in our nation's history (don't you love it when people say that?), America can't afford to be declawed. The war in Iraq may be winding down, but the battle for Afghanistan is just getting started, and the world seems to be inching ever closer to a second cold war. Flower power alone won't be enough to get America through the next four years. That doesn't mean that Obama will be galavanting around the globe on military expeditions; quite the contrary, he'll almost certainly make heavy use of "soft power". But judging by his cabinet appointments, other options will remain on the table.

However, Obama's apparent (and hopefully, genuine) moderation has nothing to do with America being a center-right nation. Even if they lean a little to the right, most Americans are fairly pragmatic. The issue isn't right versus left; it's what works versus what doesn't. To put it another way, America doesn't necessarily lean to right -- but reality does.

So, if Obama doesn't end up raising taxes on businesses, restricting free trade, and hugging terrorists, it won't come as a surprise to me. No matter how "transformational" he may be, even the chosen one can't transform the laws of the universe.