Denying the American Dream

Barack and Michelle Obama strike me as great people. They obviously have loads of charisma and people simply cannot rise to their level of success without having many things in their favor. They are great communicators and appear comfortable in any situation.

They are enjoying all that the American dream can provide. They have economic and personal freedom. They have a large home and dream jobs. They have the ability to provide a better life for their children than what they had as they were growing up. They have worked hard and the fruits of their labor have been many.

They followed (more or less) the framework that is put forth by Walter Williams on "how not to be poor."

Avoiding long-term poverty is not rocket science. First, graduate from high school. Second, get married before you have children, and stay married. Third, work at any kind of job, even one that starts out paying the minimum wage. And, finally, avoid engaging in criminal behavior.

Yet they seem to dismiss all they have accomplished as an anomaly rather than realizing that they simply followed the rules that virtually guarantee the opportunity for success. What they want is change.

While Barack and Michelle undoubtedly made mistakes in their youth, they did not drop out of school--in fact they pursued it beyond high school. Barack and Michelle did not parent children outside of wedlock and they have stayed married once they took the leap. Barack and Michelle did not get seriously into drugs and they have never been involved in criminal activity. They continued to use their God given talents in the way that all Americans are encouraged to do.

Now that the Obamas have reached the pinnacle of success they seem to have decided that all of their decisions and actions have been irrelevant to what they have attained and where they reside in life. They want change. They embrace change. They want an America that is different than the one that they grew up in. An America, I suppose, that Michelle Obama can actually be proud of--an America where the government provides all the answers to all people.

It is ironic that the Obamas themselves prove that, despite all the liberal rhetoric, the government is not necessary for personal success but that good personal decisions are.

The Obamas are, in fact, the anti-Obamas.