Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Divining Obama

Last night I had a fretful episode. The press have been bandying Reverend Wright's recent cluster of public appearances in a not particularly favorable light for Obama. They have hardly even mentioned the lucid interview on Friday night with Bill Moyers. Becoming nervous, I decided to do a Thesaurus reading about Obama, asking for insight as to just where things are for him. A reading like this involves, first of all, the framing of a question, and second, opening the book and randomly pointing a finger at what is then the answer. Sometimes it works phenomenally well, sometimes not. Yesterday it worked to devastating effect.

The words I got were anything but reassuring, auspicious, or even meaningless. Instead they seemed somehow prophetic. The answer arrived under entry 757: Prohibition:

"Obliteration, forbidden fruit, contraband article; prohibit, forbid, disallow, veto; give thumbs down, refuse, withdraw permission, cancel leave, revoke, restrain, taboo, outlaw; black, declare black, place out of bounds, shut the door on, blackball, ostracize, excommunicate, frown on, not countenance, disapprove, crack down on; clip, pinch, cramp, dash the cup from one's lips."

In that moment my worst fears were realized. Somebody please tell me this is NOT what's happening.

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