The Book of Barack

The rhetoric of the Barack Obama campaign has sought to portray Obama as a new transformative figure that rises above politics. Often the rhetoric of the campaign and its supporters rises to dizzying heights of hyperbole. Jesse Jackson Jr., who is a cochairman for Barack Obama's campaign, adds yet another example. Story from the Politico.

Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.), son of the one-time presidential contender, said Obama’s victory overwhelmed him.

“I cried all night. I’m going to be crying for the next four years,” he said. “What Barack Obama has accomplished is the single most extraordinary event that has occurred in the 232 years of the nation’s political history. ... The event itself is so extraordinary that another chapter could be added to the Bible to chronicle its significance.”

Another chapter of the Bible devoted to Barack Obama? Is Barack Obama some kind of religious figure sent to save the United States? Absolutely not. He is a politician, not some sort of enlightened religious figure. Does Jackson understand how ridiculous his statement is?

I think the Obama campaign and its supporters need to tone down the self-importance because they risk looking like elitists. But at this point, they've done it so much that it looks like they actually believe in the power of their own rhetoric.

(Hat tip: The New Editor)