RENEGADE: Obama's Early Memory

Although labeled Renegade by the Secret Service, a term used to describe a fallen Christian or a knight without allegiance, Barack Obama emerges as the consummate gentleman, standing tall and proud as today’s political rising star. And if any would question the motive for Obama’s assigned codename, he or she would want to proceed with caution; Barack Obama, after all, is not only the most mysterious political candidate in many a year, he is also the most protected. So keep in mind that renegade can just as easily be interpreted to mean "breaking with established customs," exactly what Obama hopes to do.

Even so, Barack Obama’s history and persona are intriguing and an aspect of what makes him so attractive. We just love the idea of a savior. Historically, we are drawn to the mysterious in hopes that something we haven’t been able to figure out will be solved by a rare and gifted person. Yes…whatever the challenge, we look for the magic bullet. It is thus our tendency to bestow the most positive explanations on the behavior of those we know the least about…and this proclivity is nothing new.

Take, for example, the 17th century concept of the noble savage, a term used at the time to idealize humans unencumbered by civilization. Long since discarded, this concept suggests that those uncorrupted by commerce are essentially good; in fact, morally superior. Attributes of the “noble savage” include not only living in harmony with nature, but also generosity and selflessness, innocence, inability to lie, fidelity, physical health, disdain of luxury, moral courage, and a “natural” intelligence or innate, untutored wisdom. Twentieth Century examples include Tonto from the Lone Ranger television program and Tarzan, two modern day enigmas who just seem to know.

A more recent illustration involves children once thought to be superhuman. These so-called superhumans first came to light because of their apparent ability to triumph in the face of adversity. Even now, they somehow sail through incredibly harsh circumstances, unscathed and thriving beyond what anyone might have expected. Labeled resilient, these children were eventually studied in order to unravel the mystery and perhaps replicate their strengths in society. Over time, researchers learned that children are not born superhuman. Rather, resilience is born out of adversity when certain factors are in play, such as having had at least one person in their young lives who genuinely valued and supported them unconditionally.

In Leech Marks, we find Barack asking questions of his stepfather, Lolo, an Indonesian gentleman Barack’s mother first met at the University of Hawaii. Lolo has an idea of what the slender built Barack Obama must develop in order to become a man: strength. But to Barack, who watches Lolo “out of the corner of my eye,” Lolo is more than fascinating; he is a bit frightening.

When Lolo starts elaborating about the inevitability of pain, the young and somewhat discomforted Obama shifts the focus of the conversation back on Lolo.

“Have you ever seen a man killed?” Barack asks.

Lolo glances down, surprised by the question.

“Have you?” Barack asks again.

“Yes,” Lolo says.

“Was it bloody?”

“Yes.”

And before Lolo has the opportunity to regain his momentum in the conversation, Barack begins again.

“Why was the man killed? The one you saw?”

“Because he was weak.”

“That’s all?”

Lolo counters with the explanation that being weak is basically enough to get a man killed. Obama listens, but later fails to answer Lolo’s question pertaining to which he, Barack Obama, would rather be: weak or strong. Obama knows, of course, what Lolo expects him to say, but answering “strong” might bring immediate and perhaps unpleasant consequences. Would Lolo expect something of Barack right now?

Turns out not answering is the best answer of all. It would seem that even as a young man, Barack Obama knows that the person who talks the least has the most power.

Indeed, Obama’s silence brings forth a compromise from Lolo: If you can’t be strong, be clever and make peace with someone who is strong. Lolo might as well be saying, if you can’t be the king, be the court jester.

In societies where the freedom of speech was not recognized as a right, the court jester (precisely because anything he said was by definition “a jest”) could speak frankly in a way for which anyone else would have been severely punished. So, if you can’t be strong, be clever. Ignore the hurt by being strong or avoid the hurt by being clever.

The significant aspect of this exchange with his stepfather is that even when offered a compromise, Barack never commits to anything. He remains shrewdly ambivalent. Obama simply plays the middle; thus, his stepfather can interpret the outcome however he wishes, most likely to Obama’s favor.

Barack thus demonstrates it is clever to let others lead him, much like he does now. If he says he is will be strong, there may be immediate consequences. If he chooses clever, then cleverness is on stage and thus no longer clever. Better to stay quiet and play the middle. In essence, better to literally and figuratively remain the black white man and the white black man…neither black nor white, but in the middle where many are able to interpret the outcome however they wish, or more to the point: where many are able to project onto Obama what they wish him to stand for and what they believe they hear him saying.

Yes, without a doubt, Obama’s worldview is “Don’t commit,” a perspective on life that will have astute voters paying even closer attention to what Obama does not say, as compared to what he seems to be saying. (Note: Read the memory on which this review is based in a post dated March 14, 2008.)