As the Obama Love Train makes its way from city stop to city stop to the inaugural in Washington, D.C., the idea of a budding "cult of personality" is becoming starkly real.
The Wikipedia definition of cult of personality or personality cult "arises when a country’s leader uses mass media to create a heroic public image through unquestioning flattery and praise. Cults of personality are often found in dictatorships. A cult of personality is similar to general hero worship, except that it is created specifically for political leaders. "
The major examples of "personality cult" leaders all come from one-party states where the leader controls all the media. Stalin, Hitler, Mao, and the "Great Leaders Kim" of North Korea.
Everytime that Love Train stops, and Joe Biden finishes his saccharine introduction, the high fldelity speakers start blaring some of the most pompous and bombastic music I’ve ever heard associated with a politician in America. Maybe Communist Romania, but not America.
And though the Goverment and Obama don’t control the media, Obama certainly nevertheless "owns" it right now. Look at the covers of any random magazine rack in America.
Of course, we do not live on a one-party state. And fortunately Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi don’t have the organizational skills of the Bolsheviks. But we are close to it in Washington, D.C., and now en route, to D.C., we are seeing a "rock star" become a national cult leader.
Personality cults are always dangerous to democracy. Today, the one institution that stands in the way of complete control is a narrow 5-4 majority on the U.S. Supreme Court. It is predictable that Obama’s cult power will eventually work its way over to this institution, he just has to wait. Franklin Roosevelt couldn’t wait, and failed to change his own inherited Republican court with new extra members of a liberal bent. Obama won’t make that mistake.
Nevertheless, the glowing strains of "Pomp and Circumstance" of Sir Edward Elgar is far more appropriate to a high school graduation than an entrance of Barack Hussein Obama. For democracy’s sake.