Thursday, February 12, 2009

The Problem With Fanatics

I am beginning to worry about the levels of devotion being displayed by some of our Fellow Americans at Obama's "rallies".

No, I am not talking about waking up one morning to discover that there are now roving bands of chanting devotees patrolling the streets (not yet anyway). I am talking about the more realistic danger inherent in fanatical followers:

They're fanatical.

The real danger here is two-fold. First the danger to us, and second the danger to Obama himself.

The danger to us is that when a precedent is set, we begin to expect it as a given. When you raise the bar, you must deliver higher or equal results from then on. To a rational mind, we can see that exceptional or extraordinary situations exist in which something really special can occur, and that's that. A"once in a life-time" sort of thing.

To a fanatic however, it becomes an obtainable and delusionally realistic goal.

"They're just like me! Look what they got, I can get that too! Of course he'll help me!"

Expecting the President to work miracles on demand and leaving only beauty in his wake is patently absurd. Yet it is rapidly becoming the norm at his post-campaign campaigns. A spirit collapsing let-down is in the works I fear as the miracles cannot manifest indefinitely, and soon he may say something that he should have said a long time ago regarding his non-deific nature. Recall if you will, William Shatner's joke on SNL some years back about Star Trek "just being a show", the very negative (hate-mail and death threats) reaction to such, and then consider the back-lash that Obama would get.

Following the links embedded above, and watching the videos (or reading the articles), you can begin to see an almost feverish desperation when it comes to his attention and very presence. One woman (guess which one) looks as though she would do anything for just the merest glance from the President.

These people are the "True Believers", no kool-aid required. They are also the ones that make The Secret Service VERY nervous. At least for now. After repeated exposure to such histrionics, they may mistake such zealousness for normal behavior and...

The danger to Obama himself that I speak of should now be obvious, and I will not venture further into the subject out of respect for your intelligence and my fear of the unconscionable.

I derive my greatest fears not from wise men, but from fools.

H/T Ace of Spades, Michelle Malkin