Mark Steyn on "Ocean's Election"

Even while sitting in the dock at his show trial before the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal, for the crime of offending Muslims in an excerpt of his book, America Alone (published in Canada in MacLeans magazine), Mark Steyn continues to entertain us. This time it's with his take on Obama's speech upon winning the Democratic presidential nomination. Steyn's piece is entitled "Ocean's Election." Our readers may recall Senator Obama's soaring rhetoric:

"I face this challenge with profound humility and knowledge of my own limitations. But I also face it with limitless faith in the capacity of the American people … . I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal … . This was the moment – this was the time – when we came together to remake this great nation."

Steyn writes:

It's a good thing he's facing it with "profound humility," isn't it? Because otherwise who knows what he'd be saying. But mark it in your calendars: June 3, 2008 – the long-awaited day, after 232 years, that America began to provide care for the sick. Just a small test program: 47 attendees of the Obama speech were taken to hospital and treated for nausea. Everyone else came away thrilled that the Obamessiah was going to heal the planet and reverse the rise of the oceans: When Barack wants to walk on the water, he doesn't want to have to use a stepladder to get up on it.

Steyn proceeds to rain on the parade of Chris Matthews and other media personalities awestruck by Obama star power:

Nothing in Obama's resume suggests he's the man to remake America and heal the planet. Only last week, another of his pals bit the dust, convicted by a Chicago jury of 16 counts of this and that. "This isn't the Tony Rezko I knew," said the senator, in what's becoming a standard formulation. Likewise, this wasn't the Jeremiah Wright he knew. And these are guys he's known for 20 years.

Nonetheless, Steyn points out, the Obama phenomenon is as serious as a heart attack:

Every time I hear an Obama speech, I start to giggle. But millions of voters don't. And, if Chris Matthews and the tingly-legged media get their way and drag Obama across the finish line this November, the laugh will be on those of us who think that serious times demand grown-up rhetoric.

Well said, Mark, but be careful. If Obama wins, we probably will be importing Canadian-style human rights tribunals south of the border. Then you can join John Woo in the dock right here in the good old USA! But just like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, you'll have habeas corpus! (That is unless President Obama, the Democratic Congress and the Supreme Court join up to remove recourse to habeas corpus from human rights violators like you! For offending Moslems, they should lock you up and throw away the key!)