Obama Comment Outrage Outrage

I typically don’t like writing about politics, and when I do, my intent is not to promote a candidate, party, or belief system.

We’re seeing news now about a comment that Obama made that triggered powerful attacks from Clinton and McCain.

What I find interesting is that they accuse him of being detached from the working man.

I watched a documentary a few weeks ago about Obama. Prior to seeing this, I didn’t know about how he got started in Chicago. He made about $10k per year working for a very poor black community. The documentary portrayed Obama as a very passionate guy who was willing to make a lot less than he could in order to help people.

When he got into politics, he do so to continue championing their cause (according to the documentary).

So when I see these attacks that he is detached from the working man and “elitist”, I can’t help but think these are just desperate attempts to criticize him.

Perhaps Obama’s camp should remind people of his story.

And when it comes to calling people out on comments, how about the joke that McCain told during Bill Clinton’s presidency that started with the line, “Why is Chelsey Clinton so ugly?”.  (I cite the Salon article because it is the first result Google returns for a search on that joke). After that, I’m not sure McCain (who I think is a good, decent guy) is so credible when it comes to calling others out.  And I am sure Hillary has had her share as well.

I don’t sense a lot of integrity behind the attacks, and I am sure we’re only going to see a lot more of this as the election approaches.

Chris O’Connor Demo Reel

This story is so extreme and bizarre that it is difficult to believe.

Born with rare afflictions, his disabilities held him back. As other children learned to talk, then read and write, Chris O’Connor was still not potty trained.

Despite the humiliation of showing up to school wearing diapers at the age of 9, Chris’ determination to be a “normal” child was so moving that it inspired an ABC After School Special. The show was one of the most successful After School Specials in history (though some critics have pointed out that this is because it was misinterpreted as a slap stick comedy by millions of viewers).

Ironically inspired by the television show that he inspired, Chris found the inner strength to battle his diseases. By the age of 15, he overcame the rare childhood afflictions to do what no one thought he could:

He learned to read.

Sure, he was a 15 year old struggling to read children’s books, but doctors predicted he would never be able to comprehend a written sentence.

Within a year, Chris learned to count to seven and was no longer wearing diapers.

By the age of 17, Chris was able to read short sentences from a teleprompter, and before long, his career in television took off.

Now just weeks away from 40, Chris is at the height of his career and created his first reel as he seeks to take himself to the big times.

{Chris O’Connor fondling pregnant woman during show. Chris was later sued for harassment.}

Chris has had a string of bad luck in his professional career. Some claim that he has been treated unfairly. The truth is that he’s not quite “normal” and others lack compassion and punish him for his “inappropriate” behavior.

Chris lacks the well-calibrated social filters expected in civilized adults. This is simply a function of his disabilities. He reacts before he thinks. This has resulted in several law suits (harassment, lewd behavior, assault). Below, Chris is interviewing a woman on a bed moments before grabbing her.

We should all be proud of the accomplishments of Chris O’Connor and that we live in a society so accepting of people with his disabilities that we can overlook them on television.

Now: enjoy Chris’ reel:

Chris O’Connor’s Reel from chris o'connor on Vimeo.