Barack Obama - Doubting Thomas

In December of 2007 I wrote up this blog, Barack & Clarence's Memoirs A Stark Contrast. A feathered liberal poster, flyerhawk, pointed out the contrast in the memoirs is because Barack wrote his at the age of 31 and Clarence wrote his at 59. So I accept this explanation, and don't think about it anymore until Barack tells Pastor Rick he would never have nominated Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court.

This got me to thinking that not only is there a stark contrast between Barack and Clarence due to age there is also a stark contrast due to accomplishments. What has Barack Obama got to show for accomplishments? Clarence Thomas has 16 years of accomplishment as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court.

Kathryn Lopez has written an excellent piece over at National Review, Doubting Thomas. I recommend reading it in its entirety. I would like to point out one excellent point that she made.

Did Obama disagree with Justice Thomas on the recent cross-burning case, Virginia v. Black? Obama’s favorite justice, Justice Ginsburg, wrote that cross-burning bans are constitutionally suspect. Justice Thomas disagreed and wrote a passionate dissent. During oral arguments he said: “There’s no other purpose to the cross, no communication, no particular message. . . . [It] was intended to cause fear and to terrorize a population.” Does Obama take issue with the impassioned Thomas dissent?

In his memoir, My Grandfather’s Son, Clarence Thomas wrote: “I knew that in Washington, what matters is not what you do but what people can be made to think you’ve done.” Barack Obama is at least experienced enough to know that.

I wholeheartedly agree with this point Clarence Thomas wrote in his memoirs. There are many who have correctly pointed to the stark contrast between how Barack Obama and John McCain answered the same questions from Pastor Rick about when are you a person and is their evil. In addition to this I think Barack did damage to himself within the African-American community by singling out Clarence Thomas as his least favorite Supreme Court Justice he would not have nominated. I believe Clarence Thomas has more support in the African American community on his position on cross-burnings than Ruth Ginzburg.