Contradictions

Have you noticed that Obie can't seem to make up his mind just what he is or what he thinks?

I think it's because he is two opposing and in some ways incompatible things:

1) An empty suit made up of Marxist platitudes, and the mindless ideological parroting of Alinskyisms

...and...

2) A Chicago Machine corrupt, overweening personal ambition, unattractive vanity, baseless arrogance and sense of entitlement.

These combined render him an indecisive ditherer, often inarticulate, and certainly insincere.

What his ideological half believes cannot be honestly expressed because it will doom his ambition. He halts, hesitates, weighs every word for its political effect...and appears increasingly spineless, vague and inconsistent.

He had the opportunity and the means to reform the Chicago Schools when he headed the Chicago Annenberg Challenge, with millions of dollars at his disposal. But his personal ambition short-circuited success. It was more important that he make friends with powerful people, and do their bidding for his own future advantage.

The schools suffered, taxpayers' money was frivolously spent to line the pockets of cronies...and the "ideal" of improving the lot of the children of the "poor" was sacrificed on the alter of his personal ambition.

His dealings with the ignoble Wright, the criminal terrorist Ayers, and others surely do not support any great ideals. But they certainly aided in the advancement of his career.

What the man says is often directly contradicted by his actions. And he dissembles when required to explain the discrepancies.

Obie is a man made up of the two worst faults of humans: blind ideology and blind ambition. The fact that they are often contradictory doesn't diminish the ugliness of either trait.

In my opinion, his ambition trumps his idealism. Should be become convinced that another ideology will guarantee him a quicker/higher rise to prominence, importance, fame and fortune, he will discard this one as willingly as he did "Rev" Wright and his friend, Bill Ayers.

The True Obie Slogan: "What's in it for me?"

The Gunslinger