If you met me yesterday or have known me for my entire three years at Biola, then I would hope you have some picture in your mind of how much I am a fan of American politics. With this year being a presidential election year, there are many news articles on the candidates. Reporters touch on broad ranges of the candidates’ lives, from religion, family, education and even political views!

The Democratic National Convention was just a of couple weeks ago, and the senator from my home state of Illinois, Barack Obama, made American history by just standing and talking at the podium. Although Obama is a great orator — something the White House has been missing for at least eight years — I think many people have become distracted by his rhetoric and forget to analyze what is, exactly, the message that he wants to get across.

At the DNC he criticized his opponent, Arizona Sen. John McCain, by saying that the “discredited Republican philosophy” is: “Out of work? Tough luck, you’re on your own. No health care? The market will fix it. You’re on your own. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, even if you don’t have boots.”

But does Obama really think this idea is “discredited?” I appeal to you that Obama himself is one who believes that people should pull themselves up by their own “bootstraps.”

I came across one article that was released the week prior to Obama’s speech at the DNC, dealing with his half-brother, George. George, who is 26, lives just outside of Nairobi, Kenya. The article regarding his situation was published by the Italian branch of “Vanity Fair.” Stefano Esposito of the Chicago Sun-Times reported the findings of the magazine.

“George Obama says he leads a hard life in a community rife with violence,” Esposito reported. “He talks of people being hacked to death with machetes. He says the police don’t bother to arrest people — they just shoot them instead.” According to the article, the senator’s half-brother lives on less than one dollar per month (although this has been contested by CNN).

Whether or not that information is correct, it is clear that George does not live what we Americans would call a “comfortable life.” He lives in a shack “which contains — among other things — two Italian soccer posters, an old beach-scene calendar and the front page of a local newspaper with a photograph of Barack Obama on it.”

Now, I am no expert in anthropology, but I’ll go out on a limb here and say that George could live a safer, more upscale life with his brother’s help. The Obamas of Illinois are multi-millionaires, so I am positive they can afford to give some money away. I’m not saying I believe the government should raise the Obamas’ taxes merely because they can afford it (Democrats support the progressive tax. See: socialism/redistribution of wealth/communism.), but allow the Obamas to do what they will with their own money (the latter being what Republicans purport).

Reader, what makes you think that Barack Obama really cares for the American people when he isn’t making an effective effort to bring change to his brother’s life? (Given, the Obama campaign has yet to comment on the Vanity Fair article.) I understand that Obama may not practice what he preaches (as an ad hominem does not challenge the validity of what Obama says), but can he achieve what he says?

It seems as if Obama doesn’t even want to take that route because from my position it looks like Barack is telling George, “Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, even if you don’t have boots.”

Some “discredited philosophy” those Republicans have.

You can be more helpful than Barack by visiting www.helpgeorgeobama.org