Regarding President Obama as a ‘Messiah’ Does Him No Favors: The Jakarta Post, Indonesia

Even in Indonesia, where the level of Obama-mania intensity rivals that of almost any other nation, a word of caution about expectations is creeping into the domestic debate.

In this examination from The Jakarta Post, Julia Suryakusuma joins the growing chorus of columnists around the world for people in their nations to get a grip and not expect miracles from President Obama. As she puts it:

“It’s not just a matter of the adulation of Obama, but the attribution of saint-like qualities and more. Some images depict him with halos or light radiating from his crown chakra. Some compare him to Jesus, others even deify him: ‘Obama is God.’

“I Googled ‘Obama messiah,’ and was amazed at what I found (try it yourself. Here’s one link that turned up: The Obama Messiah Blogspot ). It’s not just a matter of adulating Obama, it’s the attribution of saint-like qualities and more. Some images depict him with halos or light radiating from his crown chakra.”

As far as whether Obama should deliver his much-anticipated keynote address to Muslims in Indonesia, Suryakusuma again attempts to douse the over-the-top enthusiasm of her fellow Indonesians:

“And as for Obama paying more attention to us, it’s wishful thinking to expect him to suddenly alter American foreign policy just because he has childhood connections with Indonesia. The Middle East requires more urgent attention than Indonesia. So does Cairo, for example. This is a U.S. ally and traditional center for Islamic culture that would make more sense as a venue for a keynote address to Muslims. The truth is that Obama isn’t a messiah, he is a politician. And politics, as Bismarck said, is just the “art of the possible.”

By Julia Suryakusuma

January 28, 2009

Indonesia – The Jakarta Post – Home Page (English)

On the day Barack Obama was sworn in as president of the United States, a Jakarta radio station asked me to take part in a talk show entitled Obama as Messiah. The topic didn’t surprise me: Many people in the U.S. and around the world have incredible expectations of this man, almost as if he is, yes, a messiah.

What is the definition of “messiah?”

“One who is anticipated as, regarded as, or professes to be, a savior or liberator.” With the world in the state it’s in, it is understandable that people yearn for a rescuer, a “knight in shining armor,” who will repair the disaster around us and save u

s all.

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