America – He’s Your President for Goodness Sake!

[CarlV]

Good op-ed

There was a time not so long ago when Americans, regardless of their political stripes, rallied round their president. Once elected, the man who won the White House was no longer viewed as a republican or democrat, but the President of the United States. The oath of office was taken, the wagons were circled around the country’s borders and it was America versus the rest of the world with the president of all the people at the helm.

Suddenly President Barack Obama, with the potential to become an exceptional president has become the glaring exception to that unwritten, patriotic rule.

Four days before President Obama’s inauguration, before he officially took charge of the American government, Rush Limbaugh boasted publicly that he hoped the president would fail. Of course, when the president fails the country flounders. Wishing harm upon your country in order to further your own narrow political views is selfish, sinister and a tad treasonous as well.
.................................................. .......................

Last spring, President Obama took his wife Michelle to see a play in New York City and republicans attacked him over the cost of security for the excursion. The president can’t take his wife out to dinner and a show without being scrutinized by the political opposition? As history has proven, a president in a theatre without adequate security is a tragically bad idea.

Remember: “Apart from that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?”

At some point, the treatment of President Obama went from offensive to ugly and then to downright dangerous.

The health-care debate, which looked more like extreme fighting in a mud pit than a national dialogue, revealed a very vulgar side of America. President Obama’s face appeared on protest signs white-faced and blood-mouthed in a satanic clown image. In other tasteless portrayals, people who disagreed with his position distorted his face to look like Hitler complete with mustache and swastika.

Odd, that burning the flag makes Americans crazy, but depicting the president as a clown and a maniacal fascist is accepted as part of the new rude America.

Maligning the image of the leader of the free world is one thing, putting the president’s life in peril is quite another. More than once, men with guns were videotaped at the health-care rallies where the president spoke. Again, history shows that letting men with guns get within range of a president has not served America well in the past.

And still the “birthers” are out there claiming Barack Obama was not born in the United States, although public documentation proves otherwise. Hawaii is definitely part of the United States, but the Panama Canal Zone where his electoral opponent Senator John McCain was born? Nobody’s sure.

Last month, a 44-year-old woman in Buffalo was quite taken by President Obama when she met him in a chicken wing restaurant called Duff’s. Did she say something about a pleasure and an honour to meet the man or utter encouraging words for the difficult job he is doing? No. Quote: “You’re a hottie with a smokin’ little body.”

Lady, that was the President of the United States you were addressing, not one of the Jonas Brothers! He’s your president for goodness sakes, not the guy driving the Zamboni at “Monster Trucks On Ice.” Maybe next it’ll be, “Take Your President To A Topless Bar Day.”

The whole thing



Carl

[donquixote99]

That's some Canadian's view. So of course it's rational, and benefits from being able to take it all in from a vantage point, rather than being in the midst of the shitstorm. But no red blooded American is going to like criticism from a foreigner....

[hillbilly]

Not when he goes against the will of the people left and right alike. Gosh, I've heard more black people ranting about him lately than whites used to. That tells me that he's become few peoples hero and it really isn't about race.

[donquixote99]

He's been president for six years. At this point you're either a hero, or the goat for anyone who's unhappy about anything.

'Against the will of the people' sounds substantive, until you remember that the 'will of the people' is shifting, tricky to measure, and pretty much can be whatever the critic wants to claim it is.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by donquixote99

He's been president for six years. At this point you're either a hero, or the goat for anyone who's unhappy about anything.

'Against the will of the people' sounds substantive, until you remember that the 'will of the people' is shifting, tricky to measure, and pretty much can be whatever the critic wants to claim it is.

Actually, it was measured in 2008 and again in 2012.

[bobabode]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Actually, it was measured in 2008 and again in 2012.

Ayup, by a healthy margin.

[mpholland]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Actually, it was measured in 2008 and again in 2012.

That would be the will of the people that voted. I sometimes wonder what the will of the people would be if everyone voted. This is nothing against Obama, just a curiosity. We have polls guessing the demographics of non-voters, but I think that the majority of people who don't vote are neither Democrat nor Republican and really have to wonder how some elections might turn out if so many people didn't feel their vote didn't count. American apathy has always baffled me. Are people really so busy that they can't take the time to care about what goes on in their own country?

[hillbilly]

Originally Posted by mpholland

That would be the will of the people that voted. I sometimes wonder what the will of the people would be if everyone voted. This is nothing against Obama, just a curiosity. We have polls guessing the demographics of non-voters, but I think that the majority of people who don't vote are neither Democrat nor Republican and really have to wonder how some elections might turn out if so many people didn't feel their vote didn't count. American apathy has always baffled me. Are people really so busy that they can't take the time to care about what goes on in their own country?

Part is some feel their vote doesn't count, and some have told me they just plain won't vote again because they feel the system is broken on both sides.

[bobabode]

I suspect that having the day of the vote a national holiday would increase voter turnout.

[mpholland]

Originally Posted by bobabode

I suspect that having the day of the vote a national holiday would increase voter turnout.

Maybe, maybe not. I have a hard time believing that not being able to get to the polls is a valid excuse. We don't even have polling places here. Everything is vote by mail and the closest you can get to a polling place is a ballot drop box if you waited until the last minute and don't have time to mail it in.