1. It is becoming altogether too fashionable to label opposition to President Obama as racist, or being tied to race somehow. I have opined on this subject before, but it is really grating on me. The President's supporters are out there on the airwaves making statements about the opposition on the Right (which, I might add, is not where I come from . . . us Independents guard our independence with a vengeance) stoking the flames of racism, purposely trying to undercut The Great One. Even possibly trying to hurt The Sacred Voice by instigating others to violence.
This is nonsense. People are pissed. The country is in poor shape fiscally. Record Trillion Dollar deficits. There is historic unemployment (IL 10.5%, CA 12%, MI 14%). Millions of families are losing their homes to foreclosure. Our Nation is spending money like madmen. In the midst of this chaos, our President, and Congress, are proposing ANOTHER Trillion Dollar spending program. And, the pissed off public is venting on its Government - as is our right.
Obama made this Administration all about him. He said he was going to ride into town and save the day. His new approach would bridge the gaps (bring Red and Blue states together, blah, blah, blah). We need a new way forward. Gotta have hope. Obama has "uncommon wisdom" (I didn't make that term up . . . one of my friends . . . and a reader of this blog . . . has used that term). So now that the President has made it all about him, he is living with the consequences. And, one of the consequences is that people are venting on him.
Yes, there are racists in our midst and, sadly, I am afraid, there will always be. Such is the human condition that some will always want to make themselves feel better by looking down on others. But, that should not de-legitimize political discourse. We can't take a whole wedge of the population and say to them that they need to quiet down because they are riling up our crazy uncle in the attic.
Sorry, this is bugging me. On to the next thing . . .
2. President Obama Lobbying for Chicago 2016. If this isn't the political marker of all political markers being called in, I don't know what is. Daley made Obama and now, Daley needs to be paid back. With a little trip to Copenhagen. While Rome burns, Obama fiddles. He will be the first (and hopefully last) sitting U.S. President to personally lobby the Olympic Committee for a U.S. venue. Kind of humiliating for us, and for him, don't you think? Maybe he can sell Sham-wows next. Rumor has it they are looking for a new pitchman.
3. Why Chicago is so Luke-Warm on the Olympics. Honestly, I have no opinion about whether the Olympics will be good or bad for Chicago, but I do have an opinion about who will end up paying for them. And the answer is sitting right here in front of this PC . . . Illinois Taxpayers. I've seen enough of Illinois and Chicago politics to know that. And, at the end of the day, that's why there is so little support for the Olympics (47% in recent poll).
We know in our guts that this is going to cost us. Big time.
Plus, there is the sense that more important things are going on in Chicago. Like the horrifying beating death of a Chicago high school student this week. Or the number of kids killed in Chicago this year. Or the high unemployment. Or, or, or . . . we've got more pressing matters to worry about than whether some real estate developers are going to get the chance to line their pockets . . . at our expense.
And, sadly . . . we know it will come to pass. And we will pay.
4. Remember Who Your Friends Are. This Administration is striving to love and be loved, by everyone. Maybe President Obama spent too much time watching "Everyone Loves Raymond" and thinks that everyone should love Barack. The reality is that not everyone is going to love Barack, or the U.S.A. Some people actively hate us, and others pursue their own self interest, sometimes at our expense. That's not going to change. Let's not forget who our friends are in the process of trying to be loved by everyone.
Okay, I'll connect the dots on this subject. We are trying to win over the Russians (a dying country if there ever was one) by tossing overboard the Poles and the Czechs (see Missile Defense issue). We are trying to win over the hearts and minds of the Arab Street (whatever that is) by pressuring the Israelis to give concessions to leaders who don't have the legitimacy or power to deliver a peace deal. We are trying to bring Hugo Chavez in from the cold by dialing back on our relations with our close allies in Columbia. All these efforts will yield no lasting benefits for this country. We are being played like a fiddle. And, in the process, our friends are being taught a lesson; don't get too close to the U.S.A. because the next Administration may take a different path, and you'll get burned.
Not good for us, in the long run. Barack may enjoy being welcomed the World over, but at the end of the day, he is hurting our country's credibility on the World Stage.
Woldy
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I used to think the Olympics were a good idea, but have come to the realization of not only who will pay for it, but will will result (read a decade more of Daley). Here's proof of who will pay:
ReplyDeletehttp://chicago2016supporters.wordpress.com/2009/08/05/city-creating-tif-to-draw-100-million-to-transform-hospital-into-olympic-village/
First, anyone who insinuates that you're a racist if you protest Obama's policies is an idiot. That said, Fox News does nothing but lie about Obama and feeds into the "otherizing" of him. Folks that refer to him as "BHO", the Birthers who think he should do something no other president has been asked to do, morons who brings guns to presidential rallies, Fatboy Rush, Hannity, Beck and the like are race bating and trying to "otherize" or delegitimize a President that fairly won 53% of the vote. That is racist and the "chatter" is dangerous.
ReplyDeleteOthers who oppose Obamacare like Hatch and most Republicans will not vote to support healthcare reform no matter what. You can see them on Hardball saying they want to limit funding for abortion, no public option and tort reform and then when asked if they'd vote for that still say No. This is all politics. They realize, they, the regional white southern part, that if Obama passes real reform, gets insurance for the 47 million uninsured and it works and people like it, that the Dems will largely control DC for a generation. That's what this HC debate is really all about.
As for the Trillion, did Republicans ask how much the Iraq misadventure would cost? A Trillion and counting. Did they ask how much Medicare Part D would cost-500 billion and counting. No. Fiscal discipline is not the strong suit of any politician, D or R. At least Obama has all the cost of the wars in the budget, unlike Bush. This healthcare debate should be about values. We spend more than any rich country on HC and we have a broken system for far too many Americans while insurance companies who are mere processor make record profits. Not my values. Folks don't think HC is a right, well it is a public cost. We all live with the cost so real reform is needed. Sad thing is what Obama is proposing is 85% the same, not that dramatic, and not the real fix, but America is not progressive enough to handle that---same with real energy policy. It's too bad, because we can do much better.
As for the Olympics, Obama will be gone 24 hours. Did folks get upset when Bush attended the Olympics for 4 days or spent literally one fourth of his presidency on vacation in Crawford? Since the IOC cannot be bought any more as in the past, all heads of state have to attend the sucking up if they want the Olympics. Tony Blair did it. Putin did it, and the leaders of the other candidate countries are doing it now. That, now, is the standard.
Whether we should want the Olympics is another matter.
I don't agree with everything Obama is doing and I disagree on your foreign policy assessment, but I still contend he has uncommon wisdom. He's largely driven by reason, not fear, and realizes we live in a complex gray world. Such an improvement from the last 8 years.
I, myself, would propose that folks who elected W (which is the 2004 election because he stole the 2000 election) really should pay an extra "fools tax" and apologize to the rest of us for making us pay for his incompetence and profligate spending. (Sorry, had to give you a bit of a jab there).
The comment and the above piece had different authors, correct?
ReplyDeleteSecondly, it is a mistake to measure Obama's presidency as a success or failure by whether it is better or worse than Bush's. If Bush is a 3 on a 1 to 10 and Obama is a 2 or a 4 that makes them both bad.
The 2000 election thing? Really? Still? Time to move on.
FROM THE LOOCH (as was the last one that says from Jim Woldenberg):
ReplyDeleteOne more thing. There is real anger out there and there should be. But Obama inherited all this remember. Two wars, huge debt and deficit, bank and auto bail outs, K street corruption, etc...
It's a bit disingenuous for folks to claim there's government overreach by Obama given the facts. Where he's expanding government is necessary (e.g., HC reform, finance reform, and energy reform) and yes it will cost money. Compared to Bush's doubling the debt, blowing out the deficit on misguided wars and unnecessary tax cuts for the top 2% of earners, Obama is making much needed investments.
This one is from WOLDY to LOOCH:
ReplyDeleteWhat can I say? We are on different parts of the political spectrum on these subjects. While I agree with much of your political analysis, and think it is right on with respect to why R's are so concerned about HC, I can't say that I agree that race is a major factor in that. I think it is politicians doing what politicians do.
As far as the talking heads, we are in alignment. They are out for ratings and will say what they can to get headlines and get people to tune in. The reality is that they are part of the political discourse, and we need to treat them seriously. Too bad, because they are entertainers and nothing more.
Regarding the lines of logic on what is "fair" and what our country stands for, those things mean different things to different people. For you to suggest that your version of fair and American values is somehow the "true" patriotism is just as bad as the other side saying it, in my humble view. Neither the Left nor the Right seems to understand that the other side has legitimate political views and legitimate ideas about what this country stands for. Because they disagree about those things, both sides think the other is not legitimate. I agree that that is dangerous. Where I disagree is that I believe it occurs just as frequently on the Left as on the Right. The Left did it to Bush and his Administration (and continues to do so now that they are in power, which, I might add, poses a very real long term threat to our very Democracy and the taken-for-granted smooth transfer of power from one side to the other that we enjoy in this country - another topic, but one I am very concerned about). And, now the Right is doing it to Obama. This is a dangerous path, indeed. When we stop listening to each other, and we start to de-legitimize political discourse, we are entering dangerous waters as a country. Unprecedented waters. That can lead to very bad outcomes for all of us. This is very much on my mind.
Part of this, honestly, in my view, is the holding up of Barack Obama to be something other than that which he is. He is a politician first and foremost. Yes, he is smart. Yes, he is earnest. Yes, he has good intentions. But, no, he's not the second coming of the savior. No, he does not posess some secret well of wisdom (was it that wisdom that led to his knee-jerk reaction to call that policeman in Cambridge "stupid"?) Yes, the man can deliver a speech. He's really good at that. But, he is a man, just like you and me. And he has strengths and weaknesses, like most human beings. To hold him out as some sort of messiah is a mistake. Many of his supporters do that and I think it is not wise. Puts too much pressure on him, raises expectations to unrealistic levels, and invites opposition. Encourages opposition. Also makes it all about him. That is the biggest problem. It isn't all about Barack. Sorry to say. This isn't a debate society. It is the real World and it won't bend to Barack's will or switch directions after hearing one of his speeches. More on this later . . .
I agree with you that people that voted for Bush should pay a fools tax. That's what we are paying now . . . and will continue to pay, but you may need to rename it in a few years . . .
Woldy