posted on September 27, 2010 09:11:41 PM new
This is from the religious used-to-be-"right" side of things; his father was a prominent evangelical theologian.
Obama Will Triumph -- So Will America
By Frank Schaeffer
Frank Schaeffer is a New York Times best selling author.
Before he'd served even one year President Obama lost the support of the easily distracted left and engendered the white hot rage of the hate-filled right. But some of us, from all walks of life and
ideological backgrounds -- including this white, straight, 57-year- old, former religious right wing agitator, now progressive writer and (given my background as the son of a famous evangelical leader)
this unlikely Obama supporter -- are sticking with our President.
Why?-- because he is succeeding.
We faithful Obama supporters still trust our initial impression of him as a great, good and uniquely qualified man to lead us.
Obama's steady supporters will be proved right. Obama's critics will be remembered as easily panicked and prematurely discouraged at best and shriveled hate mongers at worst.
The Context of the Obama Presidency
Not since the days of the rise of fascism in Europe , the Second World War and the Depression has any president faced more adversity. Not since the Civil War has any president led a more bitterly divided country. Not since the introduction of racial integration has any president faced a more consistently short- sighted and willfully ignorant opposition - from both the right
and left.
As the President's poll numbers have fallen so has his support from some on the left that were hailing him as a Messiah not long ago; all those lefty websites and commentators that were falling all over themselves on behalf of our first black president during the
2008 election.
The left's lack of faith has become a self-fulfilling "prophecy"-- snipe at the President and then watch the poll numbers fall and then pretend you didn't have anything to do with it!
Here is what Obama faced when he took office-- none of which was his fault:
# An ideologically divided country to the point that America was really two countries
# Two wars; one that was mishandled from the start, the other that was unnecessary and immoral
# The worst economic crisis since the depression
# America 's standing in the world at the lowest point in history
# A country that had been misled into accepting the use of torture of prisoners of war
# A health care system in free fall
# An educational system in free fall
# A global environmental crisis of history-altering proportions (about which the Bush administration and the Republicans had done
nothing)
# An impasse between culture warriors from the right and left
# A huge financial deficit inherited from the terminally
irresponsible Bush administration.
And those were only some of the problems sitting on the President's desk!
"Help" from the Right?
What did the Republicans and the religious right, libertarians and half-baked conspiracy theorists -- that is what the Republicans were reduced to by the time Obama took office -- do to "help" our new president (and our country) succeed? They claimed that he
wasn't a real American, didn't have an American birth certificate, wasn't born here, was secretly a Muslim, was white-hating "racist", was secretly a communist, was actually the Anti-Christ, (!) and was a reincarnation of Hitler and wanted "death panels" to kill the elderly!
They not-so-subtly called for his assassination through the not-so-subtle use of vile signs held at their rallies and even a bumper sticker quoting Psalm 109:8. They organized "tea parties" to sound off against imagined insults and all government in general and gathered to howl at the moon. They were led by insurance industry lobbyists and deranged (but well financed) "commentators" from Glenn Beck to Rush Limbaugh.
The utterly discredited Roman Catholic bishops teamed up with the utterly discredited evangelical leaders to denounce a president who was trying to actually do something about the poor, the
environment, to diminish the number of abortions through compassionate programs to help women and to care for the sick! And in Congress the Republican leadership only knew one word: "No!"
In other words the reactionary white, rube, uneducated, crazy American far right,combined with the educated but obtuse neoconservative war mongers, religious right shills for big business, libertarian Fed Reserve-hating gold bug, gun-loving
crazies, child-molesting acquiescent "bishops", frontier loons and evangelical gay-hating flakes found one thing to briefly unite them: their desire to stop an uppity black man from succeeding at all costs!
"Help" from the Left?
What did the left do to help their newly elected president? Some of them excoriated the President because they disagreed with the bad choices he was being forced to make regarding a war in Afghanistan
that he'd inherited from the worst president in modern history!
Others stood up and bravely proclaimed that the President's economic policies had "failed" before the President even instituted them! Others said that since all gay rights battles had not been fully won within virtually minutes of the President taking office,
they'd been "betrayed"! (Never mind that Obama's vocal support to the gay community is stronger than any other president's has been. Never mind that he signed a new hate crimes law!)
Those that had stood in transfixed legions weeping with beatific emotion on election night turned into an angry mob saying how "disappointed" they were that they'd not all immediately been translated to heaven the moment Obama stepped into the White House!
Where was the "change"? Contrary to their expectations they were still mere mortals!
And the legion of young new supporters was too busy texting to pay attention for longer than a nanosecond. "Governing"?! What the hell does that word, uh, like mean?"
The President's critics left and right all had one thing in common: impatience laced with little-to-no sense of history (let alone reality) thrown in for good measure. Then of course there were the white, snide know-it-all commentators/talking heads who just couldn't imagine that maybe, just maybe they weren't as smart as
they thought they were and certainly not as smart as their president. He hadn't consulted them, had he? So he must be wrong!
The Obama critics' ideological ideas defined their idea of reality rather than reality defining their ideas-say, about what is possible in one year in office after the hand that the President had been dealt by fate, or to be exact by the American idiot nation that voted Bush into office - twice!
Meanwhile back in the reality-based community - in just 12 short months -- President Obama:
#Continued to draw down the misbegotten war in Iraq
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Thoughtfully and decisively picked the best of several bad choices regarding the war in Afghanistan
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Gave a major precedent-setting speech supporting gay rights (But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Restored America 's image around the globe
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Banned torture of American prisoners
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Stopped the free fall of the American economy
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Put the USA squarely back in the bilateral international community
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Put the USA squarely into the middle of the international effort to halt global warming
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Stood up for educational reform
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Won a Nobel peace prize
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Moved the trial of terrorists back into the American judicial system of checks and balances
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Did what had to be done to start the slow, tortuous and almost impossible process of health care reform that 7 presidents had failed to even begin
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Responded to hatred from the right and left with measured good humor and patience
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Stopped the free fall of job losses
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Showed immense personal courage in the face of an armed and dangerous far right opposition that included the sort of disgusting people that show up at public meetings carrying loaded weapons and carrying Timothy McVeigh-inspired signs about the "blood of
tyrants" needing to "water the tree of liberty".
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
#Showed that he could not only make the tough military choices but explain and defend them brilliantly
(But that wasn't good enough for his critics)
Other than those "disappointing" accomplishments -- IN ONE YEAR -- President Obama "failed"! Other than that he didn't "live up to expectations"!
Who actually has failed...
...are the Americans that can't see the beginning of a miracle of national rebirth right under their jaded noses. Who failed are the smart ass ideologues of the left and right who began rooting for this President to fail so that they could be proved right in their dire and morbid predictions. Who failed are the movers and shakers
behind our obscenely dumb news cycles that have turned "news" into just more stupid entertainment for an entertainment-besotted infantile country.
Here's the good news: President Obama is succeeding without the help of his lefty "supporters" or hate-filled Republican detractors!
The Future Looks Good
After Obama has served two full terms, (and he will), after his wisdom in moving deliberately and cautiously with great subtlety on all fronts -- with a canny and calculating eye to the possible succeeds, (it will), after the economy is booming and new industries
are burgeoning, (they will be), after the doomsayers are all proved not just wrong but silly: let the record show that not all Americans were panicked into thinking the sky was falling.
Just because we didn't get everything we wanted in the first short and fraught year Obama was in office not all of us gave up. Some of us stayed the course. And we will be proved right.
PS. if you agree that Obama is shaping up to be a great president, please pass this on and hang in there! Pass it on anyway to ensure that his "report card" gets the attention it deserves.
posted on September 28, 2010 08:50:54 AM new
[i]Continued to draw down the misbegotten war in Iraq
Thoughtfully and decisively picked the best of several bad choices regarding the war in Afghanistan[/i]
Yeah, those 2 "unnecessary" wars are STILL going on.
Gave a major precedent-setting speech supporting gay rights
Gays already have the same rights as everybody else. So he gives a pro "special rights" speech as a happy dance for a support group. Snore.
Restored America 's image around the globe
No doubt about it. Every 3rd bit America hating hell hole on the planet loves him.
Banned torture of American prisoners
Yup, no more low-cut blouses and doggie leashes. Muslim food on the chow line. But like I explained to Helen in her "Where is the outrage" wailing: Americans can see "torture" on tv and the internet. They have a different definition of torture.
Stopped the free fall of the American economy
Obviously the ravings of a deranged imbecile. If everyone here followed my broker's advice I posted about buying gold and silver, you're up a couple hundred percent. Worse stuff is coming, press releases announcing the end of recession not withstanding.
Put the USA squarely back in the bilateral international community
Yeah, you simply redefine genocide, persecution, etc as "culture" and "understand" it. Like calling ketchup a veg.
Put the USA squarely into the middle of the international effort to halt global warming
With programs that mostly create more "warming" than they save on a theory that half the scientific community questions.
Stood up for educational reform[
He must be working on it, scores are dropping faster now.
Won a Nobel peace prize
As impressive as Paris Hilton giving Lindsey Lohan an Academy Award.
Moved the trial of terrorists back into the American judicial system of checks and balances
Yeah, maybe we can get an all Muslim jury to "understand" them, instead of being put against a wall and shot like in most countries.
Did what had to be done to start the slow, tortuous and almost impossible process of health care reform that 7 presidents had failed to even begin
And came up with an unworkable mishmash that will crush the people who work for a living. The average moron on the street has no idea what he's in for. When he finds out, you are going to see the fur fly and the left won't have to worry about an election in a LONG time.
Responded to hatred from the right and left with measured good humor and patience
He sure is a plucky dude. I'd like to have a beer with him, especially if it keeps him out of the office for a few hours.
[i]Stopped the free fall of job losses[i/]
Yeah, everybody exhausted their jobless benefits and are working again (at Burger King). Just ask any of your laid off friends.
Showed immense personal courage in the face of an armed and dangerous far right opposition that included the sort of disgusting people that show up at public meetings carrying loaded weapons and carrying Timothy McVeigh-inspired signs about the "blood of tyrants" needing to "water the tree of liberty".
He better buck up. I don't know about "disgusting", but the "disgusted" people are growing geometrically. Something tells me this is a guy who abhors "loaded weapons" but I'll bet has made contributions to the Black Panther's baby milk program. Just guessing.
Showed that he could not only make the tough military choices but explain and defend them brilliantly
Does this actually mean anything?? Did he endeavor to persevere too?
Haven't had this good of a chuckle in a long time.
posted on September 28, 2010 12:01:37 PM new
Being Canadian maybe I should not weigh in on this but.....
We travel a lot in the United States and I talk to everyone. We spent a month in the Spring of 2009 travelling and I asked many people just how they were doing. Almost everyone mentioned the housing crisis and foreclosures but they also said that they realise that not everything could be fixed quickly as the President inherited an awful mess.
The housing crisis has a lot to do with the very lax controls over the Financial Industry but don't get me going on that subject!
Fast forward to Spring 2010 when we spent another month travelling in the US and asked the same questions of many folks; Small store owners, people in Restaurants, a Land developer and a really good cross section of people from all walks of life.
A young lady in a Cafe in Oregon told us that she felt really good about the future, I asked what made her feel that way and she told me that two of her friends had been searching for jobs over the previous 6 months and now they both had good jobs. Her business was also picking up and she was happy.
Met a very nice man from Kentucky in Las Vegas, he was in town to buy property and move his wife and family. He was self-employed and said he was very optimistic.
Talked to another lady who had tears in her eyes talking about President Obama and said she felt more hopeful that she had in years.
I won't bore you with more but I honestly didn't hear one bad word about your President from the 'man on the street'.
I know that there are parts of your Country suffering badly but there always have been and probably always will be. I think every Country is the same as far as that is concerned.
I have always felt that it is a shame that Politicians can't just get together in a crisis and work together for the good of their Country but that never seems to happen in any Country in the World.
People working together can be a powerful thing.
I am sorry I butted into your discussion but thought you may like a different point of view and by the way.....many Canadians I talk to say that if you don't want President Obama then send him up here!
posted on September 28, 2010 12:29:55 PM new
The true answer to the question will arrive in November, at which time most posters here will wonder "what happened" and what "dirty tricks" were used against their candidates.
Per Gallup:
consumer perceptions of the economy remain at their 2010 low and far below those of a year ago, with Gallup's Economic Confidence Index at -33 over the first four weeks of September.
key indicators relating to the 2010 midterm congressional elections -- including the generic ballot for Congress, presidential job approval, and congressional job approval -- continue to suggest that the Republican Party will make significant seat gains on Election Day.
posted on September 28, 2010 01:11:10 PM new
Otteropp: Thanks for your input! I just don't know what to think about the US these days. Some researcher recently said the political lines really are drawn between the college grads and non-grads. I know that college certainly taught us to think and to reason, taught us how to identify propaganda, to see both sides, etc. I wonder if that research really reflects America today; I'd like to think it does, because with more and more people going to college, perhaps we'll produce a nation of thinkers.
Our friends feel as those you talked with feel--that we can be optimistic, that we can trust our president. Just never know how representative our social group is!
posted on September 28, 2010 02:55:18 PM new
The "division" is not between college grads, etc. Everybody I know is a college grad. But they are all doctors, financial people, lawyers, scientists, etc.
Perhaps the difference is the discipline. When you're an English major and finish your paper on Voltaire or whatever, you think it a nifty idea to figure what everyone is "entitled" to. There is no problem in this because you figure "rich people" can pay for it all. The problems are emotional and practical. Emotional in the fact that you determine how much of someone else's goods you deserve. The practical being there aren't enough "rich people" to pay for your schemes.
Emotionally it looks great when you think you can grab 50% when a Kennedy croaks. but reality is that the Hyannis compound is in no danger of shrinking and the Swiss will be doing more paperwork. The poor dumb bastards on family farms however, can't give Obama half, so they have to sell out to give him his cut.
A friend with a job at the gas utility (union guy with 30 years) mentions that he contributes 25% to his medical benefits. The company pays 75%. He pays $1000/mo. in 2011, this means his gross income goes up $36K a year. He must be one of those "rich people" they all talk about.
They are printing money at unprecedented levels. They are artificially controlling inflation and interest rates. It is going to collapse. Black marketing will increase as they scramble for more and more. Employers won't be able to afford the ever expanding increases and simply lay off workers or make them "sub contractors" who can't afford health care. But the "rich people" can carry them too.
posted on September 28, 2010 03:10:31 PM new
Yes, Bill, we have friends who own businesses, are realtors, etc. What most of them recognize is the awful mess Obama inherited from Bush. They're willing to give him credit for trying in the face of the NO party.
posted on September 28, 2010 07:35:50 PM new
Amazing in this day and age people use terms like "inherited from Bush", given that:
1) the collapse was predicted and warned about by Bush.
2) John McCain introduced a bill to prevent the bad loans that was defeated in committee by Barney Frank and his crew.
Not that Bush was particularly smart. Legions of people knew it was coming. I posted my prediction years ago here.
posted on September 28, 2010 07:59:56 PM new
Way back in 2006-2007 my Granddaughter who was 22 at the time was so excited about her job in retail. She had been made Manager of a Store (It's a Mall Chain Store for cheap fashion accessories).
I told her to get out of retail and get into the Health Care field which she had wanted to do but had put it on the back burner while she enjoyed her fun job with big bonuses.
She asked why her Mum & I were so concerned because pretty soon she would be a Regional Manager. I told her that I had lived a little longer than her and there was one thing I wanted her to remember.
"Whenever things are this good and people are happily buying everything in sight and Companies are scrambling to find employees then one of two things are going to happen, we are either going to have a Recession or a War and we are already in a war".
She listened and took her Medical training and is well employed at a Senior's Care Home and the Store she worked in is now closed and the Company has laid off many other workers as they have downsized. One day she said to me and my daughter...."So, when did you two get so smart?"
posted on September 28, 2010 08:42:28 PM new
People buying and companies producing is called an economy. When faced with situations where politicians attempt to curry favor with political supporters by pursuing unsound fiscal policies, it's always better to work for the government. When everything hits the fan and you suck trillions out of an economy overnight, stick with the guys with the cushy back door.
posted on October 1, 2010 11:14:19 AM new
Associated press identifies new swing group moving dramatically away from Democrats to Republicans in the next election:
Women
I guess they haven't heard how good the economy is.
