My mother just sent me this Canadian article in an email and after reading it I felt compelled to find the source. Give it a read. It is enlightening in how some outside of our country see our politics.
It really gave me pause because his sentiments are mine exactly. I have heard so many articulate this special hate for our president but he said it best. He noted most importantly that we use to rally around the President after elected irrespective of party. We definitely rallied around Kennedy, Reagan, Daddy Bush, and for a time Baby Bush. Let us hope after this election we can again.
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America – He’s Your President for Goodness Sake!
By William Thomas
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.
Subsequently, during his State of the Union address, which is pretty much a pep rally for America, an unknown congressional representative from South Carolina, later identified as Joe Wilson, stopped the show when he called the President of the United States a liar. The president showed great restraint in ignoring this unprecedented insult and carried on with his speech. Speaker Nancy Pelosi was so stunned by the slur, she forgot to jump to her feet while clapping wildly, 30 or 40 times after that.
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.
President Obama – Political Commentary – Humor – Senior Living Magazine
Danny: if America wasn’t always sticking its nose in the business of other countries, you would have a point. It often takes a person standing on the outside to see what’s right in front of our face.
Much of the problem – no, all of it – is money. Many people can’t discern when they’re being spun by the media, and the media uses the most effective tools it has to get a result for those who have bought it: scandal, sensationalism, fear and insult.
Besides not being sophisticated media consumers, we are encouraged to think of politics as a team sport, picking sides, which is all wrong.
But yes, money is the issue. Removing money from the political system would bring sane, qualified people back into leadership positions. There would be no more money for sending reporters through peoples’ garbage, photographers harassing their children or radio personalities to belittle and defame on non-existent evidence.
(On a side note, I wish some Americans would realize that we promote freedom of speech around the world. It’d be nice if we didn’t tell other people to shut up. If you can’t take criticism, then democracy isn’t for you.)
Yay, CCK!!! I like your style! We can point fingers, blame, accuse, name call, and sling mud until the cow comes home. None of it will do anything except polarize people even more! Let’s get past the “us versus them” mentality and move forward!
No, what’d be nice is if people realized that “shut up” has nothing to do with freedom of speech. I have a right to tell people to shut their stupid pie-inhaling word-holes if I choose. Ignorance of what freedom is is a blight on society.
“Congress shall make no law”. Learn what that phrase is and what it means before you comment again.
A president should always take the concerns of his country and whats best for it as a whole not just the top 2 % who fund his every whim and keep him in office for their own personal agenda, this has not been the case in the last 4 years , our governments spending has multiplied by a factor that we the working people can no longer support while the top 2% are seemingly unaffected , When the majority of this countries population namely the working people who seem to bear the brunt of the burden that is our governments uncontrolled tax and spend philosiphy are given a president that works for US we will rally around him. Additionally as of late namely in the last 4 years the presidency of this country has been bought and paid for by the Elite and serves no one other than the Elite top 2% , fuel prices and inflaation are rampant old people and people on fixed incomes are going without vital basic necessities, what used to be the middle class is now reduced to sub poverty, and yet our bought and paid for president comes up with a 3 to 400 dollar a month mandatory medical band aid Obamacareless plan to further impoverish the already poor families who are going without as a result of uncontrolled inflation or face a $2000 tax forfeiture. Who do we as a country have to rally around ? he’s been putting the boots to the people who are the backbone of this country to cater to the top 2% who fund his ambitions
Wow…!!! I thought you were writing about George W. Bush. If you remove the “last 4 years” reference and replace with ‘first 8 years of the new millenium’, you would have a strong case for something…
A segment of the American population does this with every president, depending on their alliances. Obama hasn’t gotten it any worse than Bush (Baby Bush?..please) If you are a Red Sox fan, you vote that way….Yankees fan, you vote that way, etc. It’s Red or Blue, Crip or Blood, Black or White. Respect for the office goes both ways for both parties. They are all about big money, despite what they advertise.
President Obama is a victim of his own mistake. once a president was electeed american people stood united regarless of political afiliations. Obama has created such socio-economic divisions and hatred that for a second one cant help but to feel like he has brought that upon himself.
[citation needed]
Dear Jules, that’s a load of crap and you know it. From day one, the opposition made it absolutely clear they were out to spoil his presidency and prevent his re-election. My God, they said it out loud on global news outlets…..and now they want everyone to somehow forget what and who these traitors were? A plan to ruin the US economy any way they could in order to win the next election….The Party of NO, The Republicans, their mouthpieces and Teapartyers and apparently you, as well believe the entire US citizenry has short attention span issues. Jules than would be you who has the short attention span.
…and does anyone remember how badly the Republicans treated Bill Clinton from even before he was sworn in the first time? Do you remember the ongoing harassment both Bill and Hillary suffered throughout Bill’s 8 years. Do you remember White Water hearings and how nothing bad was ever found? Do you remember Bill being impeached for lying about not having had an affair? Impeached for CYA on a blow job!
Sometimes Americans are ugly….and these past four years have shown it big time. I am ashamed of our leaders in both houses of our government. Not to support a President before he has even taken his first day in office is well….treasonist! Grow up America! We lived through Bush ….and others. I support Our President and hope to see him lead us for another four years. We have the privilege of the vote….make your choice and live with it respectively.
Elton, let me direct you to a cast of clowns known as the US Congress. They have blocked Obama’s Jobs Bill which would have put working class people back to work. They made the stimulus smaller. I know a lot of people who got jobs because of the stimulus but it wasn’t big enough or targetted in the right areas. And Congress has even blocked a jobs bill for returning vets! So much for “the troops”–who, by the way, Romney refused to even mention in his speech and when asked about it, doubled down!
And guess what–Obamacare helps working people. The fee is based on income so if you have low income, guess what, you get a voucher to help you pay. If you have no income, you have enhanced Medicaid accessibility, unless you live in Florida under Rick Scott. Maybe move to Georgia. You can be broke anywhere, ya know? The only people paying fees will be those that can afford to pay and refuse to. Not working people. Working people will be getting access to better healthcare than they had before. Your little children will not have to live in fear of a “pre-existing condition” or a $3000 bill for an MRI when they break a leg at sports practice. Okay? And we have the vision of our leader who took an enormous chance on us to thank for it.
Have you read the ENTIRE Obamacare pkg?? I bet not. It’s not as awesome as you make it sound. How about the fact that if you’re over the age of 70, and you get cancer, you’ll get NO treatment for it? I don’t know about you, but I DO NOT want the government to tell me that oh you’re 70, you’ve got cancer, you get to die now. REALLY???? There are TONS of things wrong w/Obamacare will be cutting Medicare by $716 BILLION! Oh and starting this month, IF a senior citizen is ill and discharged to a ltc and they become ill again in less than 30 days, the Hospital that they are sent to, will not be paid or will be penalized because they didn’t “cure” the person in the first place. Trust me this is true as I’m a nurse. It is also now estimated that 6 MILLION ppl will be penalized for not getting insurance and will be taxed, yes TAXED $1200 per year, which means an additional $100 a month in taxes. Gee that really makes me wanna run out and get insurance! NOT! I’m currently unemployed, can’t buy a job if I tried where I live. And because I can’t afford to purchase insurance, I’ll be taxed???? Gee that sounds fair. NOT! IF you don’t qualify for assistance you won’t be able to qualify for the free healthcare. Trust me, I’m on unemployment and they tell me I don’t qualify for assistance. Really??? Hmmmm then why am I going hungry several days a month? Why did I have to move from a nice apt to a crappy one. I’ve placed over 60 applications/resumes and not one bite. I’ve even applied at non healthcare related businesses. But I digress. And finally, if Obamacare is SO wonderful, WHY did Congress opt out of it for themselves???? Just something EVERY American should ask themselves.
At age 70 no care for cancer? This proves YOU did not read it. I read it all and have it posted at my website. You should try reading it instead of absorbing the Right Wing lies that continue to be pushed to the low information citizens.
An American that agrees with W.T. 100% What happened to respect for the office?
one can not respect something when that something doesnt respect it too..
the office PRESIDENT HAS BEEN SKEWERED BY REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS…SO ONE GETS WHAT ONE LIVES….as to the comments on rush limbaugh..this author does the same ..spins ,,spins..limbaugh didnt say..he hoped the obama failed…he said..HE HOPED HIS SOCILIST POLICYS FAILED..so mr candian ,your doing the samething spin merchants do…
so get it right..
now you can see why mr limbaugh wished failure..??its happened..
NOW OUR ENEMYS DONT RESPECT THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT..
AND THOSE THAT KEEP HARPING ON MR. OBAMA S COLOR ARE RACISTS..
SO GET OVER IT…HE S BLACK ..SO WHAT..??WHO CARES..HE S A DUD..
GOD HELP US..PLEASE NO MO DUDS …p.s..dont see any relief coming from repubs or demo clowns…no one respects congress either…why should we??jp