Get the Republicans and assorted fellow travellers on the irrelevant right whining and moaning, and you’ll probably find me very happy. After all, I find it very hard to take Republicans seriously about anything these days—that’s how stupid they’ve become.
But when they start attacking President Obama because he made picks on America’s NCAA university basketball finals, or because he appeared on Jay Leno’s show or—gods forbid!—he allowed the White House fountain to be dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day, well that only makes me like the president all the more.
Reality check: Most adults can, to at least some degree, multi-task. Maybe the Republicans don’t understand what that means, or how to do it, but it means dealing all at once with all the problems and failures Bush-Cheney and the Republicans stuck us with. Maybe Republicans just need to leave things to the grown-ups.
All kidding aside, I definitely do support the Obama Administration. Considering how intellectually and morally bankrupt Republicans are, that’s easy, of course. Will I support everything that Obama or the Democratic-led Congress do? Of course not. But as I’ve said before, their worst day will be better than the best day under the rule of the defeated crowd. And I hope to see more of that in pop culture.
6 comments:
I didn't like this post.
It lost your usual flair for careful criticism and just became a "Gosh, I really think our opponents are stupid, silly children" flame.
I still haven't been able to figure out whether Obama will be the next Lincoln or the next Carter... While I hope for the Former, I fear for the latter, and know that if the latter occurs liberals will lose credibility/influence for at least 12 years and I just don't want to put out lots of "Hurr, Republicans are dumb!" type energy into the world either way.
I've never claimed to be unbiased. I put my affiliations in my profile so readers can judge for themselves whether what I'm saying is fair or not.
The sentiments I expressed in this post—with tongue firmly in cheek—I've said before in other contexts, though perhaps less obviously. What's new is that my tolerance cup is overflowing, and I can no longer treat stupidity as just a different opinion: If someone or some party is acting stupidly, I'll say so, and the Republicans, in my view are acting stupidly. This is why I said "that's how stupid they've become"—I was talking about their stupid behaviour.
The recent behaviour of the party has been immature and childish, which is why I jokingly said they should leave things to the grown-ups. I wouldn't have said that if they'd been acting like responsible adults.
As for Obama, my bet is that when he leaves office in 2016, his presidency will be somewhere between the two examples you cited—as, indeed, most presidencies are. But it's way too early in the game to fear Obama won't succeed.
However, liberals aren't held in high regard now as it is, thanks to three decades of Republican propaganda. Also, Obama is hardly a liberal in any meaningful sense; instead he's clearly a centrist who doesn't go far enough for liberals but goes too far for conservatives, which is one indicator that he's got the balance nearly right: The centre is, overall, where most voters are, regardless of what label they use to describe themselves.
However, if the Democratic Congress—which is also not liberal, despite the presence of a few clearly liberal Democrats—succeeds, it could mean that liberals can return to a place at the table again. If they fail, conservatives will be able to again define the terms of debate and keep liberals isolated.
So, while I agree with you that what happens will determine whether liberals have credibility or influence, I say it's how successful Congress is that will determine that, not this presidency.
And neither will my calling behavior of Republicans "stupid" have any affect either way, not when that's the most accurate word.
My problem is not so much that you think republicans are acting like children.
It's that your post equated to "neener neener".
I can live with that. In this case, it wasn't unintended. Every once in a awhile it's good to let the Snarky Beast out to have a good snuffle around. Keeps it away from other efforts that possess more redeeming qualities.
Well, MAYBE it's snarky, but compared with the GOP which let it be known that that opposing the war/ Gitmo/USA PATRIOT Act, et al., a little "neerer neerer" is small potatoes Or as the WV says, minfulfl.
did anyone see the online "town hall debate".
i'm british, so have no idea what was meant by THD, but enjoyed the event anyway.
i liked the post - political analysis and action is very important, but i think in the past few years the bush and blair administrations have made some huge mistakes, causing much suffering and quite frankly, they deserve 95% of the scorn that's thrown at them.
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