Dear Andrew Sullivan: Why Focus on Obama's Dumbest Critics?

The Atlantic ^ | 1/17/2012 | Conor Friedersdorf

[Beave Meister]

After reading Andrew Sullivan's Newsweek essay about President Obama, his critics, and his re-election bid, I implore him to ponder just one question. How would you have reacted in 2008 if any Republican ran promising to do the following?

[Beave Meister]

Interesting piece.

[SaraJohnson]

We had a research thread on Obama’s failed policies and here is a list of legal/constitutional Executive Office transgressions Obama has visited on our Nation and people. From the author of this Atlantic article:

(1) Codify indefinite detention into law; (2) draw up a secret kill list of people, including American citizens, to assassinate without due process; (3) proceed with warrantless spying on American citizens; (4) prosecute Bush-era whistleblowers for violating state secrets; (5) reinterpret the War Powers Resolution such that entering a war of choice without a Congressional declaration is permissible; (6) enter and prosecute such a war; (7) institutionalize naked scanners and intrusive full body pat-downs in major American airports; (8) oversee a planned expansion of TSA so that its agents are already beginning to patrol American highways, train stations, and bus depots; (9) wage an undeclared drone war on numerous Muslim countries that delegates to the CIA the final call about some strikes that put civilians in jeopardy; (10) invoke the state-secrets privilege to dismiss lawsuits brought by civil-liberties organizations on dubious technicalities rather than litigating them on the merits; (11) preside over federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries; (12) attempt to negotiate an extension of American troops in Iraq beyond 2011 (an effort that thankfully failed); (14) reauthorize the Patriot Act; (13) and select an economic team mostly made up of former and future financial executives from Wall Street firms that played major roles in the financial crisis.

[rockrr]

Slightly reformatted:

How would you have reacted in 2008 if any Republican ran promising to do the following?

(1) Codify indefinite detention into law;
(2) draw up a secret kill list of people, including American citizens, to assassinate without due process;
(3) proceed with warrantless spying on American citizens;
(4) prosecute Bush-era whistleblowers for violating state secrets;
(5) reinterpret the War Powers Resolution such that entering a war of choice without a Congressional declaration is permissible;
(6) enter and prosecute such a war;
(7) institutionalize naked scanners and intrusive full body pat-downs in major American airports;
(8) oversee a planned expansion of TSA so that its agents are already beginning to patrol American highways, train stations, and bus depots;
(9) wage an undeclared drone war on numerous Muslim countries that delegates to the CIA the final call about some strikes that put civilians in jeopardy;
(10) invoke the state-secrets privilege to dismiss lawsuits brought by civil-liberties organizations on dubious technicalities rather than litigating them on the merits;
(11) preside over federal raids on medical marijuana
dispensaries;
(12) attempt to negotiate an extension of American troops in Iraq beyond 2011 (an effort that thankfully failed); (14)(sic) reauthorize the Patriot Act;
(13)(sic) and select an economic team mostly made up of former and future financial executives from Wall Street firms that played major roles in the financial crisis.

[Future Snake Eater]

Sort of. It seems to give Andrew Sullivan (and Newsweek) a bit too much credit for “having a point.” They don’t. Take any supposedly “absurd” claim against Obama, and we on FR can show you a dozen or so about Bush. Turnabout is fair play, and it’s clear the left can’t possibly take what they dish out.

[Twotone]

Great list! I’m distributing it to my email list.

[FrankR]

Facts and numbers do not possess an IQ, and insofar as most of the failures of this president come from the government itself, says a lot.

Even his "dumbest" critics can READ...and most can talk without a teleprompter.

[StonyBurk]

I have not read the Newsweek piece— I find the cover too GAY.
I gave up reading Newsweek back when it became activist for gay rights. Calling all Obama critics dumb is no different than saying anyone who questions the gay rights movement —homophobe. A wise professor of mine once taught a General statement is most often generally wrong.

[blueunicorn6]

Ahhhhh.....a writer from the atlantic fighting with a writer from newsweek? The slapping and hair-pulling will be fun to watch. One of them might fall over and you’ll see her undies.