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Posted on 09/16/2009 10:37:00 AM PDT by mnehring
I’m a dead-set sucker for President Obama’s get-to-know-me-and-my-family-better propaganda stunts.
Now, we could be cynical of the pervy, made-for-OK! insights into Life As An Obama that are deftly emitted from the White House on a regular basis. Especially in these over-share-y times.
But, refreshingly, very few of us are. There’s been the family dog-buying episode, the gossip magazine covers, the gorgeously orchestrated “candid” shots of Barack on the campaign trail (Oh, there he is looking buggered, and look, he’s wearing shoes with worn-out soles. How very Regular Joe!). We follow Michelle’s organic veggie garden project on Youtube and pour over the Obama holiday snaps on Flickr. Me, I’m happy to be sucked in.
I’m fascinated to learn that Barack doesn’t put the butter back in the fridge when he’s finished with it at breakfast and that he has this thing where he won’t put his dirty socks in with the rest of the laundry… and other such “mere male” tit-bits that Michelle has taken to over-sharing with us. My latest penchant is watching Barack sign his name left-handed, all awkward and twisty, like an 8-year-old kid.
For sure - the White House obviously got the tip-off that this funny little image of the Leader of the Free World scrawling his name at a distorted -135? angle pushes maternal buttons prompting staffers to pump out repeated images of it, like pizza smell through a shopping mall at 11am. But I guess I don’t mind the sell-in. And it’s because it all seems to have a point. I believe the Obama’s over-share because they have a message they think we might benefit from.
Today I was on the official White House website (it’s not on your RSS feeds, too?) and stumbled on a clip in which the President shares how he reads 10 letters each day, selected from the 100,000 letters and 65,000 emails he receives weekly from constituents. He initiated the ritual in his first week in office, so he could stay in touch with the people. He has a very earnest team whose sole job is to sort through the correspondence and choose the 10 that reflect where America is at.
The President replies to three or four of these letters every day. And, you guessed it, in writing. Cue: endearing gammy left-handed moment. Again, we could be cynical. The letters that he reads out to us in the video paint grim pictures of the current state of the US health system. And whattayaknow, Obama happens to be pushing a highly contentious health reform agenda right now. Propaganda? Well, OK.
But the broader message stands. The guy came to office spruiking change. Fundamental change. And he’s walking his talk. Change doesn’t come from above, it comes from throughout. And small gestures like taking time out every single day for a ritual that honours what people are feeling, and then hand-writing a thoughtful reply, are powerful shifters. So is planting a vegetable garden and talking about the importance of feeding your kids good food. And talking to kids about bullying.
They’re particularly powerful coming from the President and his family. I normally get all squirm-y when politicians try to get fandangle-y with popular culture and new technologies. George W. Bush mercifully left “the internets” to the young folk. And I thought it entirely appropriate John McCain didn’t know how to “work the Google”. But every time the White House emits their particularly modern propaganda I’m touched and moved. Sometimes to little sentimental tears, the kind you get when you witness big shit happen – like a kid meeting his kidney donor on RPA or a Roulette doing it’s thing above a city skyline (Roulettes and blowholes do it to me every time - tears and much “isn’t life magnificent” mutterings). The fact the Obamas have so clearly taken on the responsibility of being their message behind the Oval Office doors is powerful and inspiring. It’s a big responsibility and it’s right that they over-share it with us.
Countless wise people have said that the most powerful way to make a difference is to be your message. Something anyone who enters the over-share-y world of social media technologies should take away from this.
Ping, I’m sorry, but I couldn’t resist..
Zeroism ping
Just a bit of the Marxist/Muslim’s atrocious spending gleaned from Nachumlist.com
$900 million to Gaza
http://www.gopusa.com/news/2009/march/0302_clinton_gaza.shtml
President Obama unveiled a staggeringly huge budget this morning, telling the country it will take almost $4 trillion to run the U.S. next year.
Obama’s Foreign Aid Price Tag to Exceed $50 Billion
http://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/obama_foreign_aid/2009/03/02/187543.html?s=al&promo_code=7B56-1
Obama has spent close to $800,000 through 3 different law firms to deny access to his birth certificate
Foreign banks getting billions in US aid
Budget Deficit Reaches $765B in 5 Months
Obama approves 20.3 million to transfer Gaza Arabs to the US
http://www.thefederalregister.com/d.p/2009-02-04-E9-2488
Geithner: The Treasury Dept. said it will need to borrow $361 billion in the current April-June quarter. - record amount for that period
GM gets another $2 billion as deadline approaches
Obama makes 6 flights to make Earth Day speeches. Burns more than 9000 gallons of fuel.
Obama says he sees a glimmer, banks need a trillion more after tests
Obama administration will make about $500 million available to Chrysler through the end of this month, and up to $5 billion through May to help General Motors Corp restructure
VIDEO: Obama talks with reporters on cutting 100 million after spending more than a $787 billion on stimulus
Obama for America, fundraiser for Obama’s presidency, spent nearly $9.5 million in first three months of this year, paid $688K to attorney defending Birth certificate lawsuit
Goldman Sachs rakes in the cash from Obama’s TARP
Obama “gives” another 140 Billion to the IMF by fiat, no debate in congress
New record: Obama Administration overspent almost a fifth of a trillion dollars in one month
Obama wants Congress to act quickly on his $83.4 billion request for U.S. military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan
Obamas fly in chef 860 miles... just to make pizza
Bailing out financial sector will cost taxpayers $167 billion more than originally anticipated, according to Congressional Budget Office estimate
Obama to propose 2.8 billion dollars military aid for Pakistan
Obama’s energy tax plan — a version of the failed European “cap and trade” global warming fiasco — may cost families $1,800 yearly in higher utility bills
$1 trillion deficits seen for next 10 years
Obama’s budget will generate a $1.9 trillion deficit this year, $100 billion more than the administration projected, The White House projected this year’s deficit at $1.75 trillion
Obama puts up $2.4 bln for electric vehicles
The Obama administration plans to provide up to $5 billion in assistance to auto-parts suppliers
White House is telling Senate staff the energy tax scheme would actually be “two-to-three times” higher: New tax amount 1.3 trillion
At least 13 firms receiving billions of dollars in bailout money owe a total of more than $220 million in unpaid federal taxes
Obama administration sends a $50 million check to the United Nations Population Fund
Obama climate plan could cost $2 trillion
The national debt surpassed $11 trillion, largest in U.S. history.
Health care overhaul may cost about $1.5 trillion
Obama Received a $101,332 Bonus from AIG
Obama says more time was needed for his $787 billion stimulus package to work, predicting the spending would have a bigger impact on the economy later this year.
The White House Won’t Reveal How Much Michelle Obama’s European Vacation Cost Taxpayers- Travel by an American first lady typically includes the military passenger jet that carries her and the children, Secret Service personnel to provide security, and a separate cargo plane to haul official vehicles First Lady Michelle Obama’s tour of Paris with her children included a convoy of 20 vehicles, according to news reports. She also moved by “motorcade” through London. The full cost of such a trip would also include the expense of meals and lodging for Secret Service agents and possibly other staff.
Obama has allocated an additional $150 million to Jordan. Increasing Aid to other Muslim states
The Energy Dept. said it would lend $5.9 billion to Ford and provide about $2.1 billion in loans to Nissan and Tesla Motors, making the three automakers the first beneficiaries of a $25 billion fund to develop fuel-efficient vehicles.
Obama and Democrats Try To Sneak $100 Billion Stealth Bailout To European Banks
The Treasury Department reported that the red ink so far this year totals $991.9 billion. The administration is projecting the deficit for the budget year that began Oct. 1, will total an all-time record of $1.84 trillion
Obama’s transparency czar is using $84 million to build a web site that won’t be usable until October, and may not be useful until four years from now.
Obama proposed budget rules that would allow Congress to borrow tens of billions of dollars and put the nation deeper in debt to jump-start the administration’s emerging health care overhaul.
US to spend $1 billion on embassy expansions in Pakistan, Afghanistan
Obama appoints Arif Alikahn, devout Muslim, to Homeland Security Post
Obama health care plan could cost more than 1.5 trillion
Obama grants 120 million for Hindi and Urdu courses
WTH?????
And let’s don’t forget that 73 MILLION to Zimbawe
and 500 MILLION to the corrupt presidnet of Afghanstan.
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Last item on list was for helicopters
Perhaps the mods could add a “Humongous Barferooski Alert” to this? Only Odumbo’s proctologist has penetrated anywhere near as deep into his bowels as the author of this colonoscopy.
That’s why I tagged it Zeroism, I think it almost is more appropriate to move it to the religion category.
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