Posted on 11/07/2009 11:26:27 AM PST by American Dream 246
Robert George says Obama didn't wait long after Tuesday's devastating elections to give critics another reason to question his leadership, but this time the subject matter was more grim than a pair of governorships.
After news broke out of the shooting at the Fort Hood Army post in Texas, the nation watched in horror as the toll of dead and injured climbed. The White House was notified immediately and by late afternoon, word went out that Obama would speak about the incident prior to a previously scheduled appearance. At about 5 p.m., cable stations went to Obama. The situation called for not only his trademark eloquence, but also grace and perspective.
But instead of a somber chief executive offering reassuring words and expressions of sympathy and compassion, viewers saw a wildly disconnected and inappropriately light Obama making introductory remarks. At the event, a Tribal Nations Conference hosted by the Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian affairs, he thanked various staffers and offered a "shout-out" to "Dr. Joe Medicine Crow -- that Congressional Medal of Honor winner." Three minutes in, Obama spoke about the shooting, in measured and appropriate terms. Who is advising him?
Anyone at home aware of the major news story of the previous hours had to have been stunned. An incident like this requires a scrapping of the early light banter. Obama should apologize for the tone of his remarks, explain what has happened, express sympathy for those slain and appeal for calm and patience until all the facts are in. That's the least that should occur.
Indeed, an argument could be made that Obama should have canceled the Indian event, out of respect for people having been murdered at an Army post a few hours before. That would have prevented any sort of jarring emotional switch at the event.
Did Obama's team not realize what sort of image they were presenting to the country at this moment? The disconnect between what Americans at home knew had been going on -- and the initial words coming out of his mouth was jolting, if not disturbing.
It must have been disappointing for many politically aware Democrats, still reeling from the election two days before. The New Jersey gubernatorial vote had already demonstrated that Obama and his political team couldn't produce a winning outcome in a state very friendly to Democrats (and where he won by 15 points one year ago). And now this? Congressional Democrats must wonder if a White House that has burdened them with a too-heavy policy agenda over the last year has a strong enough political operation to help push that agenda through.
If Obama's communications apparatus can't inform -- and protect -- their boss during tense moments when the country needs to see a focused and compassionate leader, it has disastrous consequences for his party and supporters.
All of Obama's men (and women) fell down on the job Thursday. And Democrats across the country have real reason to panic.
Obama's TV appearance was actually worse than the above description.
He was cold, and read his statement as though he were describing how the White House budget is prepared -- it was a shocking display of detachment -- but as a person that loathes all things military, not surprising.
By the way, Joe Medicine Crow is not a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- and from Obama.
Obama is so clueless he doesn't know the difference between the nation's highest award that recognizes "gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his [or her] life above and beyond the call of duty while engaged in an action against an enemy of the United States," and an award made for "an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."
Smarty-pants Obama should know the difference between the Medal of Honor and the Medal of Freedom -- especially since he personally awarded the latter to Crow.
Don't expect this blunder to receive wide coverage. It's not something he can blame George Bush for.
WOW, that is amazing! Obama is unbelievable that he could get those two medals wrong, especially when he handed the medal to Joe himself! What a dope!!
Obama had trouble distinguishing windows from a door in his early days at the White House.
Can you imagine the never ending hilarity if Bush mistook windows for a door, yet curiously the MSM press was very uninterested.
“He should also know the difference between a “base” and a “post.”
Especially since he has been hoisted from the base of a post to the top of a post by someone...America’s first Post Turtle president, we still know nothing of his life but what he has told us...like the Post Turtle, we know he didn’t get there on his own...the only difference between them being, post turtles don’t hate America...
Time is on our side. Obama's response speech was a disgrace. The more Americans SEE how Obama acts, the more they SEE him in action, (not giving a TOTUS speech), the more they SEE what he is. He can't hide the arrogance, the disdain, the hate he has for America any more. It's almost like he can't help himself. The Socialist Administration is beginning to unravel. .
And I don't just blame blacks. I blame anyone who voted for the puke. But blacks as an entire race voted for him SIMPLY BECAUSE HE WAS BLACK! No ifs, ands and buts about it. That simple pal. That simple.
Dude, I know as close to first hand the hold Obama had on the Blacks. I share my bed with one of those who fell under his spell. It has been a year and I still don’t get it. My wife voted for Obama last year, though she had voted for Bush twice. I can’t say I really blame her. She had a choice between voting for the first member of her race that had a legitmate shot, or McCain. Come on, even I had to hold my nose to vote for McCain and even then, I only did it for Sarah. I will say one thing, she is not voting for Obama again in 2012. Unless the GOP runs someone like McCain again and if that was the case, I would join her out of spite. If we can do no better than put up RINOs, we deserve Obamas several times over.
That is not even remotely true. Usually 60% of blacks vote Democrat. This time 98% did.
You more or less prove me right. The Democrats gave the Black vote a Black candidate to vote for, we gave them...McCain? Can you blame them for stampeding over to that side? I had to drive a stake through my foot to keep from joining them. Come on...McCain? You serious? McCain practically wanted to usher Mexicans across the border himself and how much of the Hispanic vote did he get? The Black vote can’t elect anybody on a national level. If every single black vote and every single hispanic and every single asian vote goes for Obama they still can’t win without a large amount of white votes. More white people voted for Obama than black folks. That’s why he won.
The Black vote can’t elect anybody on a national level.
That wasn't the part of your statement I was taking issue with.
The fact that Obama beat Hillary to be the Democratic nominee changed everything. I jnew he was going to get a bigger portion of the Black vote. I felt he was going to get a bigger portion of the Hispanic and youth vote. My wife would get really miffed that I called it, “The Novelty Vote.” I would have called it the “Token” vote, but she is Black and her legs would have been crossed to this day. That is what it was, a “novelty” vote that had only McCain to counter it. It likely won’t be repeated.
I think we all know the motivation underlying the “Novelty vote” or the “Token vote.” With all due respect it would be just as descriptive and just as accurate to call it the “OJ vote” or the “Rodney King vote.” It is hardly confined to that election or to black people but it was a matter of putting self above country. That could really be said of virtually everyone who voted for 0ba-Mao.
Ditto.
Voting for the lesser of two evils has no upside. The choice between Obama and McCain was like jumping out a highrise window and choosing whether to splatter all over the pavement or impale myself on a wrought iron gate upon landing. No upside and a mess either way. I am not voting RINO again, ever. If a Democrat wins I lose and if a RINO wins, I lose. The difference is, with a RINO, I lose but to add insult to injury, I lose but gave him my vote. Not going to do that again.
Ditto that too.
My best to you and yours and may politics never divide you.
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