This morning the world awoke to the news of Obama’s Prize. A cursory glance on Fox News caused me to write up a long and painful blog (that I decided not to post) about the sorry state of journalism (they’re paying “journalists” not only to undermine Obama, but the prize itself). A quick look at facebookprovides another barometer of just where all my contacts stand. Not surprisingly, the rightward leaning (or falling flat) friends are calling the Nobel Prize a worthless thing (a sentiment Martin Luther King, Einstein and others would certainly appreciate) and (most confusingly) “bad” for Obama’s international stature. So, last week we found out that we can add “Olympics hating” before a conservatives name, and today we know we can put “Nobel Prize hating” in there as well.
Never mind that Obama neither expected nor asked for this award, unlike a certain president who announced he’d “accomplished” a “mission” in 2003 that the current president is curiously under fire for.
But I’m not going to get deep into all that again. Nobody is changing their mind about anything. Obama could solve the mystery of quantum mechanics and the right would moan about how this is going to put theoretical physicists out of business (c’mon, no more ridiculous than opposing longer school years because it’ll put YMCA summer camps out of business, is it?). Meanwhile on the other side, the spineless democrats will actually change policy to appease Rupert Murdoch’s ghost of “the American majority” (a ghost because the “majority” is in square acreage of land, not actual human beings).
So, I’ll close with these thoughts from John Cleese:
“I have real hope for Obama, because I think without the slightest doubt he is operating from a considerably higher level of mental health than we’re used to in our politicians. I think that’s what frightens the shit out of Republicans. Because if you put very mad people in a room with very sane people the mad people start feeling madder, do you see what I mean? Whereas, if you put mad people in together — if you put the Gestapo in together — they’re all sort of reinforcing each other’s madness and everyone’s happy.”
Whats your point?
what does winning the nobel prize or not have to do with Health Care, the two wars, or anything we should be concerned about? The point is that the conservative leadership/media will attack anything, good for the country or not and good for Obama or not. What bearing does winning that award have on his actual job? And the notion of “I don’t find your award meaningful anymore because I don’t like you” is petty. We didn’t want China to win at gymnastics last summer, but they did. That didn’t mean the actual concept of the Olympics is a bad one. Obama even said in his address that he thought it was premature, so what is the story? If you don’t think someone should have won something that’s great – but guess what… you’re not the judge. Get over it.
In short, Obama is bad because he lost in a contest he entered (on behalf of America), and won in a contest he never entered. There used to be a time when not “everything” was game. Like reading to school children. There weren’t any protests when any other president (of any party) did that. After all, what was Bush doing on September 11th.. where was he? It reeks of desperation, which makes our entire country look like a barrel of fools when (less than) half start doing things like that. We’re supposed to lead the world, not be another example of bickering to the point of insanity.
when we see a politician in east asia punch another one and start a brawl we don’t think “oh, his party is too reactionary”… no, we think, “god, their whole political structure must be backwards”… “You Lie” did exactly the same thing. As an American that WANTS to be proud of that fact it hurts.
see below
Get over it. Politics has always been like that. You joined in with the “Bush -the-monkey” crowd in your time (and just can’t seem let it go)and, like a battered wife who keeps saying”but he loves me” as she is being wheeled into the E.R., now you just want to belive more than use the rational part of your brain. Obama is a dolt–even SNL can’t avoid it any longer. I never owned a slave–I don’t have any “white guilt”.
The White House is being run by the junior debate club—the old boy’s club across the pond is snickering up their sleeves. Getting an award for being the best looking doesn’t win any races in NASCAR. Obama getting an award for “peace” is a farce. “oh my, those big bombs scare me” where is my medal?
dolt in comparison to what? “Dolt” does not mean “not accomplishing your goals or delivering on promises.”
By the way, that election of 2000… that was my first election. It certainly wasn’t normal, and it isn’t something soon forgotten (on either side). Did you honestly expect a 19 year old (republican or democrat) to say “oh, yay, the surpeme court decided the election and my already small vote meant absolutely nothing! Happy day! ?”
Where did I say anything about white guilt?
The rational part of my brain says we’re better off under Obama than McCain. That’s funny that an Obama impression on SNL is reason to declare Obama a dolt…. another flip flop since 8 years of Bush impressions didn’t seem to convince you.
Even more ironic considering those things Obama hasn’t got to are things you (or at least most conservatives) don’t want him to do. Even worse, when some of these things don’t happen because he tries to compromise (however slight) and is rebuffed it’s used to further the drum beat of his ineffectiveness. That is (some of) what I was referring to as “spineless democrats.” That’s why the old boys are laughing (and why I’m not happy), because Obama is making it easy for them. On a more subtle level, this is what SNL was trying to point out (or do you really believe that young comedy writers in NYC are card carrying right wing conservatives?).
You’re right, I should “get over” Bush. Time absolves all mistakes after all, no matter how broad or how grand. (the Catholic church and Roman Polanski would agree with you I’m sure)
“we do not torture”
“Iraq has attempted to purchase high-strength aluminum tubes and other equipment needed for gas centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons.”
“mission accomplished”
“I did not sleep with that woman, Ms. Lewinsky”
1. election of 2000 was not decided by supreme court, no matter how long and loud that canard is repeated.
2. white guilt is the subtext always thrown in under any discussion of Obama’s performance.
3. “being better off” is not a recomendation for an award; again with the “BOOOOOSSSSH”.
4. Do you really mean ironic? If I din’t want him to kill me and he doesn’t kill me how is that ironic?
5. “we do not torture”– see long and loud above.
“Iraq, etc, etc”–prove a negative
“mission accomplished”–Obama does a couple of these a week.
“I did not sleep………”–just throwing Bill in there to be fair and balanced?
Dolt means dolt. Do you want a daily update on Obama’s stupid acts/remarks? They are “on tape”–not on SNL.
#1 On December 12, the Supreme Court ruled in a 5–4 vote that the Florida Supreme Court’s ruling requiring a statewide recount of ballots was unconstitutional, and that the Florida recounts could not be completed before a December 12 “safe harbor” deadline, and should therefore cease and the previously certified total should hold. This was the final decision that led to Bush being named President. If that Supreme Court decision had nothing to do with it I don’t know why every reporter in the country was camped out on the steps that winter morning and we were all watching tv to find out the “answer.” And that doesn’t even begin to address the allegations of voter fraud, malfunctioning voting machines, etc.
#2 by you (in this case). I’m sure you have a fancy latin word for assuming a subtext in an argument with no evidence, putting words in someone’s mouth. You’re discussing this with me, not Al Sharpton.
#3 I’m not saying it is. I’m not making a case for him getting it or not getting it. However, even if it is premature, it is hardly a gesture of BAD will. The very reasons they “gave” it to him are the things I hope he keeps doing. Remember the insane guy on the city bus? If that guy had a nuke would you be polite to him or give him a big F U? It is laughable to me that Obama is getting heckled for trying to talk to people. What year is this? George Bush’s family was in BUSINESS with the Saudi’s and Obama is going to kill us all by bowing to a Saudi Prince… give me a break. Reagan didn’t say “tear down this wall or I’ll bomb the shit out of you.” This strange new “F the entire world” attitude also parallels the right’s reaction to Clinton’s north korea trip. We’d rather let two Americans rot over there than send Clinton for a photo op? John Bolton: “we don’t know what he did over there, he could have given them state secrets.” Right, a former two term American president who’s wife is the secretary of state is a …. North Korean double agent. (sigh)
#4 It is ironic that you’re mad about getting what you want. “You” = conservative politicians and pundits, not necessarily YOU.
#5 yes. Start a blog of your own (and I mean that in a nice way). Facebook status doesn’t count. The quotes were all lies told directly to the American people on camera. Create a blog where you have a daily update of real lies that Obama tells on camera, and if they’re true maybe I’ll change my mind. And “I think when the bill clearly says ‘no illegal aliens are allowed’ it REALLY means ‘come on in’ ” doesn’t count. The quotes I listed were verified as invalid statements. We DID torture, after six years we don’t have any WMDs and the CIA admits to trumping up evidence that was highly suspect, the mission was not accomplished in 2003 and Clinton did have (oral) sex with her.
Clinton was impeached and apologized on television for his lie. I don’t know what else the right could want. Meanwhile Cheney went out and basically said “yeah, so what?” on TV about torture and many other things.