The presidential campaign of 2009 (Birthers, healthers and Obama) [Barf Alert]

Here we were thinking that the presidential election of 2008 was over and done with in—well, in 2008. And that the winner was a certain junior senator from the great state of Illinois, who rolled up a victory margin of landslide proportions (at least by modern-day standards, and certainly by George W. Bush standards, to pick a name at random).

Anyway, you were somehow under the impression that all of that was settled business.

Not that you were expecting the loyal opposition to roll over and play dead. That was never in the cards—not these days, and not with this opposition. But you might have figured that, at least on some level, the Republicans would accept the reality that Barack Obama won, and John McCain lost. That it wasn’t even close. That the result was beyond dispute. (See, by contrast: Bush, George W., 2000.) That it might be time to put down the placards and the scare ’em ads and get about the business of “governing.”

After all, you seemed to recall, there were more than a few problems that needed tending to. Serious national issues of policy and statecraft.

Somehow—something in the water? mass hypnosis?—large segments of the GOP have managed to convince themselves that if they don’t treat the 2008 results as official, then they’re not. That if they persist in treating last November’s numbers as merely a first-inning score, or the rest of his term as a perpetual recount, then Barack Obama isn’t really president. Not yet. And if they have their way, not ever.

The Looney Tunes questioning of Obama’s birth records is just one part of it. This nut-ball fringe—and their mainstream enablers—are already fixated on the idea that Barack Obama isn’t nearly as American as they are. If they can somehow turn him into a closet Kenyan, he’ll have to give the White House back!

But it’s not just the bizarro “birther” brigades that are treating Obama as electorally illegitimate. Think about the way the health-care fight has played out recently. Perfectly reasonable concerns about the scope and logistics and financing of the president’s plan, seasoned with Republicans’ delaying tactics and Democrats’ penchant for individual expression, have somehow morphed into a full-blown, nationwide, month-long vote-of-confidence campaign.

The congressional recess has become the GOP’s golden chance to “unelect” Obama. That’s why the million-dollar ad campaigns and the bombast from right-wing radio. That’s why the messages flooding congressional offices and the shock-troop tactics at town-hall meetings.

It’s the Presidential Campaign of 2009. A chance to “break him,” as one too-candid Republican famously phrased it.

And Obama’s White House and congressional Democrats will respond in kind, with rallies and ads and speeches of their own. They’ll try to tie the GOP to the insurance industry, to protecting huge profits instead of promoting healthy citizens. They’ll try to renew their own brand as the friend of the little guy, and the little guy’s little business.

An argument we’ve been having since the days of Herbert Hoover? Absolutely. Which doesn’t mean we won’t have it again. And this time, Barack Obama’s fate might be riding on the outcome.

If the Republicans win the argument—if they’re able to defeat health-care reform for another generation—they’ll declare Obama a lame duck just months into his administration.

Rick Horowitz is a syndicated columnist. You can write to him at rickhoro@execpc.com.

I’m waiting to see the name they come up with for people who demand to see the cash for clunkers data.

That does seem to be the game here, label all opposition as dangerous and insane.

Tea party attendees are dangerous and insane.

People who want proof of Obama’s eligibility are dangerous and insane.

Those who oppose socialized medicine are dangerous and insane.

Those who stand up to congressmen are dangerous and insane.

Those who don’t by global warming are dangerous and insane.

Christians are dangerous and insane.

Seems to be a pattern developing here

I don't want to have to be agnostic about this damn issue. I want to be convinced it's a great big white elephant, a red herring, a duck egg, whatever. A non-entity. A rabbit trail.

But they're not convincing me. They're attacking the motives and character of their "opponents" -- they're running defense for the president, instead of, as Andrew McCarthy wrote, doing what journalists are supposed to do.

The whole birth certificate thing might just blow over, but what it has revealed about the media is as disturbing as it is indelible.

As I posted elsewhere, people ought to be disturbed to the point of revolution when their media complex is top-to-bottom in the service of anyone, especially the man with the power.

I hope this guy gets payed someday:

DIVORCE AGREEMENT:

Dear American liberals, leftists, social progressives, socialists, Marxists and Obama supporters, et al:

We have stuck together since the late 1950’s, but the whole of this latest election process has made me realize that I want a divorce. I know we tolerated each other for many years for the sake of future generations, but sadly, this relationship has run its course. Our two ideological sides of America cannot and will not ever agree on what is right so let’s just end it on friendly terms. We can smile and chalk it up to irreconcilable differences and go our own way.

Here is a model separation agreement:

Our two groups can equitably divide up the country by landmass each taking a portion. That will be the difficult part, but I am sure our two sides can come to a friendly agreement. After that, it should be relatively easy! Our respective representatives can effortlessly divide other assets since both sides have such distinct and disparate tastes.

We don’t like redistributive taxes so you can keep them. You are welcome to the liberal judges and the ACLU. Since you hate guns and war, we’ll take our firearms, the cops, the NRA and the military. You can keep Oprah, Michael Moore and Rosie O’Donnell (You are, however, responsible for finding a bio-diesel vehicle big enough to move all three of them).

We’ll keep the capitalism, greedy corporations, pharmaceutical companies, Wal-Mart and Wall Street. You can have your beloved homeless, homeboys, hippies and illegal aliens. We’ll keep the hot Alaskan hockey moms, greedy CEO’s and rednecks. We’ll keep the Bibles and give you NBC and Hollywood

You can make nice with Iran and Palestine and we’ll retain the right to invade and hammer places that threaten us. You can have the peaceniks and war protesters. When our allies or our way of life are under assault, we’ll help provide them security.

We’ll keep our Judeo-Christian values.. You are welcome to Islam, Scientology, Humanism and Shirley McClain. You can also have the U.N.. but we will no longer be paying the bill.

We’ll keep the SUVs, pickup trucks and oversized luxury cars. You can take every Subaru station wagon you can find.

You can give everyone healthcare if you can find any practicing doctors. We’ll continue to believe healthcare is a luxury and not a right. We’ll keep The Battle Hymn of the Republic and the National Anthem. I’m sure you’ll be happy to substitute Imagine, I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing, Kum Ba Ya or We Are the World.

We’ll practice trickle down economics and you can give trickle up poverty your best shot. Since it often so offends you, we’ll keep our history, our name and our flag.

Would you agree to this? If so, please pass it along to other like minded liberal and conservative patriots and if you do not agree, just hit delete. In the spirit of friendly parting, I’ll bet you ANWAR which one of us will need whose help in 15 years.

Sincerely,

John J. Wall

Law Student and an American

P.S. Also, please take Barbara Streisand & Jane Fonda with you.

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