Obama Offends - And Doesn't Seem To Know It

Townhall.com ^ | September 6, 2009 | Austin Hill

[Kaslin]

It’s one thing to be offensive.

It’s yet another thing to be offensive, and to be clueless about it.

And President Barack Obama seems to be landing in the “another thing” category these days.

It has been quite well established that August was a bad month for the President, himself, as well as for his legislative agenda. Today he clearly needs to do some repair work with the American people, so as to prevent further free-fall of his approval ratings, and perhaps more importantly, to prevent further decline in the level of “trust” with which Americans view him.

So what has the President chosen to do, in an attempt to regain our trust? Well, for one, he’ll be delivering a primetime, televised address next week, to Congress, and to the nation, about his nationalized healthcare plans.

Perhaps he’ll be able to use this speech to reset the national debate over the subject. But he runs the risk of reminding many Americans why they began to distrust him in the first place – it was, after all, President Obama himself who spent several years before becoming President, traveling the country and lecturing about his vision for a “single payer,” government-run health insurance system. And now we’ve watched as President Obama, realizing just how wildly unpopular his ideas are, has changed his position on the “single payer” approach, all within the last few weeks.

In many ways he seems surprised that some Americans are uncomfortable with his shift on this all-important issue, or perhaps by the fact that anybody would question him. No matter, the President may be able to use the speech to persuade Americans to think differently about him, and his agenda for healthcare. Then again, he might make matters worse.

But notice what else the President has sought to do, as a matter of regaining people’s trust. On Tuesday, the day before his address on nationalized healthcare, he is scheduled to do a televised address to students in American schools, the goal being to inspire kids to stay in school and to do well.

That sounds like a simple enough, worthwhile message for any U.S. President to articulate to American kids. Yet in what may have been a straightforward, well-intentioned effort to communicate an important message, The President has touched-off yet another trust-reducing controversy, and, again, seems caught off-guard by the uproar. How could this possibly be?

Perhaps most troubling about the President’s upcoming address to school kids is the accompanying curriculum provided by the U.S. Department of Education. While participation in the President’s efforts is purely voluntary and left to the discretion of individual schools, school administrators, and teachers, the emphasis of the curriculum is rightly troubling to many, including myself.

For example, it is suggested that students in grades 7-12 should, before the President’s speech, write their responses to the following questions: “Why does President Obama want to speak with us today?;” “How will he inspire us?:” and “How will he challenge us?”

That line of questioning may seem harmless to some. But notice that President Obama, himself - - not education, not the idea of becoming a learned person, but Barack Obama - - is the central theme of the questioning. And it presupposes that President Obama is, necessarily, inspiring to all who hear him. The United States didn't automatically assign the title "inspiring" to any of our recent Presidents within their first 8 months of service - Bill Clinton wasn't so fortunate, Ronald Reagan wasn't, and neither Bush 41 or 43 were either.

After the President’s speech, Jr. High and High School students are encouraged to contemplate “What inspired you about President Obama’s speech?,” and “what lines or phrases from the President’s speech resonate with you?” Again, the line of questioning is not so much about the importance of education, as it is all about Barack.

The Obama Administration seems infatuated with the man, the person, the persona of Barack Obama. The central idea of the Obama Administration seems to be Barack Obama himself. And this obsession with one human individual is highly offensive to many of us.

Those of us who know, respect, and care about the unique history of this country, understand what makes America unique. In no small part, we are distinct within the broader context of world history, because there are no kings or queens in the United States; our President is one of us, chosen by us, and entrusted with authority for a limited period of time. We pledge allegiance to “our flag,” and we are united by a set of important principles, but we do not bow to any one individual or “leader.”

The Obama Administration can dismiss the school speech backlash as an attack from “the right wing” (White House Domestic Policy official Heather Higginbottom did this last week). But the more that the Obama Administration continues to obsess over Obama, and the more they seek to belittle Americans who dare to question this obsession, the worse matters become for the entire country.

In the end, the President is left appearing as though he understands very little about the country he serves.

[new cruelty]

Add to that “Let me be perfectly clear...(followed by) blah blah blah”. Also, he will likely throw in his bill cosby jello pudding voice at some point.

[SE Mom]

Good point. That’s really the fundamental issue here, isn’t it? It’s extraordinary to step back and look at the silence from the press on Van Jones.

This guy wasn’t a back-bencher either- he was/is a major voice in the radical leftist “community”..and yet there seemed to be no curiousity to investigate him.

[Northern Yankee]

He does nothing to unite the country, but continues to pit groups of people against each other. That will continue to be his undoing.

[new cruelty]

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your Obama can do for you - ask what you can do for your Obama.

That's brilliant.

[Malesherbes]

The question today, kiddies, is what does a con man do to regain trust after he has been proven to be a fraud. The Department of Education will soon send out “resource materials” to help you formulate your answers.

[PA-RIVER]

His condescending attack on the police for “acting stupidly” set things in motion. I know quite a few people were disgusted after seeing that.

In effect, the group thought for many was “The Presidents playing the race card, again, what a scumbag”.

[Northern Yankee]

Yep... he's his own worst enemy.

Wonder if Chrissy Matthews still gets that tingly feeling up and down his leg?

[AmericanVictory]

Narcissus leans out over the pool further the better to see his own reflection.

[Jess Kitting]

the President is left appearing as though he understands very little about the country he serves.

Obama serves the country? He acts as if it is the other way around.

"Ask not what you can do for your country, ask what you can do for Obama."

[Kaslin]

What do you expect from this arrogant p o s?

[uncbob]

I doubt there is any speech Obama can give to turn things around. People are on to him like the snake oil salesman he is. Another speech about the wonders of his elixir will no help.

Never underestimate the boob mentality of the undecideds

Obama got elected because the MSM spin worked and it can work again

[thirst4truth]

It seems the man has been doing nothing but giving speeches, here and abroad, and vacationing with very little governing sprinkled in between.

That is why he has hired 43 Czars, so they can do all the decision making and work and he can continue to vote present, give speeches and travel in the ultimate pimp mobile (Airforce One).

[Caipirabob]

You peasants just don’t understand what “the one” has to deal with! ; )

[fortunecookie]

Yes, he does. Clueless? Or just doesn’t care if he offends? It’s hard to tell anymore.

[uncbob]

.but it was nonetheless brilliant and effective.

I don't buy that brilliant etc anymore than I did about Clinton being a great politician

Without the MSM covering for both of them they are NOTHING

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

"It’s yet another thing to be offensive, and to be clueless about it. "

The problem is attitude and the arrogance that goes with it.
He has an attitude.
There are not so subtle undertones of payback and back-talking that have been
part of this. The "wee-weed up" bit and Van's a-hole remark.
Usually followed by giggling, high-fiving, and the Urkel attitude,
as if there is something funny about being rude, back-talking,and talking in
condescending ways to Americans. This is not the way to behave and to talk to
Americans. Maybe this works on the basketball court or in a locker room at a
slick Hawaii prep school or at Columbia and Harvard where preferential
treatment and pampering are part of the affirmative action system.
But it's no way to lead this nation.

You would think the author who wrote about "no sudden moves"
in Dreams from My Father would be sharp enough to know this.
But maybe it's just been a game for him all along.

[Albion Wilde]

Due to the "dumb quotient" of the average citizen who has been educated in the post-Marxist era, fundamental tenets of our nation's revolutionary history need to be explained in the alternate media, since no one in the MSM even knows these basics any more.

It is as if someone erased the notion of arithmetic from the public consciousness. Some things just don't add up; but most people don't even know about adding, and denounce those who understand mathematic principles as rigid, authoritarian bigots.

[Kaslin]

But maybe it's just been a game for him all along.

It looks that way