Hundred Shmundred
The right-wing nut machine can’t say enough bad things about President Obama. Over at Hot Air (a very accurate name, considering some of what I read there), Michelle has “100 days of reckless photo-op hubris.” She wants to define the Obama presidency by the Air Force One photo-op fiasco, as though that’s emblematic of this presidency.
Then, some blowhard named “Legal Insurrection” writes, “Relax, The Dems Will Screw Up.” That’s because the only hope the right has of regaining power is a failed Obama presidency. It wasn’t that long ago when Democrats were accused by Republicans of talking down the economy for the sake of gaining power. How interesting turnabout is. At conservative Pajamas Media they blare: “100 Days In: Is Obama Blowing it?” You’d think, reading this, that Obama is step-by-step dismantling the United States, in spite of the fact that the 100-day mark has the president receiving a 64% approval rating by the AP, a 63% approval rating by Pew, with 73% having a favorable view of the chief executive, and a 62% approval in a FOX News poll.
And the editorially conservative New York Post (owned by the same company that pays my salary and one, thankfully, that believes in free speech) decided to honor the occasion by matching 100 days to “100 mistakes.” You know, important items, like #6: He’s the “teleprompt president.” Anybody remember Ronald Reagan? He had both a teleprompter and an adoring wife whispering in his ear when necessary. Offense number 13: Obama didn’t leave the room during a speech by Daniel Ortega. Horrifying!
Over at the always-cynical-to-liberals National Review, Jonah Goldberg grudgingly admit that Obama is likable, but warns that when his approval ratings fall, liberals will knee-jerk blame it on racism. “Mark my words,” exalts Goldberg. “It’s going to happen…bookmark (the) link.” Nah, I’m over-bookmarked at the moment.
Even Michelle Obama has to endure criticism, and even from the liberal Huffington Post, where Bonnie Fuller gives her generally high grades, except for a “C” for waiting too long to wear the clothing of an African-American designer. Are they now going to grade the kids? Will the dog be given 100 days to be house-trained?
Let’s face it, 100 days is an artificial marker. It’s a Hallmark date, created out of whole cloth, much like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Valentine’s Day. JFK said 1000 days was a more accurate barometer, and Obama agrees. Sadly, 1000 days is all we had of the John Fitzgerald Kennedy presidency. Hopefully, our new president will have much more time than that; and, hopefully, a more accurate reading after a more reasonable amount of time will wash away some of the cynicism which his detractors are presently using as oxygen. But I’m not holding my breath.
“…when his approval ratings fall, liberals will knee-jerk blame it on racism. “Mark my words,” exalts Goldberg. “It’s going to happen…”
We don’t have to wait for approval ratings to fall. A great deal of the criticism being directed at Obama right now is the result of racism and nothing else. From the moment the guy stepped onto the national stage the racists have been flapping their gums. And the fact is that the worst racists fled the Democratic party some years back only to be welcomed with open arms by the republicans.
And there’s at least a few who write for the National Review.
pierre Reply:
April 29th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Don’t be afraid to name the main racists:
Rush
Hannity
Savage
Fox& friends
Cavuto
O’reilly
Lou Doobs
Daddio Reply:
April 30th, 2009 at 7:59 am
Why are you making outlandish allegations here Pierre? Maybe you are a racist.
April 29th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
Well the right wing is a bunch of unpatriotic and blinded by partisan thinking fools these days … so it’s no shock that they can’t pull their hands out of their own (backyard) to see what is really going on around them.
Intelligence and courtesy cannot be expected of raving lunatics.
Daddio Reply:
April 30th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Now Eric, you didn’t like it much when some on the right called the left wing unpatriotic. Let’s be careful not to paint with such a wide brush.
EricG Reply:
April 30th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
No, I say it because it’s true these days.
Show some respect for the duefully elected President and be responsible in your political dialogue as a party and I will change my tune.
But right now … all conservatives (that I hear from) are as unpatriotic and Anti-American as a bunch of Nazis or perhaps a Communist Russia movement.
Not a wide brush. Just saying what Alan Colmes and Keith Olberman don’t have the balls to say themselves.
To repeat:
Intelligence and courtesy cannot be expected of lunatics.
If you think you are a lunatic then that’s your problem. And if you think I’m saying I’m perfect that would also be wrong. It’s an issue of someone spitting in my face and you ask me to pretend it isn’t so.
April 29th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
Fox news (hannity) should stop “Sniping off” the president sentences in order to promote the fake
“Apologizing Tour”.
He did the same thing with Rev. Wright’s sermons.
He failed.
Be a great American, Hannity— Start the waterboarding challenge.
April 29th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
I love to watch them wait for the other shoe to fall. Shame Spamity has been waiting for something bad to happen for our president from the day he was nominated. Poor Shame, the only ridiculousness around these days are focused on the one network that depends on a sliver of America for all of it’s ratings….Fox doesn’t split the viewership with any other network. The rest of the networks and stations divide the number of people who value facts, reality, fairly objective reporting of news, a wide spectrum of commentators and contributors (rather than the two or two and a half contributors who always appear on fox since no one else wants to waste their time…except for Fox News Sunday — the only fairly squared up show).
I just saw Inhofe say that he predicts a 1994 turnaround in 2010 for the republicans…..it was, naturaly, featured on Fox….somebody, take his mushrooms away from that hick.
April 29th, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Let us not forget that Bush had glowing reviews of his first 100 days…how quickly that turned south…
Um Cara Reply:
April 29th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
Bush? Who are you talking about?
JaredfromTexas Reply:
April 29th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
NY Times gave him a glowing review…lauding his “honor and dignity” and praising his “foreign policy team”…among other things…
Um Cara Reply:
April 29th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
But who is he? Is it a sports figure? I don’t follow much sports, just the occasional Cowboy game with my dad.
Bush.. Bush… Basketball? Hockey? What?
Bush..
Come on, who is he? And what kind of name is ‘foreign policy’ for a team? Rugby maybe?
baD mR fRosTy Reply:
April 29th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
He did, indeed.
Even though much of it was spent on his ranch ‘clearing brush’, Dubya did have the support of the ’so-called’ left wing media. Not surprising – the first 100 days is hardly enough time to judge an administration fairly, and Dubya was given the benefit of the doubt, and the support of most of the nation, including the ‘left’…after all, he was the predident of the United States and deserved a fair chance from all Americans…
Of course, the ‘right’ would do the same, correct?
average james Reply:
April 30th, 2009 at 2:29 am
Frosty,
I have wondered the same thing for a while now.
JaredfromTexas Reply:
April 30th, 2009 at 4:31 am
Sure, GW was given the benefit of the doubt from the left…
I must’ve missed that during the crybaby sessions they had calling the election rigged and that GW wasn’t elected…he was appointed…
Oh…and the fact it took the “left” a good while to start calling him “President” instead of “Mr.”
EricG Reply:
April 30th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
That was the youthful left. It was very different from what we see from the right wing today.
Most people in the media said many times to respect the office even if you didn’t agree with the Courts.
You cons are all whipped up like someone took the Presidency from you in a courtroom.
That was us. You guys are just partisans who can’t stand losing.
Grow up. Your party lost because of bad policies and bad leadership. Your leadership that you chose.
April 29th, 2009 at 8:29 pm
criticism being directed at Obama right now is the result of racism and nothing else.
Can I criticize without being a racist?
On the other hand, with Obama’s approval rating where it is right now, where does he rank at the same time as other Presidents?
Kregg Reply:
April 29th, 2009 at 9:05 pm
PINO: Can I criticize without being a racist?
K: No. If you are white and the person you are criticizing is black it is automatically racism. Conversely, if you are black you CANNOT be a racist…
baD mR fRosTy Reply:
April 29th, 2009 at 9:11 pm
“”No. If you are white and the person you are criticizing is black it is automatically racism. Conversely, if you are black you CANNOT be a racist…”‘
I disagree with this, although it IS true that as the “favoured” race over the last 230 years of America’s history, whites have done far more damage with their prejeduce and discrimintaion towards blacks, than blacks have done with their resentment and anger towards whites…
The ‘damage’ from racism is mostly a one way street, favouring the race with the power and control, and harming the races without.
EricG Reply:
April 30th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
“Can I criticize without being a racist?”
Certainly. But you want to be aware of illogical statements and baseless ‘facts’ about the President.
When Americans hear this garbage they have to assume someone is a racist or failing that a partisan.
April 29th, 2009 at 8:45 pm
whites have done far more damage with their prejeduce and discrimintaion towards blacks, than blacks have done with their resentment and anger towards whites…
This is true. Though the slope line has reached it’s inflection point; we are getting closer and closer. And, in fact, it is one the Plus side for me when considering Obama’s Presidency.
Um Cara Reply:
April 29th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
And, in fact, it is one the Plus side for me when considering Obama’s Presidency.
Huh?
April 29th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
The great Jim Brown said after the election in 2008 that the black community now has no excuses for being held back or discriminated againse. This is the great Jim Brown, number 32 who played for the Cleveland Browns, and is an activist for the black community.
I agree with him.
steve Reply:
April 30th, 2009 at 8:31 am
True,but this is America,the land of the free and the brave and most advanace country in the world.
However,we will still have racism,sexism,drug abuse,killings,blame,regional pride,liberals,conservatives and only the Lord knows what else.
Jim Brown is the greatest running back ever,but Jim Brown has to realize the above paragraph of my post even thou he is right,we will still fuss,moan and groan,say and do outrageous things in our great nation.
Daddio Reply:
April 30th, 2009 at 8:41 am
Sure Steve, we will always have those who moan about their lot in life. We will never wipe out racism, sexism, and all the others mentioned in your post.
But what Jim Brown was saying, with the election of our first black president, that is proof positive that a man of color in the United States does have the freedom to make of himself whatever he wishes, whether that be starting his own business, going to college and becoming an executive, or even going into politics and maybe someday becoming president of the greatest nation on earth.
Another words, quit your complaining and make something of yourself. (That wasn’t directed at you Steve, just a general comment.)
steve Reply:
April 30th, 2009 at 8:57 am
This is America Daddio. We will complain from a store brought steak to a president making a joke. Trade the buffoon from your favorite sports team. Country folks,city slickers and the burbs.
I fully agree with you and Jim Brown,but reality bites. You couldn,t get every American to walk in sink without a complaint of some sort is my point from a new born to a grumpy old man.
EricG Reply:
April 30th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
“Another words, quit your complaining and make something of yourself.”
Unless of course you are gay, Muslim or ‘illegal.’
Then you are screwed. But if your black … then all is well in the world.
EricG Reply:
April 30th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
“The great Jim Brown said after the election in 2008 that the black community now has no excuses for being held back or discriminated against”
This sounds like legal arguments I’ve read against desegregation of the schools.
The black community should thank us all for what they have and ask for no more, ever again.
That’s all I hear. I don’t care who says it. That rings like a racist statement to me.
The white community has no excuses for not crushing ignorance and racial hate where ever it pops up.
Like talk radio…..
April 30th, 2009 at 8:18 am