An interesting juxtaposition from The Washington Post’s Chris Cillizza
Can Obama bridge the divide between the two Americas?
John Edwards was right. There are two Americas.
In one America, the events of the past 10 days have exposed the true colors of President Obama and his administration. From edited talking points about the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, to the secret seizure of phone records of Associated Press reporters to the IRS’s targeting of conservative groups, a single message has emerged: This is the inevitable result of government run amok.
In the other America, this is all much ado over nothing. The death of four Americans at the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi was a tragedy, nothing more. The Justice Department acted legally. And the IRS officials who acted wrongly did so of their own accord and had absolutely no contact with President Obama or senior officials in his administration.
In Obama’s America, Liberals will do any and everything to protect him. Had these scandals come to light during a Republican presidency, there would have been teeth gnashing, wailing, and outrage from the Left. And Republicans would have been outraged as well. This isn’t solely the fault of Obama, who has created an atmosphere that allowed these scandals to occur: it goes back to the impeachment of President Clinton, where lefties did everything they could to protect him, despite being credibly accused of rape and sexual harassment, discarding their long held beliefs about feminism and treating women with respect. Oh, and that Clinton was charged with obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and lying to a federal grand jury. Out of that grew the group MoveOn, designed to attack Republicans and protect Democrats at all costs. Today it has been replaced with other groups.
You take a look at the comments at this story, and see Democrats providing cover. Another good example today is the article at Political Wire highlighting the DOJ targeting a Fox News reporter: with a GOP president, their would be outrage. With an Obama presidency, Liberals care less about this abuse of power and possible 1st Amendment violation.
To get those deals, Obama needs to find a way to speak to both Americas in a way he hasn’t done so far in his presidency. Economic stimulus and health care — the two big accomplishments of his first term — passed on partisan lines. The attempt to change gun laws in his second term failed largely on those same lines.
That’ll happen on the same day hummingbirds start hunting squirrels. Say what you will about President Bush, at least he attempted to be President of all Americans. Obama speaks and acts as President of the Democrats. He can yammer on about bridging divides, but his actions and rhetoric say different. Never before has a POTUS attacked private citizens engaged in their 1st Amendment Rights so much and so consistently. I don’t say Obama is Not My President because of his policies, but because he constantly demonizes and denigrates those who disagree with him, which means, me.
Obama’s rapid ascent up the political ladder was defined by bridging what were thought to be unbridgeable gaps. The question now is whether there is a ladder big enough to bridge the divide between our two opposing political Americas.
Um, no. Obama always worked to keep his hands clean, while his people and “outside” groups mercilessly attacked his opponents using the Chicago style. During campaigns he has always appealed to the weak minded through lofty speeches, but still went after those who wouldn’t toe his far, far left line. And this won’t change. Even though he can’t run again, the neverending campaign continues, he still attacks and demonizes, and perpetuates the atmosphere of a divided America. This is what he wants.
Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.
the last poll I saw said that only 20% of Americans were following closely Benghazi. Teach what people care about is that teh economy is slowly getting better. That is why Obama’s poll numbers are still good. That is also one reason why the GOP in Congress consistently gets such low poll numbers. Americans have just seen the hard right scream WOLF !! WOLF !!! I SEE A WOLF!!! too many times. They don’t believe that there was a wolf.
Actually john, Obama’s numbers continue to drop and the American people have the GOP and their policies tracking higher and higher.
As for Benghazi, I still wonder how someone – anyone – can not say the death of four Americans and the resulting coverup is not worthy of attention.
Even so, perhaps not many people are “following closely” because they are more interested in the IRS scandal, the AP / DOJ scandal, and countless others.
People only have so much time and there are so many scandals and lies from this administration that it is difficult to follow them all.
And john would still have us under Britain’s imperial tyrannical thumb. Our defeat of the King, led to a massive transformation of freedom across the globe. Without America winning its war with Britain, Britain would have retained its Kings and its imperial rule across the globe.
So, John, when you spout your illiterate yammerings, thank our few, minority of founding fathers who fought for your right to spew your inanities on a free internet.