"The president does not believe that criticism comes based on the color of his skin," Gibbs said in his Wednesday briefing at the White House. "We understand that people have disagreements with some of the decisions that we've made and some of the extraordinary actions that had to be taken by both this administration and the previous administration."
Political expediency dictates that the President has to say something along those lines: as he's trying to make the debate about policy rather than these other things.
Nevertheless, any reasonable analysis of the 'Birther' position leads rational people to conclude that either the birthers are deluded in extremis, or they just can't cope with the fact that a black man, born in America, could ever be President.
Of course, given there is pretty incontrovertable evidence of Obama's birth in Hawaii, they are probably both.
Or what do you think the 'Birther' position is all about then?
I'd love to believe that, except....as jhohanna mentions below, there's rather too much evidence to the contrary; and the folk chanting 'N****r' and 'White Power' don't care who hears them.
If folk like this are in a minority, surely it's time for the decent people on the right to distance themselves from such opinions?
So...some percentage of these folk are deluded and mad, some are racists, and some are rational.
And Obama should listen to this coalition of these folk (only some of whom are rational) when he has a majority in both houses?
Gordon Bennett. I take Poor Mad Jeremy (a schizophrenic old school-chum) for lunch every Thursday: I wouldn't dream of letting his opinions influence my important decisions.
Dude, that's trivial. Follow the process, and you'll have no need to ask such questions. There are a lot of them, starting with Baucus, who initially supported the public option. I especially liked the latest move of Senator Snow.
And neither one of them are up for election in 2010. Reread my comment about the election is more than a year away and the Gallop poll is pretty dynamic (when it was showing a lot of support for Obama's plan before the town hall meetings, I'm sure you were whistling a different tune).
Well, when it was showing a lot of support for Obama's plan, somehow more Congress folks were willing to vote for that plan. Now there are not enough votes for anything but reconciliation, and Obama's last hope for "bipartisanship" died when Snowe turned away. Be my guest and demonstrate that these two phenomenons are not connected.
Unlike you, people in Congress know that such a vote can surface even in ten years and hurt a lot.
Ten years with the American voting public? Oh the LOLz! Really, can you cite a specific vote by any Congressional Senator that cost him an election over ten years later, or this another case of you talking out of your ass? President Obama could care less about elections ten years from now; he's worried about the 2010 elections and holding onto his majorities. The two Senators you specifically cited aren't up for re-election then.
The Senate bill was just released this week, the ammendment process will start next week, see just like the Gallop polls, the process is a dynamic one, it's changing. So if Snow has changed her mind before, what's to say a newer bill wouldn't be more appealing to her after the changes? Besides-- her vote only matters until Kennedy's replacement is named shortly. The Massachusett's state house is moving quickly on a bill allowing the governor to name someone much sooner than you'd like.
I said "hurt a lot", not "cost him an election". Such examples we all know. There were votes for Iraq war (Hillary paid dearly for that six years after the vote), or for FISA support (was a substantial problem for Obama), that were surfacing again and again. McCain votes on immigration issue costed him a noticeable part of his base.
That's just most visible stuff.
Regarding all the rest - we'll see. Voter's mood is not the only factor the Congress folk take in consideration.
Anyhow, your attempt to claim a complete independence of Congress folks from their constituents amused me a lot. It's kind of typical for liberals.
What do you suggest? Fight them there? I don't think it's doable. Liberals don't do that either: liberal rallies attracts their share of loonies as well, and conservative sources use it in a pretty much same way, showing crazy leftie signs and painting all liberals as crazies.
there were a lot of people at the anti-war/nuclear/reagan/bush demonstrations over the years that i disagreed with and wished weren't there, but you can't exactly stop them from coming. i'm sure the klan felt the same way about the 150 decent republicans at the teabag rally.
There are also those who claim that our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false. The reforms -- the reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.
Naaaaaah... the reports of guys on street corners shouting White Power (as noted by a Salon columnist), and heavy use of the N word (as cited by Randi Rhodes' producer who was THERE). Nah, race isn't a factor at all!
But, President Obama won't be baited into that argument. I hope.
Impressive - it's like they got the entirety of the racist content in one group for one drawing. Thankfully, the rest of us know that the other 1 million or so indeed had nothing to do with race.
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Date: 2009-09-17 03:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 01:56 pm (UTC)Nevertheless, any reasonable analysis of the 'Birther' position leads rational people to conclude that either the birthers are deluded in extremis, or they just can't cope with the fact that a black man, born in America, could ever be President.
Of course, given there is pretty incontrovertable evidence of Obama's birth in Hawaii, they are probably both.
Or what do you think the 'Birther' position is all about then?
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Date: 2009-09-17 02:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 02:20 pm (UTC)If folk like this are in a minority, surely it's time for the decent people on the right to distance themselves from such opinions?
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Date: 2009-09-17 02:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 02:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 05:34 pm (UTC)And Obama should listen to this coalition of these folk (only some of whom are rational) when he has a majority in both houses?
Gordon Bennett. I take Poor Mad Jeremy (a schizophrenic old school-chum) for lunch every Thursday: I wouldn't dream of letting his opinions influence my important decisions.
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Date: 2009-09-17 06:34 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2009-09-17 07:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 07:44 pm (UTC)And neither one of them are up for election in 2010. Reread my comment about the election is more than a year away and the Gallop poll is pretty dynamic (when it was showing a lot of support for Obama's plan before the town hall meetings, I'm sure you were whistling a different tune).
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Date: 2009-09-17 07:58 pm (UTC)Unlike you, people in Congress know that such a vote can surface even in ten years and hurt a lot.
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Date: 2009-09-17 08:12 pm (UTC)The Senate bill was just released this week, the ammendment process will start next week, see just like the Gallop polls, the process is a dynamic one, it's changing. So if Snow has changed her mind before, what's to say a newer bill wouldn't be more appealing to her after the changes? Besides-- her vote only matters until Kennedy's replacement is named shortly. The Massachusett's state house is moving quickly on a bill allowing the governor to name someone much sooner than you'd like.
Next......
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Date: 2009-09-17 08:45 pm (UTC)That's just most visible stuff.
Regarding all the rest - we'll see. Voter's mood is not the only factor the Congress folk take in consideration.
Anyhow, your attempt to claim a complete independence of Congress folks from their constituents amused me a lot. It's kind of typical for liberals.
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Date: 2009-09-17 02:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 05:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-19 06:44 pm (UTC)HAH!
That was awesome.
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Date: 2009-09-17 02:05 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 02:40 pm (UTC)If I agree with it, I will be accused of blindly agreeing with Obama.
If I disagree with it, I will be accused of blindly worshiping Obama.
CONUNDRUM.
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Date: 2009-09-17 02:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 02:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 02:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-17 04:38 pm (UTC)Which is it?
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Date: 2009-09-17 02:00 pm (UTC)But, President Obama won't be baited into that argument. I hope.
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Date: 2009-09-17 02:27 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2009-09-17 08:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-19 06:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-09-18 04:39 am (UTC)http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090917/ap_on_re_us/us_crying_racism
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Date: 2009-09-19 08:18 am (UTC)