I don’t talk politics a lot here, but I’d really love to hear what Obama voters think about this article:
“I’ve said this several times before: Either the President knows everything and he’s lying or he knows nothing and he’s incompetent. If he’s lying, then we will have some serious issues on our hands. If he knows nothing and incompetent, then I say again, who the hell is running this administration?”
I posted this out-take on Facebook, but just felt like this might be a place to ask the same questions. A friend said that he felt that the quote I pulled from the article was even a bit on the weak side, especially considering the gravity of the scandals that are coming to light. I responded:
I pulled that specifically to make my more left-leaning friends and family ponder it, and I firmly believe that name-calling and poo-throwing gain nothing in the end but sorrow. Unlike some people (who I’ve been un-following like mad since Lent), I don’t think being nasty about it is right. I want people who supported the president (especially the second time) to really think about these implications and what his administration has been doing for the last 2-3 years.
This is a serious problem, and you shouldn’t have to be the opposite party to think so. But to put it in perspective, if it WAS Bush or Reagan who was doing these things – using the IRS and FBI to intimidate political opponents, creating laws that punish people for their following their religious beliefs with crippling fines, seizing phone and email records of reporters who dare to say anything negative about them (or simply report on things they’re doing that the public wouldn’t like), sending guns to Mexican drug lords to use without paying the least attention to where said guns went – seriously, wouldn’t you be apoplectic by now? Even though I was pretty young when Iran-Contra went down, I do recall a lot of freaking-out in the press about that.
And yet Fast and Furious gets nary a whisper – I doubt most people even know the name of the program, let alone what they did. No one seems to be worried about pro-lifers, religious groups, Tea Party groups, and adoptive parents being targeted by the IRS. That the Army printed materials that LITERALLY named Catholics as possible terrorists!
Where is the indignation over these things? Where are all those people who claimed that dissent is patriotic? Where are the proud liberals who used to have bumper stickers that said they might not like my views, but they’d defend my right to speak them with their lives?
These aren’t meant to throw bombs or play blame games. These are serious questions I have that just plague me. Are people even aware of these things?
Domestic Vocation 
Ever since Sandy Hook we turned off the T.V. at our house an turned a blind eye to many things. Thanks for sharing. You certainly raised a lot of good points here. I try to stay out of politics too. To me it’s all very overwhelming and it often leaves me feeling depressed and helpless.
LikeLike
This is a very interesting article. I certainly agree with you, which is no surprise. I attempt to write an entire article full of snark, but when it comes to this I suppose the frustration gets the better of me.
I would disagree with your friend on it being a bit on the weak side. There are two main characteristics we look for in a President: Integrity and Leadership. It has become quite clear that President Obama has failed on one of those fronts. Time will tell which one category he has fallen into. As a side note, I will say that either outcome will involve a little bit of the other.
Thank you for your response to my article. I appreciate feedback and discourse over them.
LikeLike
For what it’s worth, I disagreed that it was a weak question, too. It wasn’t an *angry* question. (Not that my friend is an angry person. Frustrated, yes, mean and angry, no.) I did think it was put pretty simply, though, and I liked that it was thought-provoking and could be taken that way even from the POV of someone on the Left. At least, I *hope* someone on the Left could see it that way.
I’m far more interested in engaging people on this than thrusting their vote for Obama in their face, even if it’s becoming more and more difficult for me to be charitable when it comes to that subject. I’m striving for charity, and often will compose a tweet or Facebook post and delete it because it’s just not charitable. I hate when I wind up not being so, and I know there are definitely times when my temper is lost and I fail. Miserably.
LikeLike
I’m sorry, I meant to say that I attempt to not write an entire article full of snark.
LikeLike
I’m sure you were doing so with the best intentions, and it’s a difficult thing to write about something so upsetting without dropping a lot to snark.
I didn’t mean to make it sound like I limp you in with those who are “pop-slingers,” and I hope it didn’t come across that way. I do see a lot of it on Twitter, and I’ve been doing a lot of un-following to rid my timeline of people who seem to thrive on their own anger, and that’s mainly what I was thinking of when I wrote that part. Flies, honey… I do believe that stuff. It comes from the idea of loving your enemy (though I don’t see people on the Left as my enemies until they start threatening my family).
LikeLike
I agree. I’m a bit rough from time to time on twitter, but all in good fun. I actually have some great pals on there that don’t agree with me on much. There is a balance and we leave each other alone for the most part to allow the occasional rants. Thanks again for the feedback and I enjoyed your piece very much.
LikeLike