Quote:Well, its too early to say, I told you so, so I wont say it yet. One day soon, many of you are going to wake up and realize you voted a man you know precious little about into our nations highest office.
I am pleased we have finally progressed far enough as a country to elect a black man as president, but my only problem with now-President-elect Barack Obama is that he was the wrong man.
Plenty of other blacks could have made better candidates. Just look at people like Alan Keyes or Condoleezza Rice. Theyre more experienced, rational and not spouting off emotional rhetoric constantly.
Speaking of false hopes, Peggy Joseph of Chicago said in an interview at Obamas victory celebration that she wouldnt have to worry about putting gas in my car or paying [her] mortgage.
Whys that, Peggy?
If I help him [Obama], hes gonna help me.
Good news for Mrs. Joseph, the voters sided with Obama on Tuesday night.
Where does that leave the rest of us, though? According to Fox News, 58,076,398 people voted against Obama. What about them?
I dont know. I honestly dont. What could I say that would console them for their loss, for our loss?
What Im going to say is something Democrats have said for the last 8 years, bitter at their losses to President Bush.
Hes not my president.
So before you get on my case about not supporting the president, ask yourself if you supported President Bush. My guess is you didnt. If thats true, get over yourself. Dont expect the 58 million of us who voted against Obama to suddenly fall in line behind him like you did. We cant (and shouldnt) be expected to join you in lockstep behind your candidate a candidate we never supported.
All political correctness aside, I have absolutely no respect for Obama or his victory. I think the country made the wrong choice, and will realize it only now that its too late. John McCain may find it politically expedient to support unity in the country and whatever else, but I do not, and neither has any Democrat over the last several years.
Harry Reid has voiced disrespect for the president on numerous occasions. He has said, President Bush is a liar. He betrayed the country. He went on to call President Bush a loser in front of a middle school civics class.
Other Democrats joined him. Howard Dean said, This president is not interested in being a good president.
Besides, it isnt like the Democrats have done anything for national unity over the last eight years. We have endured attack after unfounded attack on our president, and now that coin will be flipped. I hope they can take a dose of their own medicine.
I have spent months outlining my objections to the Democratic nominee, and now that he will be president, they seem even more relevant, though I wont bore you with a reiteration.
What Im saying is that those of you who voted Obama into office on Tuesday shouldnt expect everyone else to join you in your love affair with the president-elect. I have respect for the office he will hold, but youre kidding yourself if you think all of you respected either while President Bush has been in office.
Maybe Obama will do something right, but I have to admit my expectations could not be lower. I hope for our sake as a nation that he doesnt fail, but we dont know enough about him to make that prediction yet.
The stock market has, though.
For the two days following the election, the New York Stock Exchange has finished down 486 points and 443 points, respectively. According to a Reuters article, the Nov. 5 loss represents the single largest plunge of the stck market the day after a presidential election since its inception in 1896. The drop more than erased the largest gains ever on Election Day.
Anyway, a net loss of 929 points over the two days following the election sends a pretty dismal message. Clearly, investors arent happy Obama won. If they arent happy, why should anyone else be?
Your anger and ego will always reveal your true self.
Quote:Wild-eyed Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann recently called on her constituents to get "armed and dangerous" to protect America. Congresswoman Bachmann invoked the spirit of Thomas Jefferson to urge a revolution ... so we don't lose our country, you know. Who is the threat? President Barack Obama. What nefarious plot has he hatched to destroy freedom? Well, his plan to reduce global warming and climate collapse, of course.
Maybe some of you remember President Obama's innauguration. Many things about that day stand out in my mind. I was surprised, though, when a slip of the tongue was thought to have inadvertently thrown the legitimacy of our government into doubt. Following the clumsy Oath of Office on Inauguration Day, Chris Wallace of Fox News declared, "Well, again, we're wondering whether or not Barack Obama in fact is the President of the United States." Yikes! I wonder if they've fixed that yet?
Just a few days ago, a woman named Tammy Bruce, guest-hosting on the Laura Ingram radio show, declared, "We've got trash in the White House." Given the provocative natureof talk radio, it shouldn't shock me.
I find it a little more disturbing that members of our government are calling for revolution over cap-and-trade carbon markets. Without getting into any possible merits of her objections, that seems a little extreme. To make matters worse, as someone who was born and raised in Minnesota, I fear for the political reputation of the Land of 10,000 Lakes (actually more than 13,000 as most Minnesotans will cheerfully observe). Wrassling Governer Ventura, apparently-elected-former-comedian Senator Franken, now Congresswoman Bachmann issuing periodic calls for revolution and anti-American-activity inquests. I think it is clear that the next Congressperson from the North Star State will be a giant squirrel who communicates using a complicated corn-dog semaphore code.
How can these folks express such hostile feelings toward their President? Maybe that's my problem. I don't understand that he's not their President.
Twice in the past eight years, many Americans have wondered whether the guy in the Oval Office is the president. In 2000, it was the unusual circumstances under which George W. Bush was declared the victor. (Interestingly, some people think we'll soon see the first high profile legal case using Bush v. Gore as its central argument. The case? Dueling Minnesota Senator wannabes, Norm Coleman and Al Franken. Of course. *sigh*)
What might the spirit of "He's not my President" say about a meaningful life? We often link our own aspirations to the welfare and policies of the nations in which we live. At it's worst, this can lead to disappointment and rash promises (did immigration to Canada from the US really spike in 2000, 2004, and 2008?). At its best, tying our own concerns to those of a larger entity is one of the ways that people add meaning to their lives. Transcending our individual needs and desires by investing in some larger aim, cause, or group of people can expand our sense of who we are. Gordon Allport talked about the mature personality as one that constantly grows to embrace more and more people and concerns. Linking ourselves to something greater can also provide us with a deeper sense of purpose.
Some scholars have argued that connecting ourselves with something greater is a way to achieve symbolic immortality. When they make people think about their own death, people get sensitive and ornery. However, they feel better if they get to defend their culturally-inspired world view. So, if I asked you to describe what would happen to your body as you died, you'd feel a little more anxious, and more hostile to people who are different from you...unless I gave you a chance to symbolically wave a flag, chant the name of your country, and punish those who oppose her will. Doing those things seems to help us feel like we're part of something that will still be here when we're worm food.
Being a part of something greater than ourselves looks like a tried and true way of deepening the meaning in your life. Volunteering for a community organization, getting involved in politics, attending religious services, and participating in social groups all are associated with greater meaning in life.
Of course, as with anything else we build our lives on, when these extensions of ourselves seem like they're being challenged, changed, or attacked, it can have a deep and penetrating effect. In a couple of previous columns, I discussed strategies for making meaning when your job - and identity as a worker - are undermined. I'd suggest something similar to Congresswoman Bachmann and other folks struggling with changes to an important source of meaning. Key components are accepting the situation, looking for hidden opportunities to work with other people to find common ground, working collaboratively to shape new directions, and putting things in perspective.
Aside from a giant asteroid hurtling toward Earth, very few things are really the end of the world (and even that asteroid will miss us).
Including having a disagreement with a President.
Your anger and ego will always reveal your true self.
Quote:Today, thousands of people assembled in streets around the world to protest the presidency of Donald J. Trump for the fourth straight day in a row.
According to conservatives on social media, “Republicans have jobs and responsibilities” and therefore couldn’t engage in civil disobedience to voice their discontent with the 2008 and 2012 elections. With this perception of the Obama elections and subsequent claims of “ Republican acceptance,” Trump supporters are now demanding the same “fairness” for Donald J. Trump’s presidency, “We sat through do nothing politics for 8 years, the least they can do is go shut up and sit in the corner for 8 themselves,” on Trump supporter explained.
However, these perceptions do not reflect what actually followed the election of our country’s first black president, much less the difference between why people are protesting Donald J. Trump’s presidency as compared to Barack Obama’s presidency.
Obama’s election in 2008 was preceded and followed by violent attacks and property destruction targeted against minorities.
Kaylon Johnson, an African American campaign worker for Obama, wasphysically assaulted for wearing an Obama T-shirt in Louisiana following the 2008 election. The three white male attackers shouted “**** Obama!” and “****** president!” as they broke Johnson’s nose and fractured his eye-socket, requiring surgery.
More frequently, Obama’s presidency was marked by effigies of our first black president hanging from nooses across the country, for example in Kentucky, Washington State, and Maine, or being burned around the world. What Trump supporters fail to remember is that following Obama’s election, property was destroyed across the country, for example in Pennsylvania, Texas, and North Carolina, and a predominately black church was torched in Massachusetts.
In 2008, anti-Obama protesters lashed out against minorities because of their discontentment with a black man being voted into the office of president for the first time in our nation’s history. Conversely, in 2016, anti-Trump protesters are holding mostly peaceful demonstrations because of their discontentment with a man, who has ostracized minorities, being voted into the office of president.
And while anti-Trump protesters have engaged in mostly peaceful demonstrations against the president-elect, pro-Trump supporters have been responsible for a wave of attacks against Muslims, Latinos, blacks, and the LGBT community. According to Mark Potok, senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center civil rights group, there haven’t been “such a rash of hate crimes in the United States since Barack Obama was elected America’s first black president in 2008.” Muslim women are reporting having their hijabs ripped from their heads, while immigrant children are being bullied. Trump’s name and slogan, “Make America Great Again,” are being found alongside swastikas and anti-minority messages in graffiti around the nation.
Ultimately, demonstrators are not protesting Trump because he is Republican. They aren’t protesting him because he is a white male. These protests are because of the bigotry his campaign has emboldened and the fear of discrimination his presidency has the capacity to perpetuate.
Mehlman-Orozco holds a Ph.D. in criminology, law and society from George Mason University, with an expertise in human trafficking. She currently serves as a human trafficking expert witness for criminal cases and her book, “Hidden in Plain Sight: America's Slaves of the New Millennium.” Follow her on Twitter @MehlmanOrozco
The views expressed by Contributors are their own and are not the views of The Hill.
Your anger and ego will always reveal your true self.
(02-12-2017, 02:07 AM)Rotobeast Wrote: What is going to be the left's version of the Tea Party ?
I've seen the Alt-Left rising, but they're not really going to be a legit group.
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that's a good question.
I've been thinking about it and they may not have the same fracture Republicans did several years ago.
since the 80s you've had a schism in the GOP. They rounded up Christian conservatives and promised to make the us a church state. They also brought in people worried about big government and told them they'd get rid of that.
they lied to both. Through the 80 & 90s they did the opposite and lost support to the point of having the tea party rise up.
they started moving in that direction and bringing the party back together. Which is where we are now.
democrats didn't change much during those times. The liberal contingent was still liberal, workers were still workers. Historically, the GOP goes a little crazy and workers suffer. As they do, they come back to the Democrats. I think were well on that path with the first few weeks of trumptopia happening. a
hats
Pretty good answer, but apart from the coasts, I don't see a lot of support.
(02-12-2017, 09:41 PM)Benton Wrote: that's a good question.
I've been thinking about it and they may not have the same fracture Republicans did several years ago.
since the 80s you've had a schism in the GOP. They rounded up Christian conservatives and promised to make the us a church state. They also brought in people worried about big government and told them they'd get rid of that.
they lied to both. Through the 80 & 90s they did the opposite and lost support to the point of having the tea party rise up.
they started moving in that direction and bringing the party back together. Which is where we are now.
democrats didn't change much during those times. The liberal contingent was still liberal, workers were still workers. Historically, the GOP goes a little crazy and workers suffer. As they do, they come back to the Democrats. I think were well on that path with the first few weeks of trumptopia happening. a
hats
I'm really surprised that there hasn't been a splinter off of the Democratic party, that is more focussed on labor unions and the common worker.
Yeah, you know what I'm getting at.
(02-14-2017, 01:18 PM)PhilHos Wrote: And I bet you the same people who criticized these people for not supporting Obama are the ones now saying Trump's not their president.
You might be right!
And I bet the people saying no one protested the Obama presidency feel awfully silly now too.
Your anger and ego will always reveal your true self.
(02-12-2017, 02:07 AM)Rotobeast Wrote: What is going to be the left's version of the Tea Party ?
I've seen the Alt-Left rising, but they're not really going to be a legit group.
Sent from my SM-S820L using Tapatalk
They are typically called Berniecrats, from what I have seen.
"A great democracy has got to be progressive, or it will soon cease to be either great or a democracy..." - TR
"The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little." - FDR
(02-14-2017, 01:27 PM)GMDino Wrote: You might be right!
And I bet the people saying no one protested the Obama presidency feel awfully silly now too.
I doubt it. They'll most likely just make up more excuses like those that got all riled up at those that protested the Obama presidency who are now protesting Trump's presidency.
(02-14-2017, 01:33 PM)PhilHos Wrote: I doubt it. They'll most likely just make up more excuses like those that got all riled up at those that protested the Obama presidency who are now protesting Trump's presidency.
Maybe that's part of the problem? That people don't feel stupid when they do stupid things?
Your anger and ego will always reveal your true self.
“History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure.”-Thurgood Marshall
(02-14-2017, 03:53 PM)GMDino Wrote: I think the ones carrying the witch doctor and chimpanzee signs might fit that bill.
Perhaps the lynching ones?
Not everyone who disliked Obama was racist...but a lot of racists sure disliked Obama.
People always compared Bush to a chimp and now they do Trump. And anyone who said Obama was not their President was assumed to feel that way because he's black. Personally I think it's a stupid statement as President isn't really an opinion.
“History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure.”-Thurgood Marshall
(02-14-2017, 03:58 PM)michaelsean Wrote: People always compared Bush to a chimp and now they do Trump. And anyone who said Obama was not their President was assumed to feel that way because he's black. Personally I think it's a stupid statement as President isn't really an opinion.
They said Bush was because of they said he was dumb and big ears.
I haven't seen Trump compared yet.
But, like it or not, comparing a black person (any black person) to a chimp or gorilla is going to have racial overtones.
I agree that we should move past that but that doesn't change the history of such things.
Your anger and ego will always reveal your true self.
(02-14-2017, 04:00 PM)GMDino Wrote: They said Bush was because of they said he was dumb and big ears.
I haven't seen Trump compared yet.
But, like it or not, comparing a black person (any black person) to a chimp or gorilla is going to have racial overtones.
I agree that we should move past that but that doesn't change the history of such things.
Speaking of which, a quick story. We had some friends over for a cookout. (Hamburgers and hot dogs are not a barbeque) At one point there were three of us on my front porch. Me, another white guy, and a black guy. The other two guys were neighbors of each other. The black guy says I really like your porch. I say yeah I like to sit out here as much as I can. The white guy says, "There's no way you spend as much time on your porch as this porch monkey here. He never leaves it." He had absolutely no idea. The black guy was well aware that the other guy would never say anything like that intentionally, and we had a pretty good laugh at his expense as he was fairly mortified when we told him. Then of course came Clerks II and now it's cool.
“History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure.”-Thurgood Marshall
(02-14-2017, 06:27 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Speaking of which, a quick story. We had some friends over for a cookout. (Hamburgers and hot dogs are not a barbeque) At one point there were three of us on my front porch. Me, another white guy, and a black guy. The other two guys were neighbors of each other. The black guy says I really like your porch. I say yeah I like to sit out here as much as I can. The white guy says, "There's no way you spend as much time on your porch as this porch monkey here. He never leaves it." He had absolutely no idea. The black guy was well aware that the other guy would never say anything like that intentionally, and we had a pretty good laugh at his expense as he was fairly mortified when we told him. Then of course came Clerks II and now it's cool.
I almost posted this with my last response, but since you shared that story:
I told my wife an old, off color joke that involved a racial term. It was told in the context of how you can't tell that kind of joke anymore.
She feigned offense at the term so I substituted three or four others for the same group while she sat there staring at me.
At the same time our son walked through...he had zero idea what any of them meant!
Your anger and ego will always reveal your true self.
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