Recently, our constantly campaigning President found time in between Democratic party fundraisers to squeeze in some time to visit New Orleans, Louisiana, one of the places devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Having copiously used that disaster as a rhetorical cudgel against Republicans, Obama now decided to bask in some glorious Not-Bush love. If there is one place on earth that is truly justified to loathe George W. Bush, it is New Orleans. Joining him in a plethora of egregious blunders during the storm were the Democratic governor and the Democratic Mayor of New Orleans. (who was reelected after Katrina) In spite of this, history looks to ordain this a Republican disaster, and a weakened Obama, currently struggling in the polls, looked for a friendly audience. At the usual stage managed town hall at the University of New Orleans, he got his warm reception.
The headline of the day was the question asked by one Terence Scott. After the fourth grader was ushered onto the stage, he asked his rather obviously planted question "Why do people hate you? They're supposed to love you." before saying something about God. The President answered with disjointed banalities that ranged from "I'm tough" through "I was elected" to "that's politics." Then, being clever enough to embrace the old showbiz adage about never following animals or children, Obama quickly ended the affair right there on the child-induced high and split. The whistle blows and another day at the propaganda factory is over, right? Not quite.
I couldn't get over the second part of the question. "They're supposed to love you" Leaving aside the child mentioning God, (haven't we dealt with the Messiah complex and this President enough?) this is really starting to be a very disturbing trend. First, children in a New Jersey school singing an ode to "Barack Hussein Obama" Next it was Obama, the glorious leader, speaking nationwide to school children and attempting to get them to write essays on how to help him. Then, it was CNN, the network of those who fact-check jokes, having schoolkids on to do a song-and-dance number pushing for the creative destruction know as the Obama health care plan.
Obama and his web of Democratic operatives have targeted children in a way that is unprecedented, scary and absolutely vile. The slavish devotion being foisted on these children is beyond reprehensible. Have other presidents used children as props? Remember Bill Clinton and his constant mantra about doing it "for the children?" With this president, though, it is truly breathtaking to see the swiftness, breadth and the cold cynicism grasping so many young lives for squalid political gain.
Article comments
1 - Arch Conservative
Don't worry Dock, I'm sure that the moonbats will be along shortly too tell you how off the mark you are. (you're actually dead on)
Meanwhile the value of a dollar is dropping, unemployment is rising and the White House's main priority is seemingly to pick fights with news outlets that give them favorable coverage 24-7.
There are so many community organizers out there in the world. It's looking like we put our money on the wrong one.
2 - Joanne Huspek
This makes me so, so glad that my kids are now adult age. I don't know what I would do with a young child these days. They are already attacked with more media than ever before. You can't put them in a vacuum, but still...
And they went after the cereal manufacturers for deceptive advertising...
3 - John Lake
• I've got to hand it to you. You've taken one small shard of an idea and run with it, hyperbole in hand. When Obama sought to address the children to bring home to them the idea that America is a great country, and the President cares that they stay in school and learn, there were a few who thought that the grade-school aged children might assume that they were to see the President as a DEMOCRAT. So there was some forced criticism from the few who benefit when we ignore ideals and morality, and strike out blindly for big business and the profit motive.
It seems likely that you would object to Children hearing the President speak, inasmuch as you appear to be of the ilk who associate the Presidency with the thrill of invading third world nations, assassinating their rulers, and taking their wealth on the premise of bringing the wonders of the new world to them. Forget that the new world is steeped in corruption and immorality.
The truth is Barack Obama already suspects he won't be able to overcome the greed of those in public office who sell out morality and the American Public to please the rich and powerful lobbyists who know they have the power of numbers, and will even corrupt the still remaining members of the decent media if that becomes necessary.
4 - El Bicho
"Then, being clever enough to embrace the old showbiz adage about never following animals or children"
Huh? How bizarre Obama would follow an old showbiz adage that doesn't exist. W.C. Fields is credited with saying, "Never work with children or animals."
But hey, why should you let the facts get in the way of your opinion and partisanship, right? You're part of the country's problem, Dock.
5 - Baronius
Dock, I usually agree with you, but I think you're overstating your case here. To me, the creepy thing about the New Orleans question was that the President didn't answer by saying that the thing that makes this country great is our freedom to disagree with each other, et cetera. He didn't really answer the child's question, because he probably agrees with him. People are supposed to love me!
John, what does this article have to do with assassinations and lobbyists?
6 - Glenn Contrarian
Um, Dock -
I'm not sure if you know this, but there were children singing Bush 43's praises too - and these were children from the Gulf Coast states praising Bush's response to Katrina!!!!
Here's some of the lyrics:
Our country's stood beside us People have sent us aid. Katrina could not stop us, our hopes will never fade. Congress, Bush and FEMA People across our land Together have come to rebuild us and we join them hand-in-hand!
So, um, please spare us the implied comparisons to Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, and the Khmer Rouge. Perhaps next time you should check your own people...and if you worry about a dictatorship in America, then perhaps you should research directive 13438 (2007) - which allowed the administration to seize property from groups who pose a threat to stability in Iraq, even if said threat has not been proven. The language of the order is so broad that even a domestic critic of the war could be considered a "threat to stability."
We were FAR closer to a dictatorship under Bush than at any time since Woodrow Wilson in 1918.