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Title: Obama Will Triumph -- So Will America
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URL Source: http://n/a
Published: Jul 16, 2010
Author: Frank Schaeffer
Post Date: 2010-07-16 06:03:56 by noone222
Keywords: None
Views: 210
Comments: 20
Obama Will Triumph -- So Will America By Frank Schaeffer Before he had served even one year President Obama lost the support of the easily distracted left and engendered the white hot rage of the hate-filled right. But some of us, from all walks of life and ideological backgrounds -- including this white, straight, 57-year-old, former religious right-wing agitator, now progressive writer and (given my background as the son of a famous evangelical leader) this unlikely Obama supporter -- are sticking with our President. Why? -- Because he is succeeding. We faithful Obama supporters still trust our initial impression of him as a great, good and uniquely qualified man to lead us. Obama's steady supporters will be proved right. Obama's critics will be remembered as easily panicked and prematurely discouraged at best and shriveled hate mongers at worst. The Context of the Obama Presidency Not since the days of the rise of fascism in Europe, the Second World War and the Depression has any president faced more adversity. Not since the Civil War has any president led a more bitterly divided country. Not since the introduction of racial integration has any president faced a more consistently short-sighted and willfully ignorant opposition - from both the right and left. As the President's poll numbers have fallen so has his support from some on the left that were hailing him as a Messiah not long ago; all those lefty websites and commentators that were falling all over themselves on behalf of our first black president during the 2008 election. The left's lack of faith has become a self-fulfilling "prophecy"-- snipe at the President and then watch the poll numbers fall and then pretend you didn't have anything to do with it! Here is what Obama faced when he took office-- none of which was his fault: # An ideologically divided country to the point that America was really two countries # Two wars; one that was mishandled from the start, the other that was unnecessary and immoral # The worst economic crisis since the depression # America's standing in the world at the lowest point in history # A country that had been misled into accepting the use of torture of prisoners of war # A health care system in free fall # An educational system in free fall # A global environmental crisis of history-altering proportions (about which the Bush administration and the Republicans had done nothing) # An impasse between culture warriors from the right and left # A huge financial deficit inherited from the terminally irresponsible Bush administration. And those were only some of the problems sitting on the President's desk! "Help" from the Right? What did the Republicans and the religious right, libertarians and half-baked conspiracy theorists -- that is what the Republicans were reduced to by the time Obama took office -- do to ”help" our new president (and our country) succeed? They claimed that he wasn't a real American, didn't have an American birth certificate, wasn't born here, was secretly a Muslim, was white-hating "racist", was secretly a Communist, was actually the Anti-Christ (!), and was a reincarnation of Hitler and wanted "death panels" to kill the elderly! They not-so-subtly called for his assassination through the not-so-subtle use of vile signs held at their rallies and even a bumper sticker quoting Psalm 109:8. They organized "tea parties" to sound off against imagined insults and all government in general and gathered to howl at the moon. They were led by insurance industry lobbyists and deranged (but well financed) "commentators" from Glenn Beck to Rush Limbaugh. The utterly discredited Roman Catholic bishops teamed up with the utterly discredited evangelical leaders to denounce a president who was trying to actually do something about the poor, the environment, to diminish the number of abortions through compassionate programs to help women and to care for the sick! And in Congress the Republican leadership only knew one word: "No!" In other words the reactionary white, rube, uneducated, crazy American far right, combined with the educated but obtuse neoconservative war mongers, religious right shills for big business, libertarian Fed Reserve-hating gold bug, gun-loving crazies, child-molesting acquiescent "bishops", frontier loons and evangelical gay-hating flakes found one thing to briefly unite them: their desire to stop an uppity black man from succeeding at all costs! "Help" from the Left? What did the left do to help their newly elected president? Some of them excoriated the President because they disagreed with the bad choices he was being forced to make regarding a war in Afghanistan that he'd inherited from the worst president in modern history! Others stood up and bravely proclaimed that the President's economic policies had "failed" before the President even instituted them! Others said that since all gay rights battles had not been fully won within virtually minutes of the President taking office, they'd been "betrayed!" (Never mind that Obama's vocal support to the gay community is stronger than any other president's has been. Never mind that he signed a new hate crimes law!) Those that had stood in transfixed legions weeping with beatific emotion on election night turned into an angry mob saying how "disappointed" they were that they'd not all immediately been translated to heaven the moment Obama stepped into the White House! Where was the "change"? Contrary to their expectations they were still mere mortals! And the legion of young new supporters was too busy texting to pay attention for longer than a nanosecond. "Governing"?! What the hell does that word, uh, like mean?" The President's critics left and right all had one thing in common: impatience laced with little-to-no sense of history (let alone reality) thrown in for good measure. Then of course there were the white, snide know-it-all commentators/talking heads who just couldn't imagine that maybe, just maybe they weren't as smart as they thought they were and certainly not as smart as their president. He hadn't consulted them, had he? So he must be wrong! The Obama critics' ideological ideas defined their idea of reality rather than reality defining their ideas -- say, about what is possible in one year in office after the hand that the President had been dealt by fate, or to be exact by the American idiot nation that voted Bush into office. Twice! Meanwhile back in the reality-based community - in just 12 short months -- President Obama: # Continued to draw down the misbegotten war in Iraq (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Thoughtfully and decisively picked the best of several bad choices regarding the war in Afghanistan (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Gave a major precedent-setting speech supporting gay rights (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Restored America's image around the globe (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Banned torture of American prisoners (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Stopped the free fall of the American economy (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Put the USA squarely back in the bilateral international community (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Put the USA squarely into the middle of the international effort to halt global warming (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Stood up for educational reform (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Won a Nobel peace prize (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Moved the trial of terrorists back into the American judicial system of checks and balances (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Did what had to be done to start the slow, torturous and almost impossible process of health care reform that 7 presidents had failed to even begin (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Responded to hatred from the right and left with measured good humor and patience (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Stopped the free fall of job losses (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Showed immense personal courage in the face of an armed and dangerous far right opposition that included the sort of disgusting people that show up at public meetings carrying loaded weapons and carrying Timothy McVeigh-inspired signs about the "blood of tyrants" needing to "water the tree of liberty" (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) # Showed that he could not only make the tough military choices but explain and defend them brilliantly (But that wasn't good enough for his critics) Other than those "disappointing" accomplishments -- IN ONE YEAR -- President Obama "failed"! Other than that he didn't "live up to expectations"! Who actually has failed... ...are the Americans that can't see the beginning of a miracle of national rebirth right under their jaded noses. Who failed are the smart-ass ideologues of the left and right who began rooting for this President to fail so that they could be proved right in their dire and morbid predictions. Who failed are the movers and shakers behind our obscenely dumb news cycles that have turned "news" into just more stupid entertainment for an entertainment-besotted infantile country. Here's the good news: President Obama is succeeding without the help of his lefty "supporters" or hate-filled Republican detractors! The Future Looks Good After Obama has served two full terms, (and he will), after his wisdom in moving deliberately and cautiously with great subtlety on all fronts -- with a canny and calculating eye to the possible succeeds, (it will), after the economy is booming and new industries are burgeoning, (they will be), after the doomsayers are all proved not just wrong but silly: let the record show that not all Americans were panicked into thinking the sky was falling. Just because we didn't get everything we wanted in the first short and fraught year Obama was in office not all of us gave up. Some of us stayed the course. And we will be proved right. PS. if you agree that Obama is shaping up to be a great president, please pass this on and hang in there! Pass it on anyway to ensure that his "report card" gets the attention it deserves. Frank Schaeffer is a New York Times best selling author.
Poster Comment: MY RESPONSE: (You may regret sending me the e-mail instigating this response. I read yours, please read mine.) To be truthful I don't think we have had an independent President since JFK. I think every President since that time (and some before) has been a puppet whose strings were pulled by the international "gang-bankers" to the detriment of the middle-class. [The execution of JFK was a coup d' etat ]. In an attempt to keep my response short and to the point I'd simply say that the border is still wide open and race relations couldn't be worse. The Justice Department has recently dropped a slam dunk case against the "New" Black Panthers for intimidating white voters during the last election. These people are hardcore marxist blacks from the inner city that spew hatred and make threats at every opportunity. Obama's choice for Atty General, Eric Holder, dropped the case against them when the evidence was indisputable simply because they were black. This is selective prosecution and bad for America. Eric Holder and the Justice Department under Obama have chosen instead to sue Arizona for trying to protect their border and their people by enforcing THE IMMIGRATION LAW that the FEDS refuse to enforce. I'm sure Holder is acting upon the orders of his boss, Obama. Americans are being raped and gunned down by illegals and gang-bangers here illegally. This must be stopped. Obama has selected two hardcore socialists/marxists to fill vacancies on the Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayer and now Elena Kagan. I am a student of history and I believe that the Supreme Court (and congress too) has been reduced to a rubber stamp purposed to assuage the public perception of wrong headed decisions necessary to change America from a nation of independent thinkers with ambition and initiative to a bunch of apathetic do nothings with their hands in the pocket of those remaining productive. Of course the productive have been burdened with more do nothings and welfare recipients each year to the point where it's impossible to maintain the welfare state. Obama promised transparency in government and his administration has been more secretive than that of his criminal predecessor, George "W" (am)Bush, the so-called compassionate conservative. Like I said earlier, all of these people have been puppets that have moved America from liberty towards marxism in increments that make it difficult for the busy American to perceive. The problems facing this nation and its politics are systemic and almost all of them are the result of the institution of the FEDERAL RESERVE BANK system that has turned America from the most prosperous country ever into the greatest debtor nation on planet earth. This is no accident. To be blunt, the institution of the FEDERAL RESERVE BANK caused the national bankruptcy declared (very quietly) only 20 years after its implementation (in 1933 when the FDR administration confiscated American's Gold and gave us worthless paper currency), which then led to the SOCIALIST SECURITY SYSTEM that was the contract for NATIONAL socialism in America. These changes took place only because Americans were both good and gullible. Our grand parents generation set the stage for exchanging the American Dream for the current national nightmare. Our people do not realize that they forfeited the Constitution in exchange for "federal (reserve) benefits". Our democratic republic was transformed into a de-mob-ocracy where the non-productive vote for those willing to rob the productive to support them. The Constitution became just a "GD" piece of paper like George W. Bush stated because of the FEDERAL RESERVE ACT. Can Obama be held responsible for all of this ? NO WAY. However, Obama is continuing the program of his banker string pullers. He bailed out the banks and Wall Street thieves at the expense of the American taxpayer. These criminals combined their efforts to sell LESS than worthless derivatives to cities, counties, states and NATIONS claiming these were AAA Securities. FRAUD is what happened and jail time is what was deserved. To make it simple to understand let it be said that the debtor is slave to the creditor. The slave has NO RIGHTS but mere privileges afforded him by the creditor. That's why the banks are running America into the ground and the Constitution is toilet paper. That's why we no longer have RIGHTS but mere privileges that are withdrawn at every turn. Just to illustrate how ridiculous it has become our cattle are to be taxed for farting !!! My point is not to bash Obama, but rather to plead with all Americans to reject the socialism that has murdered our freedom. Socialism is a softer way to say communism. Socialism / Communism doesn't work and requires the productive to feed the lethargic. Endless wars are required to keep the economy alive for the war profiteers and the self-centered plutocrats in caviar. America, let us re-appraise ourselves and ask where did that pioneer spirit go ? How is it that we continue to say things like ALL politicians are crooks or it's always been this way ... that's nonsense. It is certain that things will only get worse as long as we tolerate it. We can stop it but we must first agree to be free from the dictates of socialism and try to imagine the greatness that's achieveable in a truly free society. This will require fairness at every level with the chief aim of obtaining liberty for everyone. Obama is no different than most politicians. He is not the problem, we are. We have allowed our "public servants" to become our MASTERS. America is quickly becoming a police state. This is not Obama's fault it's simply what's necessary to implement the communist system of control that starts in D.C. and like an octopus has slimy tentacles reaching into every hamlet of America. It seems to me that almost everyone derives a benefit of some sort from the FEDS that they don't want to give up. Well, that's the first step towards liberty. In the animal world we call it weaning. Americans need to re-evaluate their dependency upon the FED and determine to GET OFF THE TIT. The FEDERAL RESERVE BANK is running America into the ground. Debt is destroying our country and the FEDERAL RESERVE debt based FIAT CURRENCY is the primary culprit. End this monopoly and watch freedom scream back into our lives. Our descendants will either love and praise us for re-establishing liberty for them or they will berate us for enslaving them. Which will it be ? Doug Scheidt
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#1. To: noone222 (#0)
That explains it. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it? We faithful Obama supporters still trust our initial impression of him as a great, good and uniquely qualified man to lead us. How did this moron make it to 57 years of age? He is one lucky son of a bitch. .
Click for Privacy and Preparedness files Live free or It is quite a shame that modern technology and comfort prevent so many eligible Darwin cases from self terminating as they would naturally, eh?
"The more artificial taboos and restrictions there are in the world, the more the people are impoverished.... The more that laws and regulations are given prominence, the more thieves and robbers there will be." - Lao Tzu, 6th century BC
Yeah. If/when it all crashes, think of all the ammo we would have saved. But too, they may still self-destruct. We can hope, right? There's not too many things more pathetic than a moron suddenly realizing he's a moron. .
Click for Privacy and Preparedness files Live free or What a PANTLOAD! The guy who wrote that drivel is a flaming retard.
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. He (Gordon Duff) also implies that forcibly removing Obama, a Constitution-hating, on-the-down-low, crackhead Communist, is an attack on America, Mom, and apple pie. I swear these military people are worse than useless. Just look around at the condition of the country and tell me if they have fulfilled their oaths to protect the nation from all enemies foreign and domestic. That was a good response to that Obama propaganda.
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. He (Gordon Duff) also implies that forcibly removing Obama, a Constitution-hating, on-the-down-low, crackhead Communist, is an attack on America, Mom, and apple pie. I swear these military people are worse than useless. Just look around at the condition of the country and tell me if they have fulfilled their oaths to protect the nation from all enemies foreign and domestic. Was anyone able to read all this insane drivel?
A friend (for now) sent me that crap ... so I tried to be gentle in responding with real issues.
"But if you want to continue to be slaves of the banks and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let bankers continue to create money and control credit.” Josiah Stamp
Buck nigger ???
"But if you want to continue to be slaves of the banks and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let bankers continue to create money and control credit.” Josiah Stamp
I got that far. My brain has no room for useless drivel.
halfrican
That may be the most delusional article I've ever seen here. Everything that I managed to read was exactly the opposite of what I see.
Everything that I managed to read was exactly the opposite of what I see. I was surprised my spam filter didn't eat that Mo Fo alive !
"But if you want to continue to be slaves of the banks and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let bankers continue to create money and control credit.” Josiah Stamp
I nearly puked but I got through it.
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. He (Gordon Duff) also implies that forcibly removing Obama, a Constitution-hating, on-the-down-low, crackhead Communist, is an attack on America, Mom, and apple pie. I swear these military people are worse than useless. Just look around at the condition of the country and tell me if they have fulfilled their oaths to protect the nation from all enemies foreign and domestic. It was a good reply but I would have been sorely tempted to ask my "friend" what would possess them to send me $#it like that. Obama is a flaming radical communist, Lenin and Stalin would be proud of him.
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. He (Gordon Duff) also implies that forcibly removing Obama, a Constitution-hating, on-the-down-low, crackhead Communist, is an attack on America, Mom, and apple pie. I swear these military people are worse than useless. Just look around at the condition of the country and tell me if they have fulfilled their oaths to protect the nation from all enemies foreign and domestic. My friend readily admits to being Bi-Polar and he's sent me stuff just the opposite ... who knows ... maybe he's bi-political !
"But if you want to continue to be slaves of the banks and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let bankers continue to create money and control credit.” Josiah Stamp
Sad that. His "inner communist" must have taken over his body when he sent you that load.
Liberty is not a means to a higher political end. It is itself the highest political end. He (Gordon Duff) also implies that forcibly removing Obama, a Constitution-hating, on-the-down-low, crackhead Communist, is an attack on America, Mom, and apple pie. I swear these military people are worse than useless. Just look around at the condition of the country and tell me if they have fulfilled their oaths to protect the nation from all enemies foreign and domestic. he hasn't responded to my reply.
"But if you want to continue to be slaves of the banks and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let bankers continue to create money and control credit.” Josiah Stamp
O.K. That part's right.
"Aba daba daba daba daba daba daba" said the chimp-y to the monk.
O.K. That part's right. I don't think so ... however, I don't think it matters which dictator the NWO serves up (don't worry, y'all still get to vote !!!)
"But if you want to continue to be slaves of the banks and pay the cost of your own slavery, then let bankers continue to create money and control credit.” Josiah Stamp
Doesn't matter to what? I agree it didn't matter before O. O is different.
"Aba daba daba daba daba daba daba" said the chimp-y to the monk.
as the son of a famous evangelical leader...
CHIMPOUT!
die kill ~~ Me
God is a separatist. That's good enough for me.
#2. To: PSUSA (#1)
#3. To: SonOfLiberty (#2)
CHIMPOUT!
die kill ~~ Me
God is a separatist. That's good enough for me.
#4. To: noone222 (#0)
Obama's steady supporters will be proved right. Obama's critics will be remembered as easily panicked and prematurely discouraged at best and shriveled hate mongers at worst.
Lord Acton
OsamaBinGoldstein posted on 2010-05-25 9:39:59 ET (2 images) Reply Trace
#5. To: noone222 (#0)
Lord Acton
OsamaBinGoldstein posted on 2010-05-25 9:39:59 ET (2 images) Reply Trace
#6. To: noone222, 4 (#0)
#7. To: James Deffenbach (#4)
What a PANTLOAD! The guy who wrote that drivel is a flaming retard.
#8. To: Lod (#6)
#9. To: Lod (#6)
sticking with our President. Why? -- Because he is succeeding.
#10. To: noone222, 4 (#8)
#11. To: Cynicom, 4 (#9)
#12. To: Lod (#11)
That may be the most delusional article I've ever seen here.
#13. To: Lod (#6)
Was anyone able to read all this insane drivel?
Lord Acton
OsamaBinGoldstein posted on 2010-05-25 9:39:59 ET (2 images) Reply Trace
#14. To: noone222 (#7)
A friend (for now) sent me that crap ... so I tried to be gentle in responding with real issues.
Lord Acton
OsamaBinGoldstein posted on 2010-05-25 9:39:59 ET (2 images) Reply Trace
#15. To: James Deffenbach (#14)
It was a good reply but I would have been sorely tempted to ask my "friend" what would possess them to send me $#it like that. Obama is a flaming radical communist, Lenin and Stalin would be proud of him.
#16. To: noone222 (#15)
Lord Acton
OsamaBinGoldstein posted on 2010-05-25 9:39:59 ET (2 images) Reply Trace
#17. To: James Deffenbach (#16)
His "inner communist" must have taken over his body
#18. To: noone222 (#0)
After Obama has served two full terms, (and he will)
#19. To: Prefrontal Vortex (#18)
After Obama has served two full terms, (and he will)
#20. To: noone222 (#19)
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