As I might not get to a column tomorrow, I am doubling up today.
In a way, it's frustrating, but in a way it could be instructive. What I am talking about is this: criticism of the ineffective presidency of Obama is generally not rebutted intelligently. Two arguments are utilized again and again to defend Obama's term/policies.
1) George Bush. This takes the form of Bush did it too or you can't expect us to clean up the mess that was left overnight.
a. Even a little kid knows better than to use a "Bush did it too" defense. I would ask my daughter if one of the kids at daycare acts naughty, should you act naughty too? She says, "Nooo". Beyond that if the Bush presidency was such a disaster, how exactly is taking his mistakes and doubling down on them going to make it better? Exactly how does doubling or more the budget deficit Bush left office with make financial success?
b. Would any business in their right mind keep a CEO employed for that long if they were hired during a downturn, doubled the yearly losses and reduced productivity? In those circumstances, how well would a argument that the old CEO left a huge mess go over? Were they hired to see the situation get substantially worse? Were they hired to make excuses?
2) Racism. Criticism of Obama's policies is often not rebutted as much as the credibility of the critic is questions. i.e., the NAACP with little supporting evidence declared that the tea party--as if it is a political party--is tolerant of racism.
NAACP attack the tea party
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Leaders of the country's largest civil rights organization accused tea party activists on Tuesday of tolerating bigotry and approved a resolution condemning racism within the political movement.
Normally a person/group with any amount of shame would have retracted charges they leveled when the evidence indicates otherwise. However, after foolishly claiming racist epithets were thrown at them in a well covered tea party rally opposing "health care reform", they--the leftist black establishment--refused to retract it when evidence indicated otherwise. Widespread MSM coverage and availability of recording devices would have caught evidence of their claims. Instead of backing down, they've turned it up a notch by furthering the narrative that the tea party is the home of those racist elements and those who tolerate them.
I suppose it's hard for a tiger to change his stripes. Whether it is delusion, insecurity or justifying their
raison d'être, many members of the old guard in the liberal black establishment have resorted to ad hominem cries of racism to anyone that opposes Obama or their ideas. If it weren't our country, it would almost be comical. Instead these mostly unsupported claims poison the well. People who aren't engaged couldn't be completely faulted for thinking there is some truth to the claims, despite little evidence of it. After all, the NAACP has rightly been hailed as a pioneer in the fight for equality. However, when the now former President of a formerly esteemed organization
...attacked the [Bush] administration for selecting Cabinet secretaries "from the Taliban wing of American politics"...
NAACP Tabliban wing story.
back not too many years ago, you have to say their credibility is highly suspect.
