Obama admonished everyone to stop trying to blame particular people for the shooting. Next one to do it publicly, should get a major slap down from the leaders. Imagine the GOP and DEM Senate Leaders standing together at the podium reprimanding one of their own in a meaningful way. Doubt it. Some members of the msmedia are doing that now over the Palin aspect of this whole thing.
I have been saying for a long time the President sets the tone for the country. Much of the divisive rhetoric he spoke of in his speech has emanated from his administration over the last two years. While his words were eloquent and moving, it seemed somewhat hypocritical considering he could have told the leadership to cut it out a long time ago. Somebody has to unclench the fist first.
The tone got ugly under Clinton. However, he did mislead the court under oath to avoid a large judgment against himself. Ask yourself, “What normally happens to the 55 year old President of a corporation that has sex with an 18 year old intern in his office? What happens when he is also the subject of a lawsuit for sexual harassment at the time and “lies” or refuses to testify truthfully? What happens when the sex takes place in a government funded office?” He gets shown the door. The DEMs just did not get it!
However, the rhetoric really spiraled out of control when GW Bush won the first election. The DEMs could not let it go. They were determined to tear Bush down and de-legitimize him by any means. The GOP takes the bait and reacts. The general media was complicit in this effort. Next thing you know, both sides are demonizing each other and it’s a food fight. Harry Reid standing on the steps of the Capitol declaring the war is lost was a particularly low point for this country.
Obama is very talented. His strategy and tactics are very effective. In the past, he succeeded by incorporating the Alinsky tactics. Read them. Watch him and the rest of the politicians. You will notice many times they do not address the message, but ridicule the messenger. They isolate the person, ridicule them, dismiss and de-legitimize them without actually refuting the validity of their positions. They energize the base with the most debased rhetoric and catchy sound bites. They tell them we are going to get the other guy. The problem with all of that is the stakes are so much higher now that he is President. This is not community organizing or extraction of money from a corporation in order to make him go away. His tone and policies affect the country and the rest of the world.
Hopefully, he will come down hard on his own party if they revert to the “We disagree, so you are evil” rhetoric. Hopefully, the GOP can stop taking the bait. Hopefully, he will take his own advice to heart. Hopefully, the politicians won’t let us down again. I am continually disappointed with the lack of meaningful follow through in the wake of inspiring words by all of them. I did not vote for Obama, but I thought, “Man, I hope he lives up to half of what he pledged as far as a new era of transparency and ethical integrity in his White House.” He immediately let me down on that one.
The only good that comes from this is if the politicians get their heads out of their arses and realize they work for us and they are root of the problem. I’m tired of the country being played for votes by both sides while everything they touch turns to crap and costs us dearly in blood and treasure. Unfortunately, I believe they will all be back to business as usual in a month or two at the most. Hopefully, they will prove me wrong.