Thursday, September 10, 2009

Crazy Left-Wing Rant Part Deux

I used French there just to irritate the right wingers because I know you guys have a bone to pick with France. HA!

Anyhoo, most of you who responded to my rant yesterday about the Obama school children speech were pretty much members of the invisible choir I was preaching to. However, G-Man’s Mama is a proud right-winger and decided to chirp up. Which, I really appreciate because my little world consists mostly of hippies and Canadians and I really did want that point of view. Her comment was as follows –

"At the risk of being stoned I will admit to being one of those "right-wing nutjobs" you all are cussing. Here is the problem. Obama is a way left democrat. I would not want my children exposed to his ideals without knowing what the speech for about before hand. If the speech or a transcript were released before hand I would have let my children participate. The problem was not the speech that was planned it was the assignment after by the white house that asked "How would you help President Obama?" Um...last I checked he was our president as in for the people (or those that voted for him anyway). If it was Sarah Palin addressing the children of this nation all of the democrats would be figuring out "how to band together, bring on the crazy and then spread the madness like wildfire." Just sayin'."

Thanks, G-Man's Mama. While I still don’t really understand that position, it was delivered articulately and at least flirted with logic. It was certainly a significantly better way of communicating a point of view than the crazy screaming people I’ve been watching on the news at those town hall meetings where somehow people have become convinced that Obama wants to kill them. Regardless of what side of the fence you sit on, politicians don’t ever take the position that they want to kill people. It’s really hard to get re-elected with that platform.

It’s also interesting the ‘right’ (sorry, G-Man’s Mama, since you are the only one who spoke up for that side you are representing them ALL now) see Obama as a ‘far left-wing’ democrat. I would consider myself a far left-wing democrat, and Obama seems pretty moderate to me. I think health care should be completely free to everyone and you can just go right ahead and raise my taxes to make that happen. Obama is proposing a shared-cost/income based approach to health care.

I think America should immediately pull every last troupe out of Iraq, throw themselves on the mercy of the UN and beg the industrialized world for help cleaning up that horrible mess that should have never begun in the first place. Obama is going with a more cautious approach and still has soldiers over there trying to….well, do something I guess.

If Sarah Palin was to give a speech to school children I would absolutely let my kids hear it. First of all, I think it’s good for kids to hear all sides of the issues since they are the ones who are ultimately going to lead the country one day and the sooner they can learn about issues/points of view (although Obama’s speech was just about the importance of education, not a point of view), the sooner they can start deciding for themselves what is good for the country and themselves and what isn’t. Second of all, it would give me, as their parent, a perfect opportunity to talk to them about what someone like Sarah Palin has to say and how they feel about it (and how I feel about it). And, I would of course need the chance to clear up the fact that Africa is indeed a continent (sorry, couldn’t resist).

And lastly….the ‘right’ starting flipping out IMMEDIATELY. They had no details, they asked no questions about what Obama was planning to say (although that information was available), gave no thought as to how it might open up communications and discussion with their children, and lept to all kinds of conclusions that because it's Obama it just simply MUST be evil and involve some kind of satan worship.

Just the fact that a democrat (horrors!) was going to talk to their children was enough to make them completely lose their shit.

THAT smacks of partisanship way more than your President speaking to kids about why staying is school is a good idea to me. No? And, while I have you, G-Man’s Mama, wasn’t the whole mantra of the ‘right’ for the last eight years of George W rule that unless every American blindly supports the President he/she is a trader? Why doesn’t that theory apply anymore? ESPECIALLY to one little speech that has nothing whatsoever to do with politics?

I like the lively, respectful debate. I’d love to hear from some more right-wingers. And, for the record, when I say, ‘right-wing bat-shit crazy nut-jobs’ I’m referring to the screaming town hall people whose heads are about to explode. Reasoned, respectful right-wingers are just fine.

Although horribly misguided.

Okay, I’ll stop now.

17 comments:

Jenni said...

Love him as I do, I don't really think Obama is that far left either. I mean, he doesn't support an ammendment legalizing gay marriage; does not support the government subsidizing abortions as part of the health care plan; he didn't even adopt a stray dog.

But I do. Love him. He still makes me feel inspired and like America can be a great nation again. He give me hope.

Matty said...

Fon, you said, "I like the lively, respectful debate."

Based on the comments to your earlier post, I wouldn't exactly call it "respectful".

What a shame that if someone doesn't like another person's political views, they refer to them as "fucking morons", "fucking idiots", "fucking Americans", and so on and so on.

I disagree with a lot of things other people say about a lot of topics....politics, sports, my job, the food at a restaurant, and so on, but I don't lower myself to such a level as to call them those demeaning names.

To repeat a quote.....I may not agree with what you say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

That last bit about the right wingers was awesome.

Hehe. I'm talking about Obama's health care speech over at my place if you care to join in. A few Canadians are offering up their opinions :)

A few right wing nut jobs too.

robin said...

Wow. I feel honored that I was the one she quoted!!! I guess that's a compliment! LOL!

I agree with you that Obama is FAR from a "way left democrat." If that were the case, I am not sure he would have gotten elected... how else to explain how he got so many republican votes? Any candidate leaning too far to one side would have a very hard time winning an election with such overwhelming numbers. If he were that far left-leaning, it would have been a much closer race, in other words.

It concerns me that any parent would worry about exposing their child to the ideals promoted by the president of our country. As if we had put some sort of maniacal tyrant in office? Let's put this in perspective here, he is not talking about raping and pillaging America... but health care and jobs and education. What is the harm in listening to what he has to say? Is it really that threatening to hear the ideals of others?

If Sarah Palin was elected VP and she gave a speech in the same fashion, I honestly would not have an issue allowing my child to watch. I really do believe that open discourse is what makes this country so great and the minute it is squashed (the attempt is being made by Republicans right now) we are in serious trouble.

I do believe that being open minded is one the strength of Democrats. Being liberal tends to make you open to all sorts of ideas. You might not agree (and let's face it, I did not agree with 99.9% of Sarah Palin's ideals) but I was willing to hear her out! I feel that Obama, as the president of our country, deserves the same respect.

Stepping off soap box now!

Tricia McWhorter said...

Well, I don't think Obama is far left either—I'm with Jenni on that. I think the circus about having him speak to schools was just pathetic. What he had to say was inspiring—something we can really use these days.

And as a family that has to spend over half (that's right, over H-A-L-F) of our income on health care, I'm all in favor of a public option. There are far too many of us out here really struggling with this problem.

Jamie said...

Since I am the only republican that reads your blog or comments on it (for now) I will gladly take the hit for the rest of us.

There are many republicans who are not nut-jobs but the media likes to make it look like we all are by blowing out of proportion every tiny little story of the nut-jobs. I am sure that there are democrat nut-jobs, we just never get to see them because the media is NO WAY bi-partisan.

President Obama beliefs/policies/"change" are pretty much a 180 from mine and it is my job as a parent to decide if I want my kid exposed to those beliefs and in what context. Currently my kid is 16 months so it isn't an issue yet but someday it will be and I will need to make the best decision for my family.

We can agree to disagree but not to slam each others beliefs.

By the way, I am in no way misguided if I do not believe what you believe. I just had/have different guidance.

Jennifer said...

Sore losers.

"Although horribly misguided." LOVE that.

Raven said...

I'm always amazed at how the 'right' claims Obama is so liberal. He's far too moderate for me and I'm actually a little disappointed in him for not being a lot more liberal. But they are all crying 'socialist!' and I think it's funny cuz do any of them actually know what socialism is? Cuz Obama is soooooo NOT a socialist.

Jacquie said...

Well I am going to put my two cents in as well... I am a *gasp* Republican, well kinda, I didn't vote for Obama, but that was just my view. I do agree that the speech should have been showed everywhere, with the exception perhaps of the younger (elementary) kids who most of them it would sound like charlie browns teacher. I also really don't have a problem with the question/assignment afterward because it was reminiscent of "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.) I do believe that the parents and older children should have been allowed to decide to watch it if they wished too. I don't think that it should have been mandatory (for a grade) as it was with my brother's school, or absolutely forbidden as it was with my sister's school.

Normally I stay out of the way in politics, I am kind of a let live and live kinda girl, but I believe that as the president he does deserve our respect and that when he speaks we should listen regardless of if we personally agree with what he is saying.

so even though the stones will be flung my way i had to add my two cents.

FoN said...

I would LOVE to think the crazy screaming people are few and far between, but the problem is they have television shows, so they can't be that 'fringe', now can they?

The American media not only gives the crazy ranting people a voice, it gives them an entire platform every single night on national television. It would be way easier to take you guys seriously if you toned down the screaming and stopped inciting an organized national hatred of your own President.

I'm not trying to cause names or be mean here, but this behaviour makes Americans look ridiculous to the rest of the planet.

Jamie said...
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Captain Dumbass said...

Just to push our friends south of the border right over the freakin' edge we should trade governments with them for a year. See how left wing they think Obama is after a year with the NDP.

Jamie said...

Is the NDP made of grilled cheese? If so, we would gladly trade :)

said...

I didn't vote for Shrub - but he was still my president and I respect the office.

And I hated it when he and the Republicans and the evil Dick Cheney were in charge - but I listened to as many sides of the issues as I could take in, and made my own decisions based on my interpretation and my family needs.

I hope my Republican friends can do the same.

We want change - but we only want it 'our' way. And we want it now - unless we have to give something up. Then the 'other side' needs to change.

We kill healthcare workers who provide legal abortions to preserve the sanctity of life.

We give far more media attention to the extremes to the left and the extremes to the right - and leave out the 90% in the middle who are pretty reasonable.

Our politicians spend their time trying to get into office, and the side not elected spends their time trying to get back into office - and not many of them are working for change. And those that are, are being screamed at in town hall meetings.

We're used to considering ourselves to be members of the most superior clique in the world, and it scares us to think that other countries might not like us anymore, after an 8-year war, after we're squandered so much goodwill and support.

And the economy stinks, and we're frozen in this bipartisan standoff.

Yup, we're Americans from the U.S. and at any given time, someone we know is a nut job - most of them in my family :).

Except for my Canadian cousins.

And we just trash Palin together.

(Sorry. Couldn't help it. I would let my kids listen to her speech in school though, if for no other reason than to prove Obama's point about staying in school.....hee hee.)

Thanks for hosting the debate!

Frogs in my formula said...

LOL at the idea of Sarah Palin speaking to school children. No thank you.

NPR had an interesting take on Obama's speech. They chided him for blatant product placement and for being plain ole boring (he suggested that students stop pursuing pipe dreams like singing careers and choose more logical careers like science).

Robin's point (It concerns me that any parent would worry about exposing their child to the ideals promoted by the president of our country. As if we had put some sort of maniacal tyrant in office?) is well made.

Aunt Juicebox said...

I would so love free health care. We can afford our insurance premiums, barely, but then you have to factor in the co-pays on top of that for absolutely everything you use it for. GRRRRR And God forbid you have an actual emergency.

I'm not all that "political" in fact my views lean more towards politically incorrect than anything, but my honest feeling about it is that whoever our President is, we should be supportive and hope he/she has our best interest at heart. Why else would they want the job?

What frightened me most was all the children who go to school with my daughter that were refusing to watch because they didn't want to be "brainwashed". WTF? Seriously? why are people teaching their kids sh*t like that? One nation, indivisible, right? What ever happened to THAT?