Dionne Offensively Wrong
Posted: February 9, 2013
Mr. Dionne’s totally partisan column of two weeks ago offends me (“Obama Now Less Burdened,” Jan. 22)
“Barack Hussein Obama will forever be our first African-American president and our first bi-racial president.” So much for a “color-blind” society. I resent Mr. Dionne’s implication that I am racist if I disagree with the president and question his motivations or basic ideology. He implies that our resentment is based on how we differ from Obama.
I have been Northerner and Southerner, rural and metropolitan, young and old, liberal and conservative, rich and poor, highly educated, and a member of a multi-racial family. Playing “the race card” offends me. Class-warfare also offends me. Sorry, Mr. Dionne, but your laying a “white guilt trip” on me doesn’t work.
It is well within my rights as a citizen to criticize and otherwise reject Obama’s policies. Spreading falsehoods, whether from the right or the left, is simply wrong. Mr. Dionne spreads a falsehood by suggesting Republicans in Congress threaten to bring the government to a halt and default on our debts. The Constitution requires that we pay our debts. However, the Constitution does not require us to pay for entitlements. Republicans would be blamed by liberals if the Social Security checks don’t come on time, but Democrats fear possible blame for Obama also. Our national debt of $16 trillion signals a clear and present danger. It appears not to concern Obama, who in his recent inaugural speech marginalized the United States economy in favor of support for the usual liberal “social justice’”and “green energy” issues. I am reminded of a certain emperor who fiddled while Rome burned.
Mr. Dionne stated that Obama has “unique gifts as a national healer.” This contradicts his earlier statement that Obama has failed to heal our national political distemper. Distemper is a nasty disease common to dogs. Mr. Dionne implies the anti-Obamites suffer this due to “below the surface” racism. He accuses me of “distemper” and tries to decide for me what determines a “national healer.” The content of Obama’s character will be proven by his actions, which will determine his legacy. The color of his skin is irrelevant.
Mr. Dionne insults my intelligence when he claims our paying higher taxes and higher prices for everything helps Obama achieve long-term fiscal solvency. Before explaining how that works, he shifts to “curb[ing] gun violence” as one of Obama’s goals. I am offended that “what Obama wants” takes precedence over what the majority of Americans want and an open public debate is not offered. Speaking of open debate, exactly when will the American public know the truth about Benghazi? After Hillary Clinton’s presidential run? Basic questions remain unanswered. But the mainstream media apparently can’t be bothered with that “old news story.” If there were a cover-up, it would not fit the image of Obama and Hillary the media wants to present.
Mr. Dionne says it’s Obama’s perception that he is successfully influencing Republicans to pull their ‘rightwing extremists’ to the left and away from that ridiculous principled Constitutional “obstructionism.” Obama believes those “folks’”are so high on tea and their children’s and grandchildren’s futures that they can’t see things his way. I take offense that Mr. Dionne, like Obama, sees only “my way or the highway.” Opposing viewpoints are the backbone of democracy.
Mr. Dionne’s last statement offends me most of all. Please forgive my interjections, which explain my interpretation.
“An Obama less burdened by what he was supposed to be (what we-the-people expected of him) has a far better chance of being the president he hoped to be (what he and his supporters hoped to achieve).” Obama did not campaign on what he wanted to do in a second term. That would have been burdensome and called into question by conservatives.
Now that the election is over, you, Mr. Dionne, and the vast majority of the mainstream media, feel even less obligation to present fair and balanced coverage of politics.
Mary Ellen Jantzi lives in Grottoes.
“Barack Hussein Obama will forever be our first African-American president and our first bi-racial president.” So much for a “color-blind” society. I resent Mr. Dionne’s implication that I am racist if I disagree with the president and question his motivations or basic ideology. He implies that our resentment is based on how we differ from Obama.
I have been Northerner and Southerner, rural and metropolitan, young and old, liberal and conservative, rich and poor, highly educated, and a member of a multi-racial family. Playing “the race card” offends me. Class-warfare also offends me. Sorry, Mr. Dionne, but your laying a “white guilt trip” on me doesn’t work.
It is well within my rights as a citizen to criticize and otherwise reject Obama’s policies. Spreading falsehoods, whether from the right or the left, is simply wrong. Mr. Dionne spreads a falsehood by suggesting Republicans in Congress threaten to bring the government to a halt and default on our debts. The Constitution requires that we pay our debts. However, the Constitution does not require us to pay for entitlements. Republicans would be blamed by liberals if the Social Security checks don’t come on time, but Democrats fear possible blame for Obama also. Our national debt of $16 trillion signals a clear and present danger. It appears not to concern Obama, who in his recent inaugural speech marginalized the United States economy in favor of support for the usual liberal “social justice’”and “green energy” issues. I am reminded of a certain emperor who fiddled while Rome burned.
Mr. Dionne stated that Obama has “unique gifts as a national healer.” This contradicts his earlier statement that Obama has failed to heal our national political distemper. Distemper is a nasty disease common to dogs. Mr. Dionne implies the anti-Obamites suffer this due to “below the surface” racism. He accuses me of “distemper” and tries to decide for me what determines a “national healer.” The content of Obama’s character will be proven by his actions, which will determine his legacy. The color of his skin is irrelevant.
Mr. Dionne insults my intelligence when he claims our paying higher taxes and higher prices for everything helps Obama achieve long-term fiscal solvency. Before explaining how that works, he shifts to “curb[ing] gun violence” as one of Obama’s goals. I am offended that “what Obama wants” takes precedence over what the majority of Americans want and an open public debate is not offered. Speaking of open debate, exactly when will the American public know the truth about Benghazi? After Hillary Clinton’s presidential run? Basic questions remain unanswered. But the mainstream media apparently can’t be bothered with that “old news story.” If there were a cover-up, it would not fit the image of Obama and Hillary the media wants to present.
Mr. Dionne says it’s Obama’s perception that he is successfully influencing Republicans to pull their ‘rightwing extremists’ to the left and away from that ridiculous principled Constitutional “obstructionism.” Obama believes those “folks’”are so high on tea and their children’s and grandchildren’s futures that they can’t see things his way. I take offense that Mr. Dionne, like Obama, sees only “my way or the highway.” Opposing viewpoints are the backbone of democracy.
Mr. Dionne’s last statement offends me most of all. Please forgive my interjections, which explain my interpretation.
“An Obama less burdened by what he was supposed to be (what we-the-people expected of him) has a far better chance of being the president he hoped to be (what he and his supporters hoped to achieve).” Obama did not campaign on what he wanted to do in a second term. That would have been burdensome and called into question by conservatives.
Now that the election is over, you, Mr. Dionne, and the vast majority of the mainstream media, feel even less obligation to present fair and balanced coverage of politics.
Mary Ellen Jantzi lives in Grottoes.