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Who is More Obsessed With Obama?
Judging from the threads and posts on this forum and conservative radio shows and blogs (odd how they all say the same thing 
), there seems to be a rather unhealthy obsession with our new president. I emphasize new as he has only been president for less than 5 months.
There are two reasons often given for the anti-Obama rhetoric, and both are bunk, imo. The first is that Obama is the darling of the media and therefore biases information. Well, you can't really blame him for that (but conservative find a way). I believe that this results from selective memory of conservatives (kinda how Reagan became an icon). Fox news alone disproves that Obama has the media's support. It's regular attacks on the president have caused it to be accused of inciting violence against our dear leader. However, the real kicker is that Fox news treated Bush far better than any other media source now treats Obama. Hell, they were gushing over Cheney a few weeks ago. Bush was praised and gloried on Fox news, and the left complained bitterly about it. However, the left put the blame solely on Fox news for this. They had enough on Bush blame him for everything else.
The second part of this selective memory comes from having 8 long dismal years when a president was simply not popular enough to warrant such popular media attention. Although, at the beginning of Bush's presidency there was an initial media facination with. I remember one droll article from the Economist discussing W's penchant for nicknames. But beyond that new president smell, there wasn't much more to Bush before 9/11 (it turned out there wasn't much more to him after either). Having inherited the Clinton golden age, there was little for the president to do but take it easy and not draw attention to himself. Now Clinton, he was a media darling. He simply had the charisma for it. Reagan too, but that won't be mentioned now because it's the new attack for a democratic president. And thus, we have that selective memory again.
The other reason given for rightist Obamania is that they believe they are countering the leftist Obamania. However, they fail to notice that the scale has tipped. It's rather hard to find a serious praise for Obama that can match the criticisms stack against him. Often the best thing said about him is that he could do more. Hardly fawning admiration. Meanwhile, the attacks against him from mainstream news sources range from calling his decisions dangerous to the future of our economy to calling him a traitor. Whatever Obamania from the left they are countering has been long drowned out over the angry yelps and froth of the Limbaugh-wannabees.
Now back to this forum. Reading the Obama threads is like watching one-sided shadowboxing. The attacks are ridiculous and unfounded. And the so-called praise for Obama manifests in moderate defenses for a few of the overblown criticisms (most are ignored. people have jobs and lives, you know). But that's what passed for praise these days, I suppose. "If you aren't against Obama, you want to make hot sweaty love to him" is the lesson of the day. So the conservatives continue fighting their imaginary enemy, touting their self-proclaimed victory and righteousness as independent centrists. Afterall, if they can forget the past and ignore the present, they can certainly claim that they are not conservatives (who would want to say otherwise?).
Conservativism is rapidly becoming a four-letter word. Soon Obama will be accused of being one, if he hasn't been already (God knows socialist ain't sticking). Of course, what makes this worse for the conservatives, is that except for a few truly naive moderates, the majority of Americans still like Obama, even if they don't agree with all his policies. Could it be that America overall has grown up, if a little? Have the dark ages of Bush done for the US what Mao did for China? If so, more power to the haters. Keep reminding us of the dark behind lest we be too distracted by the light ahead. Just don't expect to win any elections.
), there seems to be a rather unhealthy obsession with our new president. I emphasize new as he has only been president for less than 5 months.There are two reasons often given for the anti-Obama rhetoric, and both are bunk, imo. The first is that Obama is the darling of the media and therefore biases information. Well, you can't really blame him for that (but conservative find a way). I believe that this results from selective memory of conservatives (kinda how Reagan became an icon). Fox news alone disproves that Obama has the media's support. It's regular attacks on the president have caused it to be accused of inciting violence against our dear leader. However, the real kicker is that Fox news treated Bush far better than any other media source now treats Obama. Hell, they were gushing over Cheney a few weeks ago. Bush was praised and gloried on Fox news, and the left complained bitterly about it. However, the left put the blame solely on Fox news for this. They had enough on Bush blame him for everything else.
The second part of this selective memory comes from having 8 long dismal years when a president was simply not popular enough to warrant such popular media attention. Although, at the beginning of Bush's presidency there was an initial media facination with. I remember one droll article from the Economist discussing W's penchant for nicknames. But beyond that new president smell, there wasn't much more to Bush before 9/11 (it turned out there wasn't much more to him after either). Having inherited the Clinton golden age, there was little for the president to do but take it easy and not draw attention to himself. Now Clinton, he was a media darling. He simply had the charisma for it. Reagan too, but that won't be mentioned now because it's the new attack for a democratic president. And thus, we have that selective memory again.
The other reason given for rightist Obamania is that they believe they are countering the leftist Obamania. However, they fail to notice that the scale has tipped. It's rather hard to find a serious praise for Obama that can match the criticisms stack against him. Often the best thing said about him is that he could do more. Hardly fawning admiration. Meanwhile, the attacks against him from mainstream news sources range from calling his decisions dangerous to the future of our economy to calling him a traitor. Whatever Obamania from the left they are countering has been long drowned out over the angry yelps and froth of the Limbaugh-wannabees.
Now back to this forum. Reading the Obama threads is like watching one-sided shadowboxing. The attacks are ridiculous and unfounded. And the so-called praise for Obama manifests in moderate defenses for a few of the overblown criticisms (most are ignored. people have jobs and lives, you know). But that's what passed for praise these days, I suppose. "If you aren't against Obama, you want to make hot sweaty love to him" is the lesson of the day. So the conservatives continue fighting their imaginary enemy, touting their self-proclaimed victory and righteousness as independent centrists. Afterall, if they can forget the past and ignore the present, they can certainly claim that they are not conservatives (who would want to say otherwise?).
Conservativism is rapidly becoming a four-letter word. Soon Obama will be accused of being one, if he hasn't been already (God knows socialist ain't sticking). Of course, what makes this worse for the conservatives, is that except for a few truly naive moderates, the majority of Americans still like Obama, even if they don't agree with all his policies. Could it be that America overall has grown up, if a little? Have the dark ages of Bush done for the US what Mao did for China? If so, more power to the haters. Keep reminding us of the dark behind lest we be too distracted by the light ahead. Just don't expect to win any elections.
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