Obama Supporter Tells President: I’m Exhausted Having To Defend You
You know it’s a bad day in the life of a President when something like this happens at a televised town hall:
“I’m one of your middle class Americans. And quite frankly, I’m exhausted. Exhausted of defending you, defending your administration, defending the mantle of change that I voted for,” a woman told President Obama at a town hall.
“My husband and I have joked for years that we thought we were well beyond the hot dogs and beans era of our lives, but, quite frankly, it’s starting to knock on our door and ring true that that might be where we’re headed again, and, quite frankly, Mr. President, I need you to answer this honestly. Is this my new reality?,” she added.
Obama’s response, which you can watch here, struck me as professorial and detached, which is pretty much a description of his entire Administration when you think about it.
What struck me about Obama’s response most of all, though, is that his response focused entirely on what the government could do for this woman by giving her more money, or by implementing new regulations. Hardly surprising coming from a Democrat, of course, but given the current political climate, it does seem that the President still doesn’t get it.
“It”? Do tell.
Doug, that is exactly what the woman is asking though, “What can you Mr. President, do to solve my problems?”
When times get tough, much like they are these days people often blame government for their problems right along side of expecting government to fix it, all without asking themselves, “Hey what can I do to get myself out of this mess?” It’s just where we are as a culture. When things go wrong we want someone to blame and someone else to fix it and none of it of course is our own fault.
Vast … that is not what the woman asked … but since Obama has made a career of pointing out how the Government under GWB WAS responsible for the state of economy he kind of has to maintain that myth and tell her what the Government was going to do for her going forward … kind of boxed himself into a corner …
She is asking what the government is going to do to fix the economy.
Well, she’s was an Obama voter so of course she still suffers from the fundamental fallacy that government exists to solve her problems.
She’ll learn her lesson eventually
That delusion isn’t something that only affects Democrats and their supporters. There are more than a majority of Republicans with the same problem.
The response to her question would have been the same no matter which politician she asked (with the possible exception of Rand Paul circa July 2009): “Here is what I will give you for free. Here are the names of some baddies I will be mean to on your behalf.” VV is right: When it comes down to it, this is really how the American people view the role of their government.
Didn’t Tom Coburn get a similar question at a town hall a few months ago and answer in the same way? Basically “give me your name and I’ll get you some free stuff.”
** Should be Rand Paul circa July 2010, before he won the nomination and realized how much trouble sincere libertarian beliefs can be for a mainstream.
**** politician. (Sheesh.)
So what should Obama have said? Should he have toed the libertarian line and said “screw you, honey, if you’re not rich by now you should die?” Should he have followed the Tea Party mantra and said “freedom means you get to live in poverty while the ultra-rich continue to suck up the nation’s wealth?”
There is a lot government can do and both parties still don’t get it. The reason we cannot create jobs is that we are sending jobs overseas. But this is one of many problems the government needs to look into.
And here is another mistake by our politicians is just to give tax cuts, which by now, is all spent money, did not solve any problems, and added to our deficits. (I know, we did not cut spending)
Here is what we could have done, instead of having tax cuts. And I believe that at one time we were given 600 dollar checks. Well, I multiplied that times 10,000 people (my town has 14,000) and that is 6 million dollars. I figure we need around 10 million dollars to fix our city center so that we get businesses and people downtown and not have urban sprawl. This would do far more to create business, create jobs, and create prosperity. Urban sprawl is killing the city centers and killing small business.
It has been proven time and again that you need to fix your city centers. In America, we abandon them. China buys up property and builds over. Toronto over 30 years ago had a dying town until they built a shopping mall downtown and along with that 16 miles of underground restaurants and shops. Every European city is vibrant. In America, you cannot walk in the middle of Toledo at night. But you need to do many things to make it all work. But something like this can be done all over America. And besides that we are some 2 trillion dollars behind on our infrastructure.
So there is a lot that government can do, but they just don’t know for many reasons like failed ideologies, failed parties, lobbyists, interest groups, and presidents and legislatures that don’t know how to run a country.
I sure wish we had one president who would say “this is what we are going to do.” Like Kennedy saying “we are going to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.” And we got it done.
But in the end, democrats will go with some spending program and republicans will go with their social conservatism, God and country, and government will fail the American people.
The good thing is that even B.O.’s hand picked supporters are beginning to question him. That is a very good thing. How many of these people who are finally wiping the sleep from their eyes are going to be motivated enough to vote for B.O. or his cronies again? My guess is that many will stay home this time around. They will have discovered that all B.O. and his buddies have to offer is more promises…broken promises. You want hope and change, then vote these people out of office. Until then, the only hope they offer is when they go on vacation because they do less damage. The only change I see is the small change left in my wallet after they get through redistributing the wealth and killing the American dream.
E2S, dream on. I will definitely be out voting D because they’re far more sane and serious than the majority of R’s or Tea Partiers.
Reid, that is one of you. But honestly, it is good that you at least are open enough to read both sides of the story. We may disagree on our positions, but the fact that you are here on this site is good. Tell your friends to do the same.
E2S, I like this site for its “conservatism with integrity” (usually). It’s in stark contrast to the majority of conservative blogs and pundits who are either bent on Republicans winning and will say whatever it takes to make it happen, or who have crazy, extreme views. With your wishful post about voters abandoning Obama and him “redistributing wealth”, I had put you in the former category. I hope I’m wrong.
Hot dogs and beans? If only I could be so lucky. Hell, I ate ramen noodles for dinner last night! The problem with Americans are that they abide by the microwave principle wanting everything quick. “It’s only been 2 years but we want change and we want it now!” “Nevermind, that we gave Bushy 8 years to muck up!”