Obama, the talking machine

Presidents come and go, but Barack Obama stands above the rest in one characteristic.  He is without doubt the champion “motor mouth” of all time.  It isn’t even close.  Drug addicts must have their next fix on a daily, or even an hourly, basis.  Barack is just as driven to deliver his next speech.  He is totally addicted to the sound of his own voice.

Recently, he received massive media coverage for his State of the Union speech.  A normal politician would enjoy that huge exposure and relax for a bit, but not our boy.  He, his teleprompter, and his entourage are off on Air Force One the very next day to “speak” once again in North Carolina.  That is followed by two successive days of yet more speeches.  Four days and four speeches! For Barack, that is orgasmic.

Also, what you see is what you get.  That’s the Obama presidency in a nutshell.   Talk, and talk, and talk to satisfy his overwhelming need to voice his perceived superior intellect.  His only presidential actions are to expand his voter base by promoting a Greek-style entitlement society.  Other than that, Obama doesn’t actually “do” anything, except talk.  North Korea, Syria, Mali, Iran, Benghazi, the economy, and the deficit don’t reach his attention level.  Considering action on these hot spots would interfere with writing and delivering the daily speech. Barack rationalizes this approach by labeling it “leading from behind.”  A more realistic assessment would be “a continual failure to do anything at all.”

Only vacations in plush surroundings interfere with the daily talking fix.  If the vacation includes golf with rich supporters so much the better.  Those problems that so occupy other presidents are ignored.

Chicago teen shot

Any murder is sad, but some seem more so.  She was in a Chicago band that marched in the recent Inaugural parade.  She was an honor student and popular among her peers.  Sadly, she was killed in a Chicago park that is close to Obama’s home.  In other words, this was yet another senseless killing of a person just entering the promising part of life.  Yet another!

Ah, but the liberal politicians see the killing as an opportunity to play up their anti-gun campaign.  Michelle boards her private plane along with Valerie Jarret to attend the funeral.  Mayor Rahm tears up (if you can imagine) just talking about the incident.  Barack didn’t attend only because his presence would be distracting.  

Thus, this girl’s funeral was turned into a shameless political pitch for Obama’s anti-gun campaign.  No doubt, this killing was by gunfire.  But, the real problem lies elsewhere.  Killings like this one flow from a seriously failed culture.  Over half of the gun crimes occur in large cities.  The shooters generally live in the poor areas.  The people who live in those parts of the cities are largely African-American.

An article in Commentary magazine notes that despite composing only 1% of the population, black males between the ages of 18 and 24 represent 18% of the gun homicides and 27% of the homicide offenders. 

Instead of forcing school kids to eat carrot sticks, Michelle should address this problem.   This is where the real problem lies, not in gun ownership.  No legislation, liberal inspired or not, will cure this endemic problem that largely defines much of today’s black community.

No, I’m not a racist, just striving to be a realist.

Obama, arrogance redefined

High office naturally encourages the holder to adopt an air of personal arrogance.   After all, his position is one of great importance.  Normal extrapolation leads to the belief he must also be important.  It’s probably fair to say that virtually all U.S. Presidents follow this trend with some more arrogant than others.   Along comes Barack Obama who eclipses all his predecessors while easily setting new standards for Presidential arrogance.

Only a few years ago, Barack was an unknown and insignificant community organizer.   You would expect the rather rapid transition to the Presidency would allow a tad of modesty to creep in.  And, his track record to date as president shows no accomplishment worth noting.  The honor of being the first black President should be somewhat humbling.  One would expect the combination of these factors would produce a degree of modesty, but not so for Barack Obama.  In fact, he seems oblivious to being in so far over his head.

To cap it off, he loves the sound of his own voice far more than anything else in life. His wife and children come in as distant seconds, or maybe thirds if you consider golf.  That characteristic leads to a continuous flow of speeches to any audience his aides can assemble and Air Force One can reach.  He and his teleprompter go on and on for hours, day after day.  His speeches are always presented in the first person personal using the pronoun “I” over and over and over.  The mute button on my TV is exhausted from saving me from the torture of yet another rambling Barack lecture accompanied by his standard look of superiority.  And another annoying thing, Obama always points his finger at the listener to emphasize his superior intellect.

Please tell me, what have I done to warrant four more years of such a bore?

Obama toys with disorganized GOP

Reflecting back, we can now see the Romney campaign message was disorganized and ineffective.  Voters were not touched or captured by the message or the candidate.  Obama won, and now he is enjoying the spoils of victory.

The election loss officially silenced Romney and Ryan as GOP spokesmen.  +John Boehner and +Mitch McConnell are the only Republicans left standing to speak for the Party. And to put it mildly, they are not up to the task.  In addition, Boehner’s Speaker role means he has to duel with +Obama on the fiscal cliff problem. As we all can see, that is no contest.  Boehner even naively believes Obama will work sincerely to a compromise solution to the fiscal cliff.  He goes further into naivety by embarrassing himself with his Plan B fiasco. 

Obama and his Chicago organizers view the election the same as a victory in a big street fight between rival gangs.   They won the last fight, and Obama sees no reason to compromise with the same gang he beat up the last time out.   His attitude is non-negotiable: “agree to what I say or else.”   He then adds, “Rest assured you will get the blame if we go over the fiscal cliff.”

The truth is, Obama would just as soon see the latter.  That’s how street fighters think.  First, beat up the other gang.  Humiliating them is even better.  Life is not fair, the obstructionist comes off the hero. It’s difficult to avoid feeling sorry for the hapless Speaker.   

The Obama/Romney mismatch

Despite all the pre-election hoopla, the actual election turned into a “no contest.” In fact, it seemed like the Democrats won by default. Obama entered the contest with a politically disastrous track record. Based on his dismal performance he should have no hope of winning. Yet, he prevailed. Why?

Apparently the Republican side seemed to think Obama’s record was so bad he couldn’t possibly win. In any event, they virtually failed to show up, let alone present a vigorous case. Neither their campaign, nor their candidate, connected with the voters on any front. By way of analogy, the election was more like a battle between a Mormon choir boy and the Chicago mafia.

Romney smilingly played the decent “nice guy” role alongside his pleasant wife, Ann. The Romney campaign was soft and almost silent on Obama’s universal failings. Romney publicly agreed with Obama more than he disagreed, and when he criticized him it was ever so politely. Romney did not scream from the rooftops that Obama was driving America headlong into a bankrupt Greek-style socialist hole. He did not point out that Barack really disliked the America most of us are so proud of, and that he was determined to change it. Ambassador Steven’s unnecessary death never got hung around Barack’s incompetent neck where it belonged. The media helped in developing this astounding free pass for Obama on his abysmal record. All in all, it was as though the last four years never happened.

Meanwhile, his Democrat opposition attacked Romney like a gang of Chicago thugs with methods honed from numerous street fights. They firmly established Romney in the public’s mind as a heartless, out of touch, rich guy who enjoyed abusing dogs. Leo Durocher warned us long ago when he said “nice guys finish last.” It was an Obama sweep against a nice, but hapless, foe.

The Trayvon Martin incident

Let’s be clear. The killing of Trayvon Martin is an absolute shame and a human tragedy. It should never have happened. The family deserves our sympathy. If investigation shows the shooting was not justified, the killer should be punished according to the law. I am crystal clear on all of those statements.

As clear as I am on the above statements, I am puzzled by the national outcry over the incident. This killing has become a national cause célèbre among blacks. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton hop back on the media stage by shouting their tired message of racial outrage. Louis Farrakhan goes even further calling for revenge, “an eye for an eye,” etc. As usual, Obama plays for votes by proclaiming Tryvon the son he wished he had, without knowing the victim at all.

Spike Lee has been at the forefront of a broad celebrity reaction, tweeting messages such as "America The Beautiful, A Country Where A Black Teenager Can Be Shot And Killed Coming From A 7-Eleven Buying A Ice Tea And A Bag Of Skittles," and retweeting -- often with commentary -- messages from fans and other advocates for legal action against Zimmerman.

Apparently the Tryvon incident got so much attention because it was cast as a white on black shooting. Plus, it is touted as an example of common racial profiling. In other words, it reinforces the standard black message: “American society is essentially racist.” What puzzles me about that attitude is most of the people I know are unaware of any black prejudice until black reactions such as this one occur.

A half Hispanic man did the shooting, and he said it was in self defense. Yet, the media and the liberal public have judged him guilty of murder with racial prejudice before any investigation. Obama’s Justice Department is considering charges. This conclusion is apparently based solely on the killer’s cell phone call to the police before the killing occurred. Who needs more proof when your antennae are ever alert for an excuse to claim racial bias?

On the other hand, The San Francisco Chronicle reports,
“In 2011, there were 103 reported homicides in Oakland. Most of the victims were young black males who were killed with firearms in East and West Oakland. This is a continuation of a pattern in Oakland that has been the case for years and is closely tied to the economic and social realities of young people living in the city’s poorest areas. If there is anything that makes 2011 different than past years, it is that three of those homicide victims were children under the age of 6."

The Chron article goes on,
"Carlos Nava, a 3-year-old, was killed by a stray bullet in a drive-by shooting in East Oakland on August 9. Less than three months later, 23-month-old Hiram Lawrence was shot in the head by a stray bullet in West Oakland on November 28, and died two weeks after that when he was taken off life support. On December 30, 5-year-old Gabriel Martinez was shot and killed by another stray bullet in front of his family’s taco truck in East Oakland.”

These incidents in predominantly black neighborhoods prompted some reaction and mild protests in Oakland, but nowhere else. Spike Lee was silent about this black side of America. Is the message that black on black crime is understandable and acceptable? Are we to believe all problems in the black community result from white bias?

Obama, the person

In this political season, the performance of Barack Obama is a frequent topic of conversation. The talk is usually based on how he has handled various issues, such as the economy or foreign policy.

I believe there is another way of evaluating Barack. Let’s consider how he stacks up as “a person.” On a grander perspective, does he display traits you match with proper presidential behavior, as distinguished from particular decisions? Closer to home, if he were a neighbor would you ask him over frequently for a glass of wine or dinner? Is it likely you would count him as a friend? Would the two of you be compatible on most issues (except religion and politics of course)?

Frankly, I can’t think of any basis on which I would want personal time with Obama. I don’t see a smidgeon of agreement between us insofar as personality and character is concerned. First off, he talks way, way too much. Can you just imagine an evening with Barack? There wouldn’t be an opportunity for an edgewise word. Even worse, his continual “rattling on” is all about how great he is, how much smarter he is than the rest of us. Who wants to endure an evening of non-stop self praise?

But, that’s not all. Barack fails every test of fundamental honesty I can think of. One expects a politician to bend the truth a bit when it suits him politically. Obama is the champion chameleon among such benders of truth. In reality, there is no need to listen to his voluminous words because they have no meaning. His positions on issues are as changeable as the weather. They totally reflect how he reads the political tea leaves that day. That is shamelessly true.

Most of us dare not claim to be infallible. Obama, on the other hand, has never been wrong, never! Everything that does not go well (and that’s most everything he does) he blames on someone else. His favorite target is George Bush, but he leans heavily on all Republicans for excuses for his personal failures. In fact, it is fair to say that anyone who disagrees with him automatically becomes an attack target, even radio host, Rush. Apparently, Barack believes it is impossible for anyone of such superior intelligence to be wrong.

But, my worst Barack irritation comes when he runs down our country. Perhaps it is because of my advancing years. Or, maybe my patriotic roots “act up.” But somehow, I became ingrained with the belief that America is exceptional among the countries of the world. I have no doubt Americans stand out worldwide for their generosity, their love of freedom, and their wish for the best for others. Obama continually apologizes for American actions to other countries, factions, and world leaders. That goes beyond annoying. It is distressing. His tendency to trash the country I hold dear is just too much.

So, in summary, I see no basis on which to agree with, let alone praise, our dear president’s personal traits. No, I would not choose him as a friend or neighbor. Frankly, I can’t wait for his reign to end with this one term. When he is finally gone from the presidential scene, my TV remote button will get a well deserved rest. I believe a job with Acorn would be right down his alley. Then he can buy his Chevy Volt, if he can find one for sale. And Michelle will have to pay for her vacations like the rest of us. I can’t wait for that day to arrive.